We survived our first UK Games Expo – and we’re so glad we went!
We’ve just returned from the UK Games Expo this past weekend – and wow, what a weekend it was! People told us it would be busy, but we definitely underestimated just how true that would be. That said, we’re so glad we made the trip. And now feels like the perfect moment to properly introduce ourselves – and our very first card game.
We’re a group of four friends – Leah, Asher, Keiran, and Mark – who (surprise, surprise) love games. Video games, board games, card games – you name it, at least one of us is into it. But board games are something we can all agree we share a passion for.
Our journey started at a party, one evening in November 2024. Wanting to play our favourite card game – usually played with a standard deck of cards – all we could find were two decks haphazardly shuffled together. Instead of sorting them, we decided to roll with the chaos and split the cards down the middle, and see what would happen. After a few experimental rounds, some rule tweaks, and a handful of gameplay changes later, we had created what can only be described as a Frankenstein’s monster of a card game – but it was ridiculously fun. We came up with a funny story and called it Alchemists Gambit.
Fast forward a few months, and after lots of playtesting (thanks, friends!), fine-tuning mechanics, and refining the rules, we officially formed our company: Silver Street Games. We set up social media, launched a website, and created a proxy deck of Alchemists Gambit – proudly designed by us.
Now all that we had to do was more playtesting, some crowdfunding, and eventually publish the game – sounds simple right?
Enter: The UK Games Expo
Held from Friday 31 May to Sunday 1 June at the NEC in Birmingham, the UK Games Expo is the largest gaming convention in the UK – and we’d been looking forward to it for months. It was a golden opportunity for research, inspiration, and connecting with fellow creators. A full weekend of talking games, playing games, and buying games? We were signed up the moment we could.
Keiran found their favourite game – Catan, but bigger!
Our main goal, though, was to get a realistic sense of what it will take to bring Alchemists Gambit to life. Since we’ve decided to self-publish, we were eager to speak with other independent developers and publishers about their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned, in the hopes we could prepare for what is to come.
We were lucky to meet some amazing creators, and got to try some fantastic games. A couple that really stood out:
- SHUG – A game that blends strategy and chaos with a ye olde fantasy twist. Players explore the world, killing monsters or befriending them, to fulfil a mysterious prophecy to find the creature SHUG and bring them to the pub to overthrow the tyrannical king.
- Restless Spirits by Sneaky Rascal Games – A beautiful, imaginative game where you play as a spirit guide helping lost creatures find their way home. Players collect totems to release spirits, as well as blessings and curses designed to help you get ahead.
Both are launching on Kickstarter later this year, so definitely worth checking them out!
Games continued late into the evening…
The Business Side of Games
Beyond meeting developers, we spoke to manufacturers, suppliers, and experts – learning about everything from prototyping and quality control to shipping logistics and customs (turns out you need a broker to handle the import – who knew?). We also attended some super helpful seminars on design pitfalls, European manufacturing options, and how a game progresses from an idea, through marketing, crowdfunding and production, all the way to fulfilment. The timelines? Longer than we thought.
Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming at times. We quickly realised just how much we don’t know. But that’s okay – everyone has to start somewhere. And this weekend showed us that the knowledge, support, and resources are out there.
Looking Ahead
So despite the information overload, we are feeling positive and confident this is something we can achieve. We’ve always said from the beginning, that no matter what happens, we’ve made a game that we can play with our friends- and that alone is something to be proud of. Now we’re excited to keep learning, meet more people in the industry, and share Alchemists Gambit with people who enjoy a good game (and hopefully persuade those who don’t!).
If you’ve read this far – thank you. Really. We’re just getting started on this journey and intrigued to see where it will take us, so join us along for the ride. And hey, maybe you’ll be inspired to design your own game!
We’ll be sharing more updates soon, so keep an eye out – and wish us luck!
—Silver Street Games
