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Britcon 2025 - Demo & Participation Games


2025 confirmed demo games.

As well as a host of traders (including a number of first-time exhibitors anywhere on the wargames circuit) this year's Britcon also features a host of participation games as well, so you can not only splash some cash, you can also roll some dice (or flip cards.. etc etc) during your visit to Leicester's newest wargames show.

This year for your playing pleasure we have the following games on offer:

Packing Heat - Prohibition-Era What a Cowboy

Fast and Brutal Squad-on-Squad Action, as seen at Salute and Colours!

The journalist, Johnny Savage, has found the scoop of a lifetime, and one that might cut it short.  He's just took some compromising photos of the local don - Nicky "the Skinner" Scorzo - and he's not happy, making a personal visit with his toughest triggermen!

Luckily, Chief Richard Clarke of the NLPD has caught wind of this and wants those snaps for the DA.  Can they keep him safe and secure the evidence before it's too late?

This game uses the Packing Heat rulebook, perfect for Lardy gamers looking for small squads and big stakes!

​Part of our "mini-Lard" set of games which would normally have taken place in Lard Workshop, this game has appeared at several shows, including Salute!, and will be available for anyone to play and try in the Britcon Trade Show, from Ioan Davis.  

Robot Rebels

Robot Rebels is an easy-to-learn, fast-paced, miniature-agnostic skirmish game designed to capture the dynamism of mecha battles as depicted in Japanese anime such as Mobile Suit Gundam, Evangelion, Macross, and The Vision of Escaflowne.

The game was made by a father and his daughter looking for a rule system that would let them use some Gunpla models for skirmish games. However, despite exploring many options, they couldn’t find a system that delivered the thrilling experience they wanted, finding most games overly complex, with extensive rules, countless options, or cumbersome army lists in which it might take a significant amount of time to create warbands, especially when relying on overly detailed mecha-building systems.

Frustrated by the lack of suitable options the duo decided to create their own system. Their goal was to design a game that could be quickly learned but still offered deep tactical gameplay, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and experienced players. They also wanted a system that keeps both players actively engaged throughout the game. Most importantly, they aimed to create a game that lets players use their mecha models and have fun!

​You will be able to try Robot Rebels and experience the excitement of leading a squad of mecha to the victory at Britcon 2025

Trench Offensive - Pandyman Games

Pandyman Games will be running demos of their  WW1 game Trench Offensive - A 28mm scale, 2 or more player competitive Great War inspired trench combat skirmish game, which was first unveiled at the 2022 edition of UKGE. 
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Chesterfield COGS

​The COGS group from Chesterfield will be staging another demo and participation game at Britcon this year, under the forboding title "DOOMED!!" 

Here are some photos of the game.

Nottingham Wargames Club

The Nottingham Wargames Club will be staging an impressive 28mm Franco Prussian War game at Britcon in 2024 

In this blistering encounter, the Prussians take on (of course) the French in aa race to secure control of a village. Both sides had two infantry regiments, with accompanying artillery, although the Prussians benefit from larger battalions, a battalion of Jaegers and two regiments of cavalry rather than one. They also can rely on the power of a number of 4pdr and 6pdr Krupp batteries.

The Franco-Prussian War offers a lot of scenario opportunities and, with the differing troop type classifications, coupled with the respective advantages of the weapons carried, this provides the wargamer with lots to think about.....

Wings of Glory Aerodrome


​(The Wings of Glory Aerodrome are a regular and much-loved feature on the UK wargames show circuit, and this weekend in Nottingham will be bringing a veritable hangar-full of gaming systems to Britcon for you to get stuck into. Wings of Glory is the definitive super-easy-to-pick-up WW1 air combat game, and if you're one of the very few gamers who have never played it yourself you'll certainly have seen other gamers hurling their Spads, Albatrosses and Camels around the tabletop skies and having a whale of a time - so whether you’re an ace or a novice why not pop along and ask to join in a round or two of ludicrously colourful air to air combat? 

