A fire that levelled a city might not sound like a cosy night in, but Medusa Games has turned the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 into one of the more intriguing things on show at UK Games Expo this year. The Birmingham studio brought the final pre-production build of The Great Fire of Chicago, 1871 to the NEC, the last version of the board game before it goes to manufacturing.
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See how it worksIt is the long-awaited follow-up to Medusa's acclaimed Great Fire of London 1666, and it keeps the core of what made that game tick while leaning hard into its own disaster. Fire tokens spread across a grid of city blocks, and you are scrambling to direct firefighters before the blaze gets away from you. The neat historical hook is a set of hidden false-alarm tokens, drawn from the real 1871 mix-up that sent crews to the wrong location and let the fire take hold. At the wrong moment, a false alarm can pull your resources away just as you need them most.
There is a catch for anyone reaching for their wallet. Medusa says a retail release is not expected before the end of 2026, and a full launch is more likely to line up with next year's convention season, potentially debuting at UK Games Expo 2027. So this weekend's demo is very much a sneak peek rather than a sale.
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Start organising for freeStill, a finished build on the table is a promising sign, and a Birmingham-made game about a famous fire showing off at the city's own NEC has a nice ring to it. If you are at the show this weekend, it is worth a look. Planning your own trip to a convention with friends? Sort the logistics on Backseat Gamer.
Sources: Geek Native | Medusa Games
