Not every convention needs to fill an exhibition centre. ShadowCon, run by West London gaming club Shadow Warriors UK, hits its 20th edition over the August bank holiday weekend on 29 and 30 August 2026, and it is the kind of small, table-first weekend that a lot of gamers say they want more of.
Got a regular group? Create a private community, poll for the best date, vote on games, and let your friends RSVP in one place.
Set up your group for freeSlots cost £5 each. Registration for the convention is open now, and game sign-ups go live on 1 August through Warhorn. The provisional schedule leans towards roleplaying, with Blades in the Dark, Living Arcanis 5e, Pathfinder Society first and second edition, Shadow Fist, Starfinder Society 2e, The Expanse and The One Ring 2e all listed, plus board games and the dungeon crawler Descent. The organisers note that games are subject to change, which is convention-speak for "we will squeeze more in".
The club behind it has been doing this the unglamorous way for two decades. Shadow Warriors meets at Northfields Community Centre in Ealing every Saturday and Sunday from 1pm to 7pm, a short walk from Northfields on the Piccadilly line. Your first visit is free, membership is a one-off £6, and there is a £5 table fee per session after that. That is roughly the price of a pint for an afternoon of gaming, which is a decent deal for London.
Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.
Start organising for freeThere is a lesson in there for anyone eyeing up their own event: 20 years of ShadowCon started as a club that met every weekend and eventually booked a bigger room. If your group has been threatening to run a game day, list your first event and see who turns up.
Sources: ShadowCon XX UK 2026 | Shadow Warriors UK
