African Boardgames Convention Marks 10 Years, Launches Kickstarter for Landmark 2026 Edition
The African Boardgames Convention (AB Con), Africa’s premier tabletop gaming convention, is celebrating a decade of building the continent’s gaming industry. The 10th anniversary edition is set for November 27-28, 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria, and organizers have launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund what they’re calling the convention’s most ambitious edition yet.
AB Con was founded in 2016 by NIBCARD Games with a straightforward goal: build a thriving tabletop industry in Africa from the ground up. Over the past ten years it’s grown from a small meetup into a hub for designers, publishers, educators, manufacturers, retailers, students, and families to celebrate African creativity through games. The convention has also become a proving ground for locally designed board and card games, giving creators a place to showcase work, connect with industry professionals, and mentor the next wave of African game designers.
The 2026 edition promises two days of game demos, tournaments, prototype playtesting, workshops, industry panels, family gaming, a marketplace, and awards, alongside new work from African designers making its debut.
The Kickstarter, which launched August 11, is aiming for a $14,000 funding goal to cover venue and production costs, volunteer support, logistics, marketing, accessibility improvements, and expanded programming. Stretch goals on the table include a Kids Gaming Competition to support school gaming clubs, an AB Con Designers Grant for emerging creators, an AB Con Impact Award, and the possibility of expanding to a three-day convention.
“When we hosted the first AB Con in 2016, our dream was bigger than organizing an event, we wanted to help build an industry,” said Kenechukwu Ogbuagu, Founder of NIBCARD Games and Lead Convener of AB Con, in the campaign announcement. “Ten years later, we’ve seen designers launch original games, communities grow across Africa, and more people recognize games as powerful tools for learning, culture, business, and connection.”
NIBCARD Games, the studio behind AB Con, has designed more than 70 original tabletop games since its founding in 2013, alongside work in publishing, manufacturing, education, and digital games through NIBCARD E-Games.
Ten years in, AB Con is positioning itself as a real contributor to the international tabletop landscape, not just a regional gathering. You can back the campaign now on Kickstarter, and find more on the convention at theabcon.com.