Around the Table Q3 2025

This One's for You

Why Vestige is Orange Nebula's First Game Built for Retail

by Marc Neidlinger and Tom Mattson, Orange Nebula

We've spent the last eight years building worlds, raising more than $6 million in crowdfunding and shipping tens of thousands of games to players in more than 70 countries. Along the way, one thing was always clear:

The traditional retail path is not just "another channel." It’s a culture, one that deserves to be honored with as much intentionality as our direct campaigns.

Vestige is our response to that.

This isn't a scaled-down version of a Kickstarter title. It's not a stripped offering. Vestige is built, from the ground up, for the realities of your shelf and the rhythms of your store. It's compact, accessible highly replayable and deeply strategic. It has all the depth players crave, none of the bulk retailers dread. Here's what that means for you:

A box designed for the real world

At 337 x 158 x 110 mm (13.3 x 6.2 x 4.3 inches), the Vestige box is efficient, sturdy and built for high-density shelves. Its proportions allow easy stacking, clean facing and optimal storage – without sacrificing visual presence. The title isn’t just on all sides of the box, it’s also presented both vertically and horizontally so you can place it on your shelf the way you want to. With a textured finish and world-class artwork by NinjaJo, this game will look intentional in your shop and feel premium in your customers’ hands.

Worldbuilding with teeth

Set in the fractured echoes of a fallen civilization, Vestige drops players into a brutal post-collapse economy where influence is the only real currency. Players leverage the remains of Old World tech –repurposing relics, allying with factions

and manipulating the black market. Every card and artifact ties into a larger mythos, one your customers will want to keep exploring.

This is narrative as flavor, not burden. You don't need to explain the lore to sell it. Players feel the grit in the mechanics. But for those who dive deeper, there's a story worth unfolding.

Replayability that fuels word of mouth

With a dynamic modular board, variable endgame conditions, asymmetric companions (called chopbots) and an attribute alchemy engine that's simple to understand, Vestige stays fresh long after first contact. Every play demands new adaptations. No auto-pilot here, just smart decisions and comebacks worth remembering.

The core loop is deceptively elegant: build your network of contacts –smugglers, mercenaries, lawmakers – then send them on jobs to gain attributes. Combine those attributes like mixing paint colors: ambition plus cunning creates intrigue. It's a system customers “get” in minutes but spend hours optimizing. And yes, everyone gets their own chopbot companion. Because why wouldn't you want a robot buddy in the apocalypse?

It's the kind of game that sparks table talk and earns repeat play. Every game store is a gathering place – a space where strangers become friends over shared discoveries. Vestige was designed to be one of those discoveries. This one's for your shelves, your tables and your people. Thanks for being our people.

Origins Awards Ceremony

Dragon’s Hoard

Has Something for Everyone Brave Enough to Claim It

by Sophii Jones, Marketing Director, Misty Mountain Gaming

Adventurers, prepare to open a new treasure chest each month with The Dragon’s Hoard Subscription from Misty Mountain Gaming. More than just dice, this monthly box delivers a premium, themed experience that celebrates fantasy, creativity and the tabletop community.

Every month brings a new, unique theme, from arcane ruins and elemental forces to cosmic horrors or enchanted forests. No two months are the same. Inside, you’ll find a meticulously selected dice set that matches the theme – crafted from shimmering resin, polished metal, or gemstone-inspired materials – along with exclusive accessories to bring your tabletop to life.

But what truly sets The Dragon’s Hoard apart is the artistic heart behind each box. Every theme features custom artwork by a commissioned community

artist, giving talented creators a chance to shine. When you subscribe, you’re not just collecting dice; you’re supporting independent artists and helping grow the fantasy art community. It’s treasure with a purpose.

Each hoard also includes matching gear: dice bags, adventures, rolling trays and collectible items that complement the month’s theme. Sometimes you’ll get experimental designs or sneak previews of unreleased sets not available anywhere else. It’s a mystery worth unboxing every time.

As a subscriber, you’ll also enjoy VIP perks like early access to Misty Mountain Gaming launches, exclusive discount codes and hidden sales throughout the year. Whether we’re unveiling a new Kickstarter or dropping a seasonal collection, Dragon’s Hoard members are the first to know and the first to grab limited-edition gear.

Want flexibility? The Dragon’s Hoard is built with adventurers in mind. You can pause, skip or cancel anytime – no commitment required. Whether you’re growing your personal hoard or sending gifts to fellow heroes, it’s easy to manage your plan.

This isn’t just another dice subscription. It’s an evolving journey through fantasy themes, crafted with passion and rooted in community.

The Dragon’s Hoard Subscription is available now at mistymountaingaming. com. Spots are limited each month due to the exclusive nature of our boxes, so don’t wait to join the quest.

Subscribe today. Support artists. Discover themed loot.

The Dragon’s Hoard awaits – will you answer the call?

