Japan's biggest analog gaming event is almost back. Tokyo Game Market 2026 Spring lands at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May, with over 1,300 corporate and individual exhibitors crammed into Exhibition Halls 1-4 to sell, demo, and unveil their latest tabletop creations.
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Find events near youIf you've never paid attention to Game Market before, here's the pitch: this is where Japanese indie designers test their boldest ideas in front of a crowd that turned out 29,300 strong by 2019, growing from just 2,200 attendees in 2010. It's the testing ground for the small-print-run, weird-and-wonderful titles that eventually find their way to UK shops via publishers like Oink Games and Allplay. Think of it as Essen with vending machines.
Banana Moon Games will be at booth N30 with the second wave of its Bossa The Art Edition series, alongside a debut Bossa stylish dice line and a dedicated playmat. The publisher is also rolling out limited tin-packaged versions of Go Go Jenny and Gingham Coco from its Dobutsu no Oshiri (Animal Butts) franchise, with anyone buying either game getting a free 'Animal Butt Mini Tote.' Yes, that is the actual name. Yes, it is wonderful.
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Set up your group for freeDoors open at 11am both days at the Makuhari Messe venue, which sits roughly half an hour east of central Tokyo on the JR Keiyo Line. The smaller booths at Game Market sell out copies fast, so the standard playbook is to walk the aisles in the first hour with a wishlist in hand.
Not heading to Chiba? UK shops usually pick up a handful of the breakout hits within six to twelve months, so keep an eye on Tokyo Game Market round-ups and BGG threads after the event. The next time you're hunting a new game for your group, find a local game night to swap recommendations on what made it to UK shelves.
Sources: Banana Moon Games | iwafu Travel Guide | Game Market Wikipedia
