Asian Board Games Festival to debut in PH with 200+ games

The Asian Board Games Festival Philippines 2026 will make its local debut on May 2 to 3, 2026 at the Bayanihan Center. The event brings together board game publishers, designers, and artists from across Asia, giving Filipinos a chance to play and buy games directly from their creators.

Why it Matters: Tabletop gaming continues to grow as more people look for offline social activities. While the global market is largely led by Western publishers, events like ABGF aim to give more visibility to Asian creators and help build a stronger regional presence.

First launched in Singapore in 2019 by Origame, the festival aims to highlight Asian-made tabletop games and grow the regional gaming industry. It has since expanded to other countries, with the Philippines becoming its fourth stop.

The event is free and open to all ages. Attendees can explore and try over 200 games from more than 30 publishers across 10 countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The lineup includes party games, strategy titles, family-friendly options, and themed experiences inspired by different Asian cultures.

Featured titles include Origame’s Buffet Boss and Wok and Roll. Malaysia-based Cili Padi Games will showcase Dancing Queen, a winner at the BoardGameGeek 9-Card Game Design Contest. From South Korea, Underdog Games will present #Inconversible, a game centered on deleting Instagram photos after a breakup.

According to Daryl Chow of Origame and founder of ABGF, the event focuses on community interaction. He said attendees can directly talk to designers and learn more about the ideas behind each game, something not often seen in typical retail-style events.

While entry is free, visitors can purchase an ABGF Play Passport to collect stamps by trying games from different countries. Completing the set allows attendees to claim exclusive prizes.

ABGF Philippines is co-organized by Origame and Larong Atin, known for titles such as Darna at ang Nawawalang Bato, Hugot, and PlataPorma.

Beyond the game booths, the event will feature panel talks for aspiring designers and artists, as well as sessions with creators. Berlin Manalaysay, known for Combatron, will launch a new komiks titled Death Metal. Toy creators Quiccs and TidoDojo will also introduce a Combatron toy collaboration, alongside demos of a new tabletop game, Combatron Komiks Kombat Arena.

Will you be checking out the Asian Board Games Festival when it arrives in Pasig?