Q3 2025

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

Nicole Brady

SAHM Reviews

Director – Media & Events

VICE-PRESIDENT

Meredith Placko

Turbo Dork

Director – Publisher

SECRETARY

Monica Rasso

Meeples at Sea

Director – Media & Events

INTERIM OUTGOING TREASURER

Garima Sharma

Skybound Entertainment

DIRECTORS

Matt Fantastic

Forever Stoked Creative

Director - Creative

Radek Gronus

FABRYKA KART

Director - Production

Jamie Mathy

Red Raccoon Games Director – Retail

Danny O'Neill

Hammerdog Games Director – Wholesale

Eric Price

Meijia Board Game Factory Director - Production

Tiffany Reid

Southern Hobby Distribution Director – Wholesale

John Stephens

Total Escape Games Director – Retail

Jodi Black

Carolina Game Tables

Director – Publisher

Drew Wehrle

Wehrlegig Games

Director – Creator

Will Niebling

Emeritus Director

GAMA STAFF

John Stacy EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR john.stacy@gama.org

Paul McGraw EVENTS MANAGER paul.mcgraw@gama.org

David Ableson EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER david.abelson@gama.org

Julie Yeager EVENTS DIRECTOR julie.yeager@gama.org

Doug Shute EXHIBITOR MANAGER doug.shute@gama.org

Grace Willson TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR grace.willson@gama.org

Eric J. Francis COMMUNIATIONS MANAGER ericj.francis@gama.org

Bryan Borgman MEMBER SERVICES DIRECTOR bryan.borgman@gama.org

Gregoire Boisbelaud EVENTS COORDINATOR greg.boisbelaud@gama.org

Chelsea Wood OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR chelsea.wood@gama.org

Lindsay France COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR lindsay.france@gama.org

THE GAME MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

258 East Campus View Blvd Columbus, OH 43235

Phone: 614-255-4500 • Fax: 614-255-4499 • www.gama.org • media@gama.org

To advertise, contact Amy Wheeler at 315-789-6431 or amy@fwpi.com

Issue Deadline Mailing Date Q4 September 26 October 31

Draconic Codex

by Rue Dickey, Marketing and Media Manager, Paizo

Dragons are a key facet of fantasy roleplaying games. One might call them vital, depending on how traditional a fantasy story you’re telling. With the Pathfinder Remaster Project complete and Pathfinder Second Edition wholly published under the ORC License, Paizo now has freedom to bring a score of new dragons to the table – and that is exactly what Pathfinder Lost Omens Draconic Codex sets out to do!

When the first eight remastered dragons appeared in Pathfinder Monster Core, they referenced something Pathfinder had never had before: the notion of an archdragon, the absolute apex of their species. Archdragons are the stuff of myth and legend, even in a world where legends are born every day. With additional abilities, ages of knowledge and cunning, and awesome designs, archdragons are fantastic BBEGs, but can also serve as allies, quest-givers and recurring

characters in your campaign.

Alongside these massive monsters, Pathfinder Lost Omens Draconic Codex also provides information about young and baby versions of Pathfinder dragons – complete with adorable (or terrifying) art of these younglings! Dragons can be a part of any campaign at any level. Now, you can drop them directly out of Pathfinder Lost Omens Draconic Codex and Pathfinder Monster Core 2, no stat adjustments for easier or more difficult dragons needed!

But what if you want to play a dragon in Pathfinder Second Edition? Fantastic news! Pathfinder Draconic Codex adds a new ancestry for player characters: the dragonet! These small dragons join the foray of Pathfinder’s many playable ancestries, as well as potential for companion creatures!

Finally, if what you’re really looking for is lore, you’ve come to the right place. Pathfinder Lost Omens Draconic Codex is teeming with information on more than 20 dragons – from hatchling up through archdragon! Featuring concept art by Paizo’s in-house designer Kent Hamilton, these lore articles dive deep into what each dragon can do, their habits and diets, social structure and more!

Pathfinder Lost Omens Draconic Codex and Pathfinder Monster Core 2 release in Fall 2025.

GAMA Members,

As this magazine lands in mailboxes and at your friendly local game store, chances are you’re already seeing Christmas and Hanukkah displays showing up in big box stores. While many consumers are aware of “new tariffs” brought about by our current administration on April 2, a much smaller group recognizes their immense impact. The tabletop games industry has been in constant fight-or-flight mode since “Liberation Day.” It wasn’t simply that new tariffs were imposed but the uncertainty of the amount as they were changed multiple times over a short period. There was no certainty as to what “normal” would be. And this all happened at about the same time companies were preparing to manufacture their holiday orders.

On June 10 and 11, a small group of GAMA staff and members spent two full days crisscrossing Capitol Hill in hopes of spreading the word to legislators about the damage being caused by the tariffs. (Executive Director John Stacy provides an in-depth look at the experience on page 86.) In the weeks leading up to that trip, multiple publishers were closing or laying off staff. Designers were receiving notification that projects were being returned or delayed. Manufacturers were told to store products in China because nobody wanted to take a chance on tariff roulette. Retailers were stocking up in anticipation of shortages. The list went on and on. We even shared narratives relating to the difficulties (read: impossibilities) of moving game manufacturing stateside.

Ultimately, we discovered that S.1593, the Small Business Liberation Act – “A bill to exempt small business concerns from duties imposed pursuant to the national emergency declared on April 2, 2025, by the President” – was the most likely to path to relief. We encouraged representatives in the U.S. House to prepare a companion bill for it. Unfortunately, so much damage is already done, and many companies will not recover. We saw a glimpse of it during the 2025 Origins Game Fair when there were far fewer new releases. It’s going to be interesting to see how quickly the shelves empty out at stores of all sizes. I encourage you to purchase holiday gifts sooner than later.

