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| TL;DR The Expo Solos group, started by @boardgameaddictuk, is a free, friendly community for solo visitors and couples at UK Games Expo who want people to play with. There’s a set meeting spot in open gaming. You just turn up. It made my entire 2024 Expo, and it will likely do the same for you. |
I nearly talked myself out of going to UK Games Expo in 2024.
Not because I didn’t want to go. I’d wanted to go for years. But the idea of walking into one of the UK’s biggest board game events completely on my own, surrounded by groups of people who already knew each other, already had games lined up, already had plans… it was enough to make me quietly wonder if I’d just be standing around feeling awkward for two days.
I went anyway. And within a couple of hours, I’d found my people. Here’s why.
What Is the Expo Solos Group?
The Expo Solos group was started by @boardgameaddict specifically for solo visitors and couples heading to UK Games Expo without a fixed group to game with. The idea is simple: if you’re going alone, or it’s just the two of you, and you want to actually sit down and play games with other people, this is where you go.
There’s a designated meeting spot in the open gaming area. You don’t need to book anything, sign up to anything, or know anyone in advance. You just show up, and you’ll find other people doing exactly the same thing.
It’s one of those ideas that sounds almost too simple, but it completely solves a problem that a lot of solo attendees quietly dread.
What It Was Actually Like in 2024
I found the group on the first morning, slightly nervous, holding a bag full of games I wasn’t sure anyone would want to play. Within ten minutes I was sat at a table learning a game I’d never heard of, playing with three people I’d never met, and laughing at something that had gone spectacularly wrong in the rulebook explanation.
That’s the thing about this group. Everyone in it is in the same position. Nobody’s doing you a favour by letting you join. Everyone wants to play games, everyone’s open to new people, and the shared context of ‘we’re all here solo’ means there’s none of the usual awkwardness of trying to break into an established group mid-convention.
By the end of the weekend I’d played eight or nine games I’d never tried before, had lunch with people I’d met that morning, and already had my eye on what I wanted to play next time. It made my Expo. Genuinely.
Who Is It For?
The group is for anyone going to Expo without a fixed group to game with. That includes:
- Solo visitors attending on their own
- Couples who want to play with more than two people
- First-timers who don’t know anyone at the event yet
- Experienced Expo attendees who just prefer the flexibility of open gaming over pre-planned sessions
You don’t need to be a hardcore gamer. You don’t need to know the latest releases. You just need to want to play.
How to Find the Group
Follow @boardgameaddictuk on social media and join the Games Expo Solos facebook group and look out for posts closer to Expo with the confirmed meeting location for that year. The spot is in the open gaming area, and there’ll be updates shared in the run-up to the event. There is a Whatsapp chat as well for finding out what’s going on. The link is in the facebook group or you can DM me on Social media for the link.
UK Games Expo 2026 takes place at the NEC in Birmingham in late May. If you’re planning to go, get yourself in the loop now rather than trying to find people on the day.
| Quick tip: Follow @boardgameaddictuk before the event and join the facebook group keep an eye out for the confirmed meeting spot. The open gaming hall is big, so knowing exactly where to head saves a lot of wandering around looking slightly lost. |
Why It Matters
There’s a version of board gaming culture that can feel a bit exclusive. Games with long rulebooks, abbreviations everyone else seems to know, tables of people mid-campaign who’ve been playing together for months. It can be hard to find a way in, especially at a big convention.
The UK Games Expo Solos group is the opposite of all that. It’s genuinely welcoming, low-pressure, and built around the idea that the best thing about board games is playing them with other people. Any people. New people. People you didn’t know an hour ago.
If you’re nervous about going to Expo alone, this is the thing that will make it worth it. It did for me.
Final Thoughts
Go to UK Games Expo. Go solo if you need to. Find the Games Expo Solos group run by @boardgameaddictuk on your first morning, sit down at a table, and say yes to whatever someone is about to teach you.
That’s it. That’s the advice. I promise you won’t regret it.