If you are within striking distance of Hampshire next weekend and fancy two days of tabletop gaming for a good cause, there is a new fixture on the calendar. HexaCon is a brand-new board game convention landing in Basingstoke on 18 and 19 July 2026, raising money for the mental-health charity Mind.
Looking for board gamers near you? Browse local communities and find your next game night.
Find events near youThe first edition sets up at the Holiday Inn Basingstoke on Grove Road, running 9am to 8pm across the weekend. The organisers promise "a relaxed, friendly vibe with loads of table space," which is the sort of low-pressure open gaming that suits both hardened hobbyists and anyone still finding their feet. Alongside open and hosted gaming there is a beginner-friendly library to borrow from, a Bring and Buy for offloading and rescuing games, a raffle, and a Play to Win area where you can try a game and potentially take it home. There is an on-site bar and restaurant, plus free parking, so you can settle in for the day. Tickets are on sale through Eventbrite from £8.
New conventions live or die on people turning up, and a first-year event raising money for Mind is exactly the kind of thing worth supporting if it is on your doorstep. A weekend like this, built around open tables and a charity raffle, is how a local gaming community grows.
Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.
Start organising for freeThinking of running something similar for your own group, whether a charity day or a regular meetup? You can set up a community and list your event on Backseat Gamer in a few minutes, and let local players find you.
Sources: Eventbrite | UK Games Expo Community