The trip to Capitol Hill is an example of what a trade association should be doing: advocating for its members and the industry as a whole. It’s one segment of Vision 2035, the 10-year strategic goal created by the GAMA Board of Directors at its fall 2024 planning session. The strategic deliverables, with staggered target dates between 2025 and 2035, included topics such as advocacy, global marketing,

trade events beyond GAMA Expo and Origins, professional development, certification programs, and sustainability. These are just a handful of the topics within this large-scale strategic initiative I am proud to have spearheaded.

Without even realizing it, you’ve been getting a glimpse of this vision through efforts such as the Washington, D.C., fly-in and similar collaborations with other organizations. If you’re a GAMA member, I encourage you to find ways to become more involved in committees, work groups, and even leadership. We have big plans for the future of GAMA, but it will require the support of the membership to achieve them. I look forward to updating everyone with more details, progress reports and sharing how members can become part of Vision 2035.

Thank you to everyone who continues to provide feedback on how GAMA can serve the industry better.

– Nicole Brady, President

MIDWINTER GAMING CONVENTION

JANUARY 8-11, 2026

The Ingleside Hotel Pewaukee, WI

Featuring non-digital gaming of all types -

• Family Events

• Board Games

• Creator Run Tabletop

Role Playing Games

• Live Action Role

Playing events

• Miniatures and more with an emphasis on Small Press and Indie Game Design.

FROM THE education committee chair

I’mproud to highlight the work of GAMA’s Education Committee and its dual mission: championing the use of games in classrooms and fostering professional development for our members. Our committee partners closely with GAMA Education and Professional Development Manager David Abelson to support peer-topeer training and speaker sessions that address the current and emerging needs of our industry.

In the past, professional development has mostly been a function of GAMA’s retail division. But with the leadership from board member Matt Fantastic and Jim Lowder of our committee, we have made great strides to expand GAMA’s professional development initiatives to all member groups. Of course, as with everything, there is still a lot to do, and so we welcome all GAMA members to join in our effort.

One exciting new element of the Education Committee is our Legal Subcommittee chaired by Noah Downs. This is a group of attorneys in our hobby who are willing to lend their incredibly valuable expertise to GAMA as we develop white papers and issue additional guidance to GAMA members on legal issues that we all face as small businesses operating in uncertain times.

In the classroom, we're committed to equipping educators

with tools and strategies to integrate tabletop gaming into effective learning experiences. Research confirms that games enhance engagement, critical thinking, and collaboration — but teachers often struggle with integration and alignment to standards. Our committee seeks bridge that gap through curated webinars, workshops, and resource toolkits tailored for classroom context. Our committee is developing an initiative to support the best academic and journalistic writing that highlights progress and experimentation for games in the classroom.

This June, we inaugurated the Game Based Education & Therapy Conference at Origins 2025, a two-day event featuring educator and therapist tracks, hands on workshops, game design jams, and certification opportunities. With more than 20 sessions – including “Evaluating Games for Classroom Use” and “TTRPGs for Pre-K to College” – this convention underscored our commitment to applied gaming in both educational and therapeutic contexts.

Looking forward, the Education Committee will build on this momentum by developing further resources, expanding access to training, and working with educators to ensure games remain a transformative force in classrooms and industry alike. So please, come join in our work and support this important GAMA mission.

– Jason Matthews, Education Committee Chair

FROM THE member services director

Asa trade association, GAMA is first and foremost a member services organization. The work we do is entirely for and about our membership, so it’s critical that we keep pace with – and where possible, ahead of –our members’ needs.

In turn, we need to know what you want and need from us, and we’ve made that as easy as possible for you. The Membership Committee, chaired by Nick Haas from Delano Games, currently meets online via Teams at 3 p.m. Eastern on the first Tuesday of the month. If you’d like to take part in these meetings, please email me at bryan. borgman@gama.org, and I will add you to the invitation list.

What is the Membership Committee doing currently? In addition to reviewing the new member list and discussing GAMA’s

growth and strategies for recruitment and retention, we are looking at ways to provide member-focused programming and events at both GAMA Expo and Origins Game Fair. We are also brainstorming ideas to help shift the narrative about GAMA membership and show it is more than just attending Expo, and that GAMA Expo is more than just a B2B trade show. GAMA membership includes benefits and programming available to all employees of all member organizations year-round. Expo is the annual event for our association, and we intend for it to focus on what GAMA has been doing over the past 12 months and where the association and the industry are headed in the next 12 months. The committee would welcome your participation at our monthly meetings. If you’d like to participate but can’t join us then, please feel free to contact any of the committee members below with your questions, suggestions and ideas. We look forward to hearing from you.

• Jason Boles, Brain Thought (Creator) jason@brainthought.com

• Bill Hibbler, Gigtime Media (Media & Events) .............................. bhibbler@gigtime.com

• Nicole Brady, SAHM Reviews (Media & Events) .......................... Nicole.Brady@gama.org

• Nick Haas, Delano Games MFG (Production) n_haas@delanogames.com

• Ross Thompson, Atomic Mass Games (Publisher) ....................... kingdomconsd@gmail.com

• Will Niebling, Koplow Games (Publisher) niebling@gama.org

• Rose Savage, The Upkeep Games - Ann Arbor (Retailer) ............ rose@theupkeepgames.com

• Kiersten Benson, Quartermaster Direct (Wholesaler) ................. b.kiersten562@gmail.com

• Eric Perrott, Gerben Perrott, PLLC (Communicating) eperrott@gerbenlawfirm.com

• Bryan Borgman, GAMA..................................................................... bryan.borgman@gama.org

– Bryan Borgman, GAMA Member Services Director

Something for the Kids

by Ted Wysocki, Owner and CEO, TNT Laser Works

Laser Works wasn’t meant to be a board game publisher.