As well as allowing you to be the Red Baron, the core Wings of Glory system has also been extended to cover the world of Napoleonic Naval gaming, all using the same simple movement and firing system of the original WW1 game - and both of these systems will be available to play and try at Britcon this year.)
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Kings of War Armada

​The Pit are now to all intents and purposes "Mantic (when at a show)" and as part of that awesome responsibility Matt and the gang will be demo’ing Mantic’s Kings of War Armada fantasy naval game at Britcon this year. 

Kings of War Armada shares a lot of its' gaming DNA with Warlord Games' Black Seas, making it very easy to learn and play - but in porting (see what we did there..?) the setting over into Mantic's Kings of War universe means the opportunities for generating loads of very different fleets, all with their own unique feel and playstyle, are hugely expanded. Fancy trying your hand at bellowing out "RAMMING SPEED CAPTAIN!" in Orcish? The Pit stand and KoW Armada demo needs to be on your Britcon agenda! 

Kings of War Armada is very easy to learn and play, even with the optional rules. The current 2 forces feel unique in their playstyle and the included fleets in the starter-set provide some great games. There are 10 scenarios included in the rulebook for those looking for more than just knocking fleets together.
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For those looking for a fantasy ship game, the scope for expansion with Armada is huge with Mantic’s Kings of War setting. You will also be able to play Armada as the Kingdoms of Men with the correct scale ships you may already have when the rules are published. Armada doesn’t have a huge amount of rules detail in terms of ships taking damage to specific sections, as the combat system is streamlined for easy and quickness of play. It does have a lot of flexibility in force building with the optional upgrades, and that can only expand as more factions become available and the game grows.

Warlord Games: Epic Scale Ancients (& other demos) 

Warlord Games need no introduction - and especially so at a show running in their home town of Nottingham. The Warlord rules portfolio covers some of the most popular and well known titles in the industry, and they will be demo'ing a number of them on their stand at Britcon this year (just in case you haven't already tried them).

The highlight will of course be a large demo of their brand new Epioc Scale ancients minis under the hail Ceasar system, but there will also be a chance to try your hand at systems such as Bolt Action, Black Seas and others.
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Do you want to run a demo game @ Britcon in 2025?

The BHGS are now taking applications from clubs and groups to stage demo and participation games at this year's event.

Fitting neatly into the East Midlands' wargaming calendar "Summer" slot (with Hammerhead and both Partizan shows in the other 3 calendar quarters), Britcon boasts an eclectic mix of historical and non-historical competition games, less competition orientated "organised play" gatherings from gaming communities and of course the Britcon Trade Show including space for a number of show-floor demos and participation games

And, uniquely all of this happens slap bang in the middle of Leicester with great connections to ever conceivable form of public transport as part of a multi-day convention right on the doorstep of all of the evening (and daytime) attractions that Leicester has to offer the discerning wargamer running a weekend demo or participation game!

We can offer demo game groups:
  •     Free show entry for all demo/participation game runners
  •     Free onsite weekend parking for the main organisers of each game, and heavily discounted city-centre parking for other players and helpers 
  •     Leisurely setup times, starting on from Friday lunchtime, to allow you time to create your tablescape
  •     Late night gaming on Friday and Saturday if your group wishes to continue progressing the action in any particularly engrossing games after the trade show closes for the evening 

Britcon is a 2-day event with many "there all weekend" players, plus several hundred additional "walk-in" show-only attendees as the show becomes more firmly established as we move into our 4th year in the East Midlands. The main day of the show will again be from 10-4 on Saturday, with a part day on Sunday from 10-2

In terms of layout the demo games are integrated within the main trade show floor, which sits at the very heart of the event. Show attendees walk from the entrance straight into the middle of the show, and all of the residential gamers will also be walking past our stands and demo tables multiple times every day to get to the bars, catering spaces and even the main entrance and exits from the venue each morning and evening.

If your group is interested in applying to run a demo game, or if you have any questions or would like to understand more about taking part in Britcon 2025, please get in touch by email and we can arrange a time to discuss the possibilities.
Original graphic design by Nobby
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