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Terror Toad’s Take On Modern Board Games in the UK 2025 🎲

  • 3 min read

If you’re passionate about board games in the UK, or just starting your tabletop journey, this post will help you discover why so many players are choosing to buy board games online from independent creators (just like us -Terror Toad!).


As an indie board games publisher and tabletop games shop UK, we believe modern board games are more exciting than ever - especially when you buy directly from indie sellers. Supporting small designers means your money goes straight to the creators who craft the games you love, rather than big-box distributors.



Strategy, Party, and Cooperative Fun


Whether you love strategy board games that challenge your mind, or party board games that bring laughter to every gathering, the UK’s tabletop scene is thriving. Fans of teamwork will appreciate cooperative board games, while households looking for quality time can explore family board games. Card drafting games and compact two-player board games are perfect for date nights or travel.



Explore Every Genre


Fantasy fans can dive into an epic fantasy board game, while horror lovers will shiver with delight at a tense horror board game experience. Science-fiction enthusiasts shouldn’t miss an innovative sci-fi board game or a thrilling dungeon crawler board game. If you love customization, consider a deck building game or a challenging resource management board game.



Games for Every Group and Age


From board games for adults and board games for teens to games for 2-4 players, games for families, or big party games for groups, there’s something for everyone. Indie designers like us strive to make gaming accessible and memorable for all ages.



Shop Smarter: Discounts, Delivery, and Premium Picks


Looking to buy board games? Check our board games shop for seasonal offers, and board games discount bundles. We offer fast board games delivery UK and even board games free shipping on orders over £40. For collectors, our board games stand out with high-quality components and artwork (just sayin').



Indie Creativity and Limited Editions


Support indie board game designers who pour passion into every title. By purchasing homemade board games, limited edition board games, or small batch board games, you’re championing creativity and innovation. Many of these board games feature unique themes and mechanics you won’t find in mainstream shops - buying direct often means exclusive content or early access too.



Discover UK’s Top Tabletop Conventions – Our Favourites!


Want to immerse yourself in the tabletop community? Attend one of the UK’s fantastic conventions:


  • Tabletop Scotland – Our local big event! Scotland’s biggest tabletop game convention, perfect for meeting designers and trying new games.

  • UK Games Expo – A huge, bustling, and brilliant event, and the 3rd biggest tabletop games convention in the world - ideal for discovering best board games 2026 and getting hands-on with unreleased titles.

  • AireCon – An analogue game convention where people go primarily to test and play games, a great place to learn how to play board games and meet fellow enthusiasts.

  • HandyCon – An inclusive, welcoming space for gamers and designers, perfect for exploring board game mechanics explained, and connecting with indie creators.


These events are not just for browsing; they’re hubs for board game reviews, board game recommendations UK, and direct access to indie sellers like us.



Learn, Play, and Discover


Browse our musings, discover how to play board games on YouTube, or read board game reviews to choose your next favourite. Check out curated lists of best board games 2025, and detailed board game recommendations UK, or dive into articles on board game mechanics explained to understand what makes each game tick.



Why Choose Terror Toad?


As a UK-based indie studio, Terror Toad is committed to delivering unique gaming experiences. By shopping with us or at conventions, you’re helping grow a vibrant design duo (and the best players ever!), who are shaping the future of tabletop gaming.


a spread of GRIM INC and Imposter Pigeon at UKGE 2025
shopping Terror Toad products at UKGE


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Our Tabletop Scotland 2025 Recap – Terror Toad’s Favourite Moments & Indie Game Connections

  • 3 min read

SEPTEMBER 2025


We’re always especially excited to be at Tabletop Scotland. It’s our local big event, the organisers are lovely, and the atmosphere is so friendly. We set up on a Thursday evening, ready for 3 days of selling GRIM INC and Imposter Pigeon, and trying our very best to not buy more games than we sell (this is tricky for Chris – but his particular haul from this event is smaller than some previous – so we take that as a win).



The Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston transformed into a sea of keen gamers – bags full of goodies, scouting for tables, and sharing their love of everything tabletop games. All was delightful, if not for one surreal moment when every phone in the hall blared with the scheduled government alarm. Still, if a real-life emergency happened in the midst of a tabletop game convention – I can think of much worse company to keep in that eventuality.

 

Here are some of the interactions and memories we had over the weekend:


 

  • Strong Point Games – Our neighbours from UK Games Expo 2025, who are brilliantly blending a love of marathon running with board games. A true personal passion project.



  • Gareth from Frog Hall Games – Looking sharp in his custom suit (“wear your games,” he says, “it’s the best marketing ever!” 👔). Thank you, Gareth, for being such a fun and generous wealth of information on publishing and expos. We'll be in touch!