Actually, our company makes components for aerospace applications; we have parts inside satellites floating around in orbit. Our journey to becoming board game publishers can really be attributed to mold…

When I was a kid (many moons ago), I lived in rural Wisconsin where there was not a lot to do for a 9-year-old in the 1980s). Board games were how our whole family spent quality time. We had a family favorite that we’d play often; we played it enough that we eventually lost most of the pieces and the D3 dice. We replaced those with decorative potted plant glass stones and D4 dice (we had to re-roll if we got a four). Even with the made-up components, we played regularly.

Fast forward 30 years and I had a family of my own: 7-yearold twin boys and a 4-year-old daughter. As soon as they could count to 10, I knew it was time to share this game from my childhood. I went to the old Wisconsin farmhouse, scoured the attic and found my old copy. It was destroyed … mold grew all over the board.

I didn’t let that stop me. I decided I’d create my own version of the game to share with my family. I’d build a new board and make my own rules. But what to make the board from? If I chose to do this, I was going to make sure my kids would find a functional game 30 years from now in their attic (take that, mold!). And remember those

components for space that my company makes? Let’s use that same laser to make this awesome board. The result was a game my family enjoys, and an art piece that can provide a fun time while also enhancing the beauty of any home.

Five years later, I’m at Origins Game Fair, introducing our third board design. We have a solid wood board and a leather scroll version, because we want the game to be enjoyed wherever players are. We are also developing an expansion. It’s all happened so fast, but we’ve enjoyed every step of the way.

My favorite part of this journey has been playing with kids at gaming conventions: the ones that still need their fingers to get to nine. I’ve seen grownups stand around a demo table with dice showing two, three, three and wait in silence as a 5-year-old counts on their fingers “One, two, three, four…” Then, when they get to eight and bravely declare they have calculated correctly, all those grownups clap. Also, kids are the most ruthless at playing Sage Stones. They love to take out Mom and Dad’s pieces from the board.

I’m looking forward to many years of making Sage Stones. It’s been an unexpected journey, but I have found amazing people who are willing to join me on the trek.

AND The Dog Days of Summer

by Jess Carrier, Media and Retail, Thunderworks Games

Freshfrom a hot debut at Gen Con, Thunderworks Games is unleashing a pair of charismatic creature-feature games this summer!

Just released, Citizens of the Spark is riding the wave of rising anticipation since its announcement last year, and strategy fans are already drooling over this brainy beauty. FlipToons, just revealed in July as a Gen Con shadow drop, will round out the studio’s 2025 lineup with a small box blockbuster packing a big, cartoony, deck-building punch.

Citizens of the Spark: Take the

lion’s

share

Citizens of the Spark (by Philip duBarry, Black Orchestra, Sprits of the Rice Paddy) delivers an elegant variable setup experience featuring 30 unique animal citizen decks. Playing each game with a combined selection of these decks means each session varies in strategy and feel, resulting in endless replayability and the opportunity to customize to suit your preferred play style.

This sleek, accessible drafting and engine-building game provides intricate

layers of strategy and player interaction, graced with snappy turns and very little down time. You must remain evervigilant of your rivals if you are to lead your own animal kingdom to victory, because you’ll be playing during your opponents’ turns, too!

After drafting cards, you can activate a citizen. The more of them you have in your city tableau, the stronger its ability becomes. But, watch out! Other players may follow your move with a matching citizen of their own. Choosing the right moment to make your move is essential, providing delicious decision tension in a lustrous and lovely package.

FlipToons: The cat’s out of the bag

A secret recently revealed and not to be upstaged, FlipToons steps into the limelight with a game that scratches the itch for a deck-builder, at a small-box price that won’t leave you howling. Take your seat in the director’s chair and audition toons for the next great animated show! Will your stars earn a standing ovation or boos and hisses?

Easy to learn and quick to play, FlipToons is a slick piece of entertainment revelry with endearingly cheeky art inspired by classic silverscreen cartoons. Presenting a unique twist on the genre, FlipToons transforms deck-building into a tableau slot machine filled with tough choices and exciting lucky moments. Jackpot!

As you shuffle and flip cards into your grid to audition each round, some of your toons will get along famously while others fight like cats and dogs on stage. Each has a unique talent to score, so head to the market to hire fresh faces and dismiss bad actors from your studio.

Join the stampede

Two birds, one stone! Both FlipToons and Citizens of the Spark can be ordered from all major distributors, and miniexpansions are available for both when ordered directly from Thunderworks Games. Get this set of stellar new games today and you’ll be having fun ‘till the cows come home.

Learn more at thunderworksgames. com

Bringing Horror to the Family Table Where it Truly Belongs

by Jay Bernardo, Marketing Manager, Bézier Games

Horrorgames get a bad rap.

Yes, horror games sell well, are roughly 5 percent of the BGG Top 100, and there are an endless number of Lovecraftian games (some of which I personally adore).

