Canterbury Gaming Convention 2026: Day 1 - Books, Bargains, and Butt Chess

We are now home from day 1 of Canterbury Gaming Convention, and boy did we have a good time!

We kicked off the day with a browse down artists' alley and picked up some gorgeous prints from exhibitor Loot Quest, we then checked out the new addition to the convention, A Place For All My Books, named after the lovely game by Smirk & Dagger Games. This was a whole zone set aside especially for local authors and their works. We picked up some books here, of course. What was really lovely about this area was the try-before-you-buy section. A variety of the books were available with some comfy chairs in which to thumb through them.

Naturally the day couldn't start without a browse of the Dice & Destiny and Board At Home stalls where we picked up a copy of Wingspan Pocket and two sets of a game called Back Stories (I will undoubtedly be doing a write up of each of these games so keep an eye on the blog), respectively. Board At Home repeated their offer of last year of rolling a D20 and paying what you roll. It's just too tempting to pass up!

So what did we actually play today?

We started with a trio of games by Scottish publisher Play It Now.

Villains, Play It Now

This is a card game where players race to discard their hand by playing matching sets, like Uno with a twist. The artwork was very appealing and the game was quick and easy to learn; a simple but very entertaining game. When playing cards they must match colour, or either of the two villains "allies" printed on the card. Of the Play It Now games we played, this was by far my favourite. 

The Six, Play It Now

The Six is a basic set collection game where players compete to be the first to assemble a set of 6 matching cards. The game has a cute aesthetic which might make it popular with younger players. It was a quick game to play and learn but I felt it suffered a little in it's simplicity and lacked a certain something that would help its replayability. 

Treacherous Trolls, Play It Now

The final game in our trio of Play It Now games was Treacherous Trolls, in which players work to collect a horde of rubies, emeralds, and sapphires while sabotaging the other players' loot. In many ways this game was similar to The Six in that each player takes two cards on their turn and plays or discards cards to end their turn with a hand of six cards. However, this game has more teeth and was very entertaining, though we all felt it went on for a little longer than it should have. 

All in all, these three games lived up to the Play It Now promise. From picking up the box to playing was only a matter of minutes, which would make these the perfect filler games between larger titles at your board game events.

Bad Trevor - Emergency Services Expansion, Fist Bump Games Ltd.

We covered Bad Trevor when we played it at last year's Gaming Convention and thoroughly enjoyed it so we were keen to play with the new Emergency Services expansion.

In Bad Trevor players race to be the first to discard their entire hand of cards by handing them off to other players, or in the case of civilian cards, pairing them up to discard them. When handing cards away, players give a choice of three face-down cards from which the receiving player must choose one. The hero cards have effects that will benefit the receiving player, while the villain cards have detrimental effects. Then of course there is the eponymous Bad Trevor card which makes winning impossible when it's in your hand.

The emergency services cards are dealt out at the start of the game and provide players with one-off actions that add another layer to the ways in which you can screw over other players. This expansion adds to an already smooth and enjoyable game and we highly recommend it if you're already a fan of Bad Trevor, which of course you are, it's great.

Next on the list is a trio of Ralbru games.

ButtChess, Ralbru

This game is a modern classic and is not unlike draughts, in which players work to either win by moving three tokens to the opposite side of the board, or remove four of their opponents pieces by "jumping over" them. It takes literally minutes to learn and is a great portable game that can be played with players of all ages. Sometimes simplicity is the key to success and ButtChess manages this perfectly.

ButtChess +1, Ralbru

After enjoying a game of ButtChess we tried out the sequel ButtChess +1. This game is just the same as its predecessor but with an extra player added. I can't think of another two player game in which an extra player can be added so seamlessly. While the gameplay remains much the same, the addition of a third player makes this an entertainingly chaotic experience. Fans of ButtChess are bound to enjoy this edition.

Exit Strategy, Ralbru

In this game players roll dice to move their tokens to the "exit" spaces at the center of the board. Pieces can also be stacked on top of each other creating barriers where usually pieces could leapfrog over each other. While far from a bad game, we were rather underwhelmed with this title and felt that it would have been better with a slightly shorter play time. Ultimately this is a roll-and-move title, which some players may find a little lackluster. 

Secret Hitler, Goat Wolf & Cabbage

Now this is not a new game in any sense of the word but it is one that we had never played before and heard a lot about. Needless to say, we were not disappointed. As social deduction games go, this one is a lean and energetic experience. Players are divided into two camps, Liberals and Fascists, and must compete to get policies enacted that support either side without giving away where their allegiances truly lie. One of the Fascists is also secretly Hitler and can win the game if they are elected Chancellor while at least three fascist policies are in place. On paper the game sounds more complicated than it is, but it is quick to learn and tremendous fun to play. Another bonus is it can accommodate up to ten players, which makes it perfect to larger parties.

Overgrowth, Ludus Vulpes

This is a truly charming game in which players must place flower tokens to make an unbroken chain from one side of the board to the other. However, they can only place the flower tokens based on a limited selection of options available around the edge of the board, which must be selected using a marker that travels around the track. This is a lovely strategy game that is quick to learn and a wonderfully mindful experience to play. Plus the board and pieces are made from a beautiful wood that make it a treat just to look at. We are currently in the process of moving house but this game looks good enough to have out on a coffee table when we move.

Lego Ninjago Destiny's Bounty Adventures, Asmodee

The final game we played was Destiny's Bounty Adventures, which is part of the Lego Ninjago universe. This is a cooperative tower-defense game in which players work together to achieve certain story objectives while defending the ship from enemies. The rules were deceptively simple and it didn't take long to get playing. On the downside, I found the combat to be very dry with it simply involving comparing two numbers and eliminating enemies on a meets-it-beats-it basis. Failed combat encounters also pose no threat to player characters, which took the edge off the experience. This was a shame as the rest of the game was enjoyable and reminiscent of Zombie Kids in complexity. Another enjoyable aspect of the game is the leveling up system, which allows for additions to be made to your minifigures such as equipping them with swords or charismatic hair. The simplicity of the game almost takes the fun away but I should be completely honest and let you know that we played the game on the easiest setting and still lost, so clearly the game has hidden depths.

I would happily play this again, it's just such a shame that the combat feels so unfulfilling.

So that just about wraps up Day 1 of Canterbury Gaming Convention. We can't wait to get stuck back in tomorrow. Did you attend? What was the highlight of your visit?