Knackered but Happy: Terror Toad at UK Games Expo 2026

JUNE 2026

Team Toad trundled back up to Scotland after a very lovely weekend at the UK Games Expo 2026.

After getting home late, we unloaded the car the next morning, headed straight into Glasgow for a Jeff Goldblum concert (which was excellent, by the way), and eventually managed to get some proper rest. I'm still a bit sleepy now, but having posted another game this morning, sent out a few feelers for future plans, and collected more RPG feedback (thanks, Jordan!), it's fair to say Chris and I are very much ready to get back to creating things.

Thank You

As always, we'd love to give a wee shoutout to all the attendees who came along, bought a game, or simply stopped by for a chat. You all helped make the weekend worthwhile. 😊

Saturday was particularly exciting, as we smashed our previous daily sales record (yesss!). As a small indie business, moments like that mean a lot. Every game sold helps us keep creating new things, and we're genuinely grateful to everyone who chose to take a Terror Toad game home with them.

If you picked up one of our games, please let us know if you enjoyed it!

Friends Old and New

Neither of us managed to make our full way around all five halls of the NEC in Birmingham, but the fair chunk that we did see was packed with delightful games, goodies, and people.

It was brilliant to spend the weekend next to our neighbours at Parthax Industries, and catch up with all the lovely folk at RookHart Games, Gamze's Games, Heartborn Studios, Lucky Fox, Roll Mighty, Dream Big Games, Knightly Gaming, Onebold Studios, and World Domination (phew!).

We also had the pleasure of meeting Loose Jaw Games, Games Night with the Dunhams, Listen in Silent Mode, The Gamer's Emporium, and Wayfarer's League for the first time.

There are definitely people we've forgotten to mention, and others we hoped to see but didn't quite manage to find amongst the madness. If we missed you, please know it wasn't intentional, and we hope you all had a fantastic weekend and a safe journey home. ❤️

The Sixth Doctor and Other Important Matters

On Sunday, we discovered that Colin Baker was appearing in the very same hall as us.

Terror Toad is, at heart, a deeply Whovian business, so naturally we had to go and say hello.

We're delighted to report that Colin Baker is every bit as lovely as we'd hoped, and Chris behaved himself admirably by not asking a million questions about the Valeyard. A true display of restraint.

Rain Frogs, Ducks, and Other Important Discoveries

Our friends at Lucky Fox are now making rain frogs, which means we finally have our very own actual Terror Toad! Thank you so much guys! We'll post a picture when he's painted in his full glory.

We also need to give a special mention to Duck Man.

Whoever you are. Wherever you are.

Thank you for our ducks.

He's a big toad now (pigeon for scale)

The Rise of the Toad

Perhaps our biggest takeaway from this year's Expo was the Toad himself. Our new banner featured him at his biggest size yet, and he received an incredible amount of love throughout the weekend.

Over, and over, and over again we heard: "You need to put him in a game!"

We may just have to make that happen.👀

That's all from us for now.

We'll be heading back to spooky drawings and flipping cards for the foreseeable. We’re looking forward to sharing the new stuff when the time is right.

Until then, keep croaking and creating. ❤️

Katie

Team Toad x

P.S.

Outside UKGE news, I'm so pleased to tell you all that our games are now officially stocked by Noble Knight Games! Pleasure to work with you, team!

Catch you all next time. 😎

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A Season of Making at Terror Toad | Checking in and a Glimpse Behind the Scenes

APRIL 2026

The first official year of Terror Toad as a renewed business has passed, and, well, for a change we’re not chasing our tails!

As the end of 2025 was kind to the Toad, the business has had a very chill first quarter of this year; wrapping up one of our big to-dos, making artwork (my favourite thing), and visiting ideas old and new, in all honesty quite a gentle fashion.

a whole lot of card flipping

Still Croaking Along

Yes, sometimes a small business is pressure or stress, but lately, ours has been a joyful and welcoming distraction from the other things life can throw at you, and for that, we are very grateful.

I thought it would be timely to send a little update – even if there’s no big announcements happening quite yet. Just to say we’re still here, croaking away in the background, making the most of this era of play and experimentation.

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes at Terror Toad

While you’re here, please take a gander at some of our recent art-making in progress!

Yes, a spooky TTRPG is coming along, and I will tell you all about that, and the tale of its creation, when the time is right.

Thank You for Playtesting

I also wanted to say a big thank you to all those who have been testing and reading our RPG for us.

A couple of months ago we put feelers out for some knowledgeable folks to help us out, – and we delighted at responses so far! I’ve never been so pleased to hear an enthusiastic proof-reader declare their self-diagnosed “red-marker syndrome”.

Your feedback is helping us shape this thing just the way we needed.

What Else We’re Working On

Behind the scenes, a few things are starting to take shape.

We’ve been exploring new ways to get our games out into the wider world, which has meant some number-crunching and careful planning on our end. We’re in the cusp of another new shop collaboration, which is always exciting for us.

At the same time, another project has been quietly demanding our attention; one that involves a lot of card flipping, re-counting, and predicting how things come together at the table.

It’s still early days, so we’ll keep the details under wraps for now, but it’s been a really fun one to wrestle with.

Until Next Time

That’s all for now - a small check-in from a slightly quieter corner of the tabletop world.

I’m sure more chaos will find its way to us soon!

Until then, we’ll be making, testing, scribbling, and carefully bringing new ideas to life.

Till next time, friends.

Katie

Team Toad x

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How to Play IMPOSTER PIGEON (Complete Rules Guide)

Welcome to the official IMPOSTER PIGEON rules guide. If you’re looking for how to play this bluffing, bird-brained, pocket-sized game, you’re in the right place.

This guide explains setup, gameplay, and how to win, so you can get straight into accusing your friend of being a shifty pigeon.

IMPOSTER PIGEON is a light and sneaky social deduction game where one player may be hiding among the flock… or maybe no one is. Vote wisely to catch the imposter, - or escape undetected.

If you enjoy games of deception, deduction, and chaotic group debate, you’ll feel right at home.

The Story Behind IMPOSTER PIGEON

A sneaky wee pigeon is trying to bluff its way into the flock…

…but where is it hiding? And who put it there?

For the rest of you flockers, the mission is simple: spot the imposter and run them from the roost before things get hawkward.

What’s in the Box

A game of IMPOSTER PIGEON includes:

• A game board

• 6 Bird decks (4 cards per flock)

• 6 Voting pucks

• 1 Pigeon card

• 45 Point tokens (worth 1 or 2 points)

• 1 Booby Trap card

  
  

Game Setup

Place the board in the centre of the table.

Keep all point tokens in the box (the nest).

Select one bird flock per player (for example, 3 players = 3 flocks). Take all cards from those flocks.

Add the Pigeon card to the deck and shuffle everything together.

Randomly remove one card without looking at it and set it aside.

Deal the remaining cards evenly between players. Everyone can look at their own cards, but must keep them hidden.

Give each player a voting puck.

The last player to see a pigeon in the wild goes first.

How a Round Works

Each round is a scuffle of bluffing, deduction, and bird-based fun.

Step 1: Play Your Cards

On your turn, place one or more cards face-down onto a flock space on the board.

As you do, announce what you are placing  (but you don’t have to tell the truth!).

• If you have the Pigeon card, you must bluff

• You can lie about the number or type of birds

• You can place cards in the wrong flock to confuse others

You also don’t have to play all matching cards at once; you can spread them across turns.

Step 2: Debate the Flock

Once all cards have been played, players discuss what happened.

Who seems suspicious?Which flock doesn’t add up?

Your goal: figure out if there is an Imposter Pigeon… and who it is. You can ask players to recall what they placed, and count the number of cards in each pile.

Step 3: Vote

Each player places their voting puck in front of the person they believe is the Pigeon.

If you think the Pigeon was removed at the start, vote for the hidden card instead.

Then reveal all the flocks and uncover the truth.

Points

Points are awarded using tokens as follows:

• Players who correctly identify the Pigeon gain 1 point 

• The Pigeon gains 1 point for each incorrect vote 

• Players falsely accused gain 1 point (the Pigeon’s vote doesn’t count)

• If there is no Pigeon, players who accused someone lose 1 point

Rules of the Flock

If the Pigeon successfully goes undetected, a special flock rule is triggered depending on where it was hidden:

• Chicken – Double-yolker: remove two cards next round (Pigeon looks at one)

• Seagull – Sneaky Seagull: Pigeon looks at another player’s hand next round

• Flamingo – Flockin’ Fabulous: Pigeon gains +1 point

• Shoebill – Feathered Fury: choose players to lose 2 points total

• Emu – Hiss of the Emu: take points directly from players instead of the nest

• Dodo – Dodo-duction: all other players lose 1 point

GAMEPLAY VARIATIONS

Changing Birds

To keep things fresh, you can change the flocks each round.

Instead of using the same birds for the whole game, randomly select new flocks at the start of every round (recommended for 3–5 players).

This adds variety, keeps players guessing, and makes it harder to track card counts across rounds.

Booby Trap

Shuffle the Booby Trap card into the deck at the start of the game.

• A player can bluff or play it honestly into any flock

• If placed with the Pigeon, the Booby player steals the Pigeon’s points

• The Pigeon still triggers flock rules (except Emu, which the Booby takes instead)

If the Pigeon plays the Booby and goes undetected, they can force other players to lose tokens equal to their winnings.

How to Win IMPOSTER PIGEON

The first player to reach:

• 7 points (3–4 players), or

• 12 points (5–6 players)

wins the game.

If there’s a tie… chirp proudly: it’s a joint win 🐦

Tips for Playing IMPOSTER PIGEON

The best games happen when players:

• commit fully to their bluffs

• pay attention to card counts

• confidently accuse (even when unsure)

Is IMPOSTER PIGEON Easy to Learn?

Yes. IMPOSTER PIGEON is designed to be:

• quick to explain

• easy to pick up

• light and low-pressure. The pigeon moves each round, so we don’t have you sweating and stressed all evening!

Perfect For

IMPOSTER PIGEON works best with players who enjoy:

• social deduction games

• bluffing and deception

• party games

• loud debates and accusations

Ready to Play?

If you’re ready to cluck and chirp in suspicion, you can purchase the game here!

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