However, horror games often get a bad rap when it comes to the family game table. Many of us enjoy a good scare or two, but parents typically don’t initially reach for horror games on the shelf. There are a few titles to be sure, but not enough for horror fans to share their love with their families or with the kiddos.

Bézier Games is changing this. (Afterall, our logo is a werewolf.)

Being based in East Tennessee, we’re surrounded by the Smoky Mountains. Nature here is as beautiful as it is haunting. It was easy for us to draw the horror out of the woods and onto the table.

This is the “Year of Fear” for Bézier Games. We wanted to go back to our roots and bring horror back to the gaming table and your digital device. We’ve released Silver Eye, Silver Fang, Silver Online. We’ve announced our releases slated for Q4, Zombie Princess and Haunted Mouse. But it’s our upcoming Gen Con 2025 release, Scream!, that aims to bring horror back to your family table.

Scream! is a love letter to horror movie fans. We wanted to share our love of horror films with the world, and you’ll see many classics from both the 1900s and the current century. Zombies, werewolves, aliens, tentacled beasts, long-haired undead who crawl out of wells and even misunderstood hockey fans who hike around lakeside campsites on Friday nights –they’re all coming for you.

Scream! is the spiritual sequel to our previous game, Scram! In the aftermath of events in Scram!, the campers lost

the fight over their campsite to local critters. Cursed with a competitive nature, the campers foolishly unleashed the power of the Necronomicon to gain the upper hand. Unfortunately for them, their camping adventure has turned spooky with creatures from their cinematic nightmares crawling out of the dark corners of the woods.

We made a design choice to avoid gore and guts. We’ve always felt that real fear festers and grows in uncertainty and dread. We focused on these aspects of horror when developing Scream! There’s a level of uncertainty you're battling against when you’re struggling to remember which cards you’ve seen and the ones you haven’t. Is your opponent lying to your face? Will they notice if and when you lie to them?

There’s playful tension that builds around the players as the bluffing becomes more outrageous. Someone eventually has to call out another player, and those sudden card reveals often transform the quietest pensive players into surprised gamers gasping and laughing at the harmless fun horrors.

Scream! brings horror back to the family table in a devilishly delightful manner that will bring both smiles and screams to your family and friends. After all, horror is for everybody.

Jay Bernardo is the Marketing Manager for Bézier Games during the day. At night, he creates content for his YouTube channel Cardboard East where he talks about board games from Asia. In the hours in between, he drinks lapsang souchong and eats tacos—all the tacos.

Celebrating Half a Century of the Origins Game Fair

by John Stacy, GAMA Executive Director

The 50th annual Origins Game Fair was a milestone event. It was an incredible celebration of tabletop gaming powered by the passion and dedication of GAMA members, hundreds of exhibitors and event organizers, nearly 200 volunteers, and thousands upon thousands of enthusiastic attendees.

Behind the scenes, our GAMA staff truly went above and beyond. They spent months planning every detail and worked around the clock during the event to ensure things ran smoothly. If you sat in on a panel, demoed a game, attended a workshop, or simply wandered through the exhibit hall, chances are a GAMA team member helped make that moment possible.

Origins saw strong year-over-year growth in key areas:

attendance, exhibitor count, and event programming. That’s a clear sign of how vital this gathering is, not only to GAMA members but to the entire tabletop community. And we’re already gearing up to raise the bar even higher next year.

Speaking of which, planning for Origins 2026 is already in motion and, as noted on page 19, booth applications are officially open. Have questions about GAMA Expo or Origins? We’re here to help. You can catch up with us at any of the upcoming industry shows, including Alliance Open House, Essen Spiel, and PAX Unplugged.

Here’s to keeping the momentum going and making the next Origins even bigger and better.

2026 Origins Booth Applications ARE OPEN

As a GAMA voting member, you receive a discount on your 2026 Origins Game Fair booth fees. If you register early, you'll save even more! You can register now for your booth at Origins 2026 using Map Your Show, our online booth registration platform.

In addition to applying and paying for your booth through Map Your Show, you will also have the opportunity to purchase sponsorship and marketing items: signage, coupon book page, event sponsorships, etc. Those items will become available in the fall through the Sponsorship & Marketing Guide.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Booth Application Deadline: February 13, 2026

• Payment Deadline: February 20, 2026

• Booth Selection/Placement: March 23 to 28, 2026

• Marketing Assets Deadline: April 24, 2026

• Show Dates: June 17 to 21, 2026

Learn more about exhibiting at Origins 2026 at originsgamefair.com/exhibitor.

Rick Loomis Service Award

Michael Pondsmith

Founder, R. Talsorian Games

Sustainability Award

Endeavor: Deep Sea

Publisher: Burnt Island Games/ Grand Gamers Guild

Designers: Carl de Visser, Jarratt Gray

2025 Origins Awards Ceremony

Co-Op / Solo Games

Marvel United: Multiverse

Publisher: CMON (Asmodee)

Designer: Andrea Chiarvesio, Eric M. Lang

Gateway Games

Seaside

Publisher: Hachette

Boardgames USA

Designer: Bryan Burgoyne

Party Games

Flip 7

Publisher: The Op

Designer: Eric Olsen

Heavy Strategy Games

Endeavor: Deep Sea

Publisher: Burnt Island Games/KTBG

Designer: Carl de Visser, Jarratt Gray

Light Strategy Games Fromage

Publisher: R2i

Designer: Matthew O'Malley, Ben Rosset

Fixed Constructable Games

Compile: Main 1

Publisher: Greater Than Games

Designer: Michael Yang

INDIVIDUAL GAME CATEGORIES

Randomized Constructable Games

Magic: The Gathering, Bloomburrow Collector

Booster Box

Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

Miniatures Core Product

Star Trek: Into the UnknownFederation vs. Dominion Core Set

Publisher: WizKids

Designer: Max Brooke, Michael Gernes

Miniatures

Fool's Gold MiniatureTarrasque (Gray)

Publisher: Hit Point Press

Miniature Paints / Hobby Accessory

AK Interactive Real Colours

Markers Set

Publisher: AK Interactive

RPG Core Product

Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

Publisher: Possum Creek Games

Designer: Mercedes Acosta, Jay Dragon, Lillie J. Harris, M. Veselak

RPG Supplement

Call of Cthulhu: No Time to Scream

Publisher: Chaosium Inc.

Designer: B.W. Holland, Bridgett Jefries, C.L. Werner

2025 Origins Game Fair by the Numbers

• 19,171 total attendance (an 8 percent increase from 2024)

• More than 7,800 events (up 26 percent), run by almost 1,100 GMs/EOs

• 410 exhibitors (up 26 percent)

• More than 6,500 games checked out of the Origins Game Library

• More than 170 volunteers who helped make things run smoothly throughout the weekend

• More than 400 exhibitors showcasing new and upcoming games

• More than $21,000 in charitable donations to benefit Extra Life, Sanctuary at Homestead, Tabletop Gaymers, Stonewall, and the Rose Gauntlet Foundation

• 98 units of blood were donated, potentially helping 294 patients and exceeding the Red Cross's goal for the weekend

by Shanti Tata, Designer, Witches' Quarrel

Seven Ways to Sell

Witches' Quarrel

Rulebook haters

You can start playing Witches’ Quarrel right away and learn the rules as you go. Each envelope gives you just the instructions for what's inside, so open the first three envelopes and get playing!

Legacy questioners

It starts in 36 sealed envelopes. You open three right away, giving enough instructions and spells to start without using the rulebook. Complete rituals as you duel to open more envelopes. Every envelope starts with a piece of story of Yi-Feng and Nitya as they grow up learning magic and a connected new spell that you add in the middle of the game, so things ramp up within games and between games as you work through the 36-envelope legacy progression.

Story-tellers

This is a read-aloud book in the shape of a board game. Every time you open a new envelope, you read another piece of the best friends’ journey together, found in an order determined by the choices you make. The spells you add to the game will be the spells they learn in the story you read.

Deck-building fanatics

Everything in Witches’ Quarrel is faster and smaller than other deck building games: five card starting decks, three card hands and no discard pile or shuffling. Instead, you stack your deck after each turn. Random setup games are fun puzzles for hundreds of replays.

Explorers and achievers

Every game, you can complete rituals to earn rewards. The first rituals are easy, but they keep getting trickier and force you to play in new ways. Each adds a new spell for surprising new options. Based on which rituals you choose and complete, your path through the game might be totally different from someone else.

It takes 12 to 15 games to play through the story. Then it plays like a fast, randomized deckbuilding duel. If you want to share the story with someone new, every card has a number that says which envelope it came from, so you can reset everything.

Parents

For customers with a kid, skip the base pitch.

I designed this game when I was a new parent, and my partner and I only had the length of a nap to game. It plays in 20 minutes, but the legacy story makes it feel like a part of something big.

Couples with different skill levels

Gamer expresses worry about hurting partner’s feelings. Witches' Quarrel is designed for players with uneven experience. Catch-up mechanics across games prevent long win-streaks. The split focus between winning and opening new envelopes makes winning less important, and the story carefully sets a tone of friendly rivalry.

The Crooked Moon

A Folk Horror TTRPG Blockbuster

by Chris Samson, Sales Director, Avantris Entertainment

“Somewhere, lost in the shrouded realms of death, lies a land of endless night where long-forgotten horrors are revealed to those who travel through the mist … Now is the time to brave the dark wood, beware the witching hour and weave your own dreadful folktale underneath the Crooked Moon.”

These haunting words mark the beginning of The Crooked Moon, a 632-page tome that brings folk horror to 5E, drawing inspiration from eerie folklore, legendary horror films and classic Halloween aesthetics. The book features a mysterious campaign setting, new character creation options, 85 new folkloric monsters and a 350-page adventure for levels 1-13! The Crooked Moon is slated to release this October!

The Crooked Moon offers the ultimate folk horror roleplaying game experience for new and veteran players alike. Historically, within the TTRPG space, folk horror has been underrepresented, but there’s a true hunger for roleplaying games within this thrilling sub-genre!

But don’t take our word for it. Let’s look at some of the numbers to demonstrate why The Crooked Moon will be one of the hottest new products and campaign settings for D&D 5th Edition:

• The initial Kickstarter campaign funded more than $40 million. To date, it is still the highest funded third-party D&D 5E crowdfunding campaign in history!

• We’ve received more than 8,000 preorders and late pledges via BackerKit to date, totalinng more than an extra $2 million in crowdfunding revenue!

• We have over 12,000 active members in our Crooked Moon Discord community, and we’re introducing new gamers to the hobby every day!

• The Crooked Moon is available on D&D Beyond, introducing this haunting world to tens of thousands of new players excited to dive into a folk horror tale.

• In a partnership with Wizards of the Coast, we released a two-part Crooked Moon actual play session on the official Dungeon & Dragons YouTube channel where the cast played the first chapter of the book’s adventure. Part 1 has 134,000 views, and Part 2 has 43,000 views.

• On our own YouTube channel, we published two additional one-shot actual play videos since the campaign was first announced. “Night of the Crooked Moon” has 325,000 views, and “The Mistchurch Horror” has 67,000 views.

• Upon launch on DriveThruRPG, The Crooked Moon PDF (2024 D&D 5E) was in the top 10 hottest titles. Our 2024 5E PDF is currently #17 in the top products and is a Silver Best Seller. Our 2014 5E PDF is currently #44 in the top products and is a Copper Best Seller!

The Crooked Moon is the embodiment of innovative mechanics, engaging storytelling, next-level artwork and a truly unique campaign setting that TTRPG hobbyists will enjoy.

The product line will be available to sell on your shelves in Q3 2025! Our distributor partners and sales team will be taking preorders until mid-August for the launch! Want to find out more about The Crooked Moon? Interested in preordering directly through us for wholesale retail? Please contact us at sales@avantris.com for more information, and visit avantris.com/retail.

Chris Samson eats, drinks, sleeps, and breathes TTRPGs. In his spare time, he watches anime and horror movies, studies Japanese and enjoys travelling.

Dirt & Dust from Ares Games is a strategic rally game. Assemble a top-notch support team, finetune your car and make splitsecond decisions to conquer challenging tracks. aresgames.eu

Purrfect Potions is coming soon from Steve Jackson Games! In this family-friendly game, whimsical witches create potions alongside their closest cat companions. Retail orders can be placed through Faire or Warehouse 23.

sjgames.com

In Hercules and the 12 Labors from Envy Born Games, battle your way through the legendary labors, conquer challenges and strive to earn your place with the gods in Olympus!

KeyForge: Prophetic Visions from Ghost Galaxy is the newest set of the world’s first unique deck game. Predict future actions with new prophecy cards and unleash powerful fate effects.

sales@ghostgalaxy.com

A proven bestseller for six years, Autumn Festival from Cantrip Candles has an inviting blend of apple cider, pumpkin spice and fallen leaves. It captures the season’s warmth and community. Limited run, shipping August 1. cantripcandles.faire.com

Sage Stones Scroll Edition from TNT Laser Works is designed to be highly portable, allowing gamers to have our amazing game for two to six players ready to go anywhere they may be.

tntlaserworks.com/retailand-wholesale

Scion: God from Onyx Path brings Scion stories to their final chapter with all-new rules for players and guidance for storyguides.

studio2publishing.com/collections/ onx-onyx-path-publishing

Create a magical mermaid garden in Coral Castle from Lime Green Games. Each round you will draft cards, craft combos and race to build a beautiful coral reef. travis@limegreengames. com

The Speedpaint from The Army Painter is speed you can feel in a marker format. Designed by artists, loved by beginners. Dispensers and intro sets are available.

thearmypainter.com

Witches’ Quarrel from Rakshasa Games is a fast, two-player legacy game of best friends learning magic in 20-minute deck-building duels. There are 36 sealed envelopes to open and a tender, non-linear story. MSRP $45 witchesquarrel.com

From Roshar to Scadrial and Beyond

by Jillian Schumacher, Marketing Manager, Brotherwise Games

Ayearago, the Brotherwise Games team successfully crowdfunded the Cosmere® Roleplaying Game, not knowing that it would become the highest-funded games project ever on Kickstarter. Since then, many things have changed for Brotherwise and the RPG team! We’ve been able to set our sights even higher with the success of the Kickstarter, but let’s bring it back to the beginning.

What is the Cosmere RPG?

Glad you asked! The Cosmere RPG is a “living” RPG based on Brandon Sanderson’s novels, and will grow as he writes new novels and expands his universe. This original system is designed to tell standalone stories in the Stormlight or Mistborn settings – or sweeping Worldhopper campaigns that move between different worlds and realms! Starting with the Stormlight Campaign setting releasing this year, players and GMs will be able to immerse themselves in the world of Roshar. Roshar is a war-torn world infused with power, where oaths can be more powerful than armies. Play any type of character, from scholar or soldier to shardbearer or knight radiant!

What’s next?

The next setting for the Cosmere RPG is Mistborn, where you’ll be able to harness the Metallic Arts in the world of Scadrial! In Era One, you can become a legendary Mistborn or Feruchemist during the apocalyptic days of the Final Empire. Or leap ahead to the skyscrapers and gunslingers of Era Two, when Twinborn face threats from other worlds. But that’s not all! Thanks to the

success of the Kickstarter, we are thinking about the underlying system of the Cosmere RPG: The Plotweaver system. Plotweaver will be an original RPG system and setting that’s optimized for self-publishing. We are excited about the endless possibilities with this system.

You can find out more about both the Cosmere RPG and Plotweaver System at cosmererpg.com or plotweaverrpg.com.

BIGGEST RPG KICKSTARTER EVER hitting retail this fall! RETAILERS, PLACE ORDERs NOW!

AYEAR IN THE WORLDOF

by Sophia Gambill, Marketing and Sales Coordinator, Renegade Game Studios

Heroscape returned in August 2024, and numerous releases, along with hundreds of organized play events, have taken place around the world. Let’s look back at a year in the world of Heroscape!

2024-2025 Releases

Renegade’s Heroscape kicked off with the Battle for the Wellspring Battle Box, a perfect title for entry into the game, and the Age of Annihilation Master Set, for those ready to dive headfirst into the world of Valhalla.

Seventeen Army Expansions, both in painted and unpainted editions, including common units, have since debuted. The premium painted option suits players wanting to jump right into the game. The unpainted editions offer enthusiasts the opportunity to customize their minis however they like!

We’ve also launched eight terrain expansions. These expansions allow players to build incredible maps with striking 3D terrain. These sets include treacherous lava fields, sprawling lands, frozen wastelands and more!

Organized play

The Heroscape Organized Play Program launched with the game in August 2024. This program, hosted on the Heroscape Battle Network, provides players with multiple

options and stores with kits to host events. Renegade introduced rotating OP kits starting with the Shiori Launch Kit and now includes many other figures such as Thyraxis Dragoon and Decker the Burrowbreaker.

This year, we started Heroscape Store Championship Events. Retailers worldwide participated, and players battled it out to earn a seat at the Gen Con 2025 World Championship Event along with Special Store Championship prizing. Starting in September, stores even hosted the Valkyrie Trials, another premier-level event with special prizes for players.

The Heroscape Battle Network is the place to be if you want your shop to host Heroscape events! Once you register on the site, you can order OP kits and list events for players all over the world to see. More than 1,900 players registered on the Battle Network as of June 2025, and roughly 600 sanctioned events have taken place.

Though there are still a ton of players out there who don’t have a store near them running events. You can be that store! Sign up for the Battle Network at playheroscape. renegadegamestudios.com.

What’s next for Heroscape?

We aren’t slowing down any time soon! Plans for the Heroscape line run through 2027, including G.I. JOE Heroscape! Valkyrie Trials will continue through April 2026 and Store Championships Events will pick back up Q2 and Q3 of 2026. To stay up to date, subscribe to our Retailer Newsletter! Head over to our retailer webstore at retailers.renegadegamestudios. com to sign up.

2025 Hasbro, Avalon Hill

Tamagotchi Collections

Can you keep up with your Tamagotchi Collection?

by Court Flint, Marketing Manager, KessCo

Tamagotchi leapt into the public scene with its initial device launch in 1996. Since then, Bandai has consistently released new devices to fans, totaling more than 90 million units in sales across at least 50 different versions of Tamagotchi devices including a new one this year.

KessCo is excited to announce Tamagotchi Collections, a board game that will bring fans of Tamagotchi and fans of cozy competitive gameplay around the same table.

Game overview

Tamagotchi Collections is a cozy competitive game that challenges you to raise more happy and well-fed Tamagotchi characters than your friends while managing their ever-growing messes. Can you manage food, actions, items, playdates and the dreaded poop tracker without falling apart?

This game brings everything cute and sweet that we love about Tamagotchi to the table, along with ruthless competition. Players are invited to hatch extra eggs to get more Tamagotchi characters to earn extra actions on their turn, but the more Tamagotchi characters you are hosting, the more chances there are for them to make a mess.

Gameplay

In Tamagotchi Collections, each player starts with a dashboard that contains four rooms, a poop tracker and a turn order reminder. Two starting Tamagotchi characters are provided from the deck and placed in two of the rooms, the shop is set up and it’s time to roll dice! The Tamagotchi Collections dice are custom printed with symbols that match both the egg cards and the central shop. Each

Tamagotchi character that a player hosts allows that player one die per turn, so both risk for messy Tamagotchi characters and opportunities for shop resources scale up or down based on how many Tamagotchi characters each player is hosting. It’s a tricky balance!

Cozy competitive

While the gameplay loop is simple and sweet, the game becomes cutthroat as limited resources are claimed each turn.

Will your friend take the shop card they need the most or take the one you need in order to promote your last Tamagotchi character? Do you want to press your luck by hosting a fourth Tamagotchi character or play it safe with three? Who will compete for the coveted clean all poop playdate card?

Playdates are chances for the players to bring their Tamagotchi characters together to participate in competitive minigames inspired by the minigames from the devices for high-stakes rewards. The shop refresh features and dice rolls keep the game just random enough that no one player can sweep the game every time, without taking away opportunities for strategy.

Preorder your stock today

Kess Entertainment is the creator of awardwinning and highly-rated games One Piece: Luffy’s Bento Panic and Sonic Roll. Retailers can order all Kess games through their distributor. For more information about games, email sales@kess.co or visit kessentertainment.co

Embrace natural beauty with Gooseberry & Blossom, the latest additions to the Matte Dual line from Arcane Tinmen. The pastel colors, combined with the stylish black interior of Matte Dual sleeves, create a delightful and visually appealing experience.

gtsdistribution.com

Konflikt '47 from Warlord Games is the game of heroes, horrors, monsters and mechs. It puts you in command of the nightmarish struggle for supremacy as the old world is torn apart and remade.

us.warlordgames.com

Let’s. Get. Nuts. In Squirrel Away from Floodgate Games, use stealthy sleight of paw and every underhanded trick you can get away with! Stash away the biggest pile of nuts without getting called out!

floodgate.games

The Derelict Ