Ares Games, Osprey Games both up for three gongs at UK Games Expo 2023 Awards -

Italy’s Ares Games and UK-based Osprey Games are each up for three awards at this year’s UK Games Expo Awards.

Ares has picked up nominations for War of the Ring – The Card Game, The War of the Ring Deluxe Game Mat and party game Ensemble, while Osprey is in contentions for awards with Village Rails, The Frostgrave: Barbarians II figures range and Xenos Rampant miniatures rules.

Belgian board game publisher Sit Down! dominates the Best Abstract Game category with two out of the three nominess, while Blue Orange notched up two nominations for Potion House and Next Station: London.

BoardGameGeek Hotness high-flier Earth and video game adaptation Frostpunk: The Board Game are also up for gongs in this year’s shortlist.

Winners of the 19 categories will be announced on May 9, just over three weeks before the UK’s largest hobby games convention opens its doors for 2023.

Last year’s awards saw Battlestar Galactica reimagining Unfathomable win Best Board Game (American Style), while Bitoku won Best Board Game (Euro Style) and The Thing Best Board Game (Strategic).

The full list of this year’s nominees is:

Best Abstract Game

Gardeners
Qawale
Tiwanaku

Best Accessory

Dice Tomes
Gamegenic Token Silo (Accessorises)
War of the Ring Deluxe Game Mat

Best Board Game (American Style)

Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window
Northgard: Uncharted land
Oathsworn: Into The Deepwood

Best Board Game (Euro Style)

Earth
Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory
Tiletum

Best Board Game (Strategic)

Amass: Battle for Resources on Planet XS
Frostpunk: The Board Game
New Eden

Best Card Game (General)

Oh My. Orchids!
Village Rails

Best Card Game (Strategic)

Isle of Trains: All Aboard
Vita Mors
War of the Ring – The Card Game

Best Children’s Game

Dodo
Potion House
Stomp the plank

Best Dice Game

Solar Sphere
Star Fighters: Rapid Fire
Vengeance: Roll & Fight

Best Expansion

7 Wonders Edifice
Living Forest Kodama expansion
Roll Camera! The B-Movie Expansion

Best Family Game

Hungry Monkey
Next Station London
Outrun the Bear

Best Gaming Novelty

EXIT Advent Calendar Hunt for the Golden Book
Everybody Wins: Four Decades of the Greatest Board Games Ever Made
The Sorcerers’ Enclave

Best Miniatures Range

Dystopian Wars: Avalon Battlefleet Set
Frostgrave: Barbarians II – Figures range
Moonstone – The Arising Expansion

Best Miniatures Rules

Five Leagues from the Borderlands
Moonstone – The Arising Expansion
Xenos Rampant

Best Party Game

Ensemble
How Am I Weird ‘Square’
Misfits

Best Roleplaying Game

Be Like a Crow
Critical Foundation
Vermin 2047 – Survival Kit

Best Roleplaying Game Adventure

Adventure Presents: Tiny in the Tower
Adventures in Rokugan – Game Master’s Kit
Blade Runner RPG Starter Set

Best Roleplaying Game Expansion

Fateforge Book 5 – Creatures: Netherworld
Star Trek Adventures Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook TOS Collector’s Edition
The One Ring™ – Ruins of the Lost Realm

Best Variant