  • Quick hellos to Tettix Games, Dream Big Games, and Valkarie Games. If only we had more time to chat!



  • A lovely catch up with Roll Mighty – and thank you again for always taking care of Chris’s lovely custom leather Roll Mighty dice tray.


    🌟Check out Steffan’s leather creations here: https://linktr.ee/roll_mighty


 

  • Running into Meeple World in a Beefeater on Saturday night. A well-earned meal. We had dessert, they didn’t (much better self-control than us!).



  • Imagining great things with Patriot Games and admiring those amazing colouring-in mats.



  • Chatting with the welcoming folks from the Kirkcaldy Gaming Society!



  • Meeting Liam from Black Lion Games (Edinburgh) – thank you for your kind words, Liam!



  • Doing a bit of filming with Project Dice Games on YouTube. Lovely guys who are building their channel! 📸


    🌟Check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/@projectdicegames


 

 

  • Catching up with the team from World Domination – thanks for sending people our way, and we were glad to do the same for you!



  • Connecting with the amazing folks at RookHart Games and the Scottish Association for Marine Science 🌊. They’re working on a fascinating project where Dr Phil Peterson has brought his job in scientific robotics to the table. We’re also excited about a wee potential collaboration with RookHart Games in the future!


    🌟Check out their campaign here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/drones-and-droids


 

We’re probably missing some folks out, and we apologise for that – once we wade through the business cards we collected, we’ll be sure to give you a wee follow and keep up to date with all your news!



 

Wrapping Up


Tabletop Scotland 2025 was, once again, a fab weekend for us at Terror Toad. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, said hello, and supported our games!



We’re already looking forward to next year!

 

See you next hop,


 

Katie & Chris


Team Toad x

 

 

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I Keep Meeting Board Gamers in the Wild | August Ponderings & looking forward to Tabletop Scotland!

  • 3 min read

AUGUST 2025


Tabletop Scotland, 5th to 7th of September 2025, Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh
Come say hello at Tabletop Scotland! We'll be there next week















Okay, well… not quite the wild. A colleague waiting for a lift outside Kelvin College in Springburn. A chat with someone I hadn’t seen in years in Elder Park, Govan, while handing out macaroni to librarians. Working again on a project at the Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge. Each time:

“Oh, I have a game night,” or,

“There’s this game I love.”

All lovely, creative people. All board game people.

 


Bridging Two Worlds: Games and Community Art


For some reason, until recently, I kept my work as a community art facilitator separate from my work with Terror Toad. Looking back, it seems a bit silly - they’re both creative practices, after all. Both involve collaboration, experimentation, play, and a lot of glue.


I think I compartmentalised these facets of my work because Terror Toad is a collaborative project, a business with a brand and its own swampy sense of self. It has ups and downs, unglamourous emails, and late nights. But so does freelancing - and I've done plenty of that. The truth is, both parts of my work are creative. And I should really let them speak to each other.

 


Merging Creative Muscles


I’m not talking literally - although painting a board game could be fun (park that idea for later). I mean more mentally, and creatively. Because whether it’s games, painting, sensory play, slime-making, colouring-in, sticking clay to a tree - it’s all the same muscle. Imagination, connection, joy.


Recently, I helped 76 school kids design a mascot for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

I learned the best bubble recipe.

I revisited an old idea about painting with the sea - something I first saw at the British Art Show years ago.

It’s a bit chaotic, my work life. But it’s never boring. And designing games doesn’t feel so separate from the rest anymore.

 


Play Is Everywhere


In Irvine, I introduced a group of young people to Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. In Glasgow, I found common ground with folks over Animal Crossing. We all just want to play. Art is play. Games are play. Play builds trust, connection, and confidence.

 


A New Toad Code


So here I am, rambling about creativity… but I do have a point. It’s this: we’re leaning in. Leaning into the experimental, artistic side of Terror Toad. It’s about time.


In last months post, I said we had a lot to talk about - and that’s still true. We’ve found an opportunity to pause for thought, and reflect. We had a lovely, well-deserved holiday. We’re still mapping out what’s coming next, but while we tinker away in the background, I just want to say thank you. All the kind and unexpected messages we received after July’s update really meant a lot. It’s kept us going, and reminded us why we do this in the first place.


And speaking of what’s next… we’re really excited to say that we’ll be at Tabletop Scotland 2025 next week! You can find us from 5th–7th September at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh, selling GRIM INC and Imposter Pigeon and having fun!


If you’re there, please come by and say hello - we’d love to see you.

 

Croak again soon,


Katie 🐸


Team Toad x

 


Thanks for Reading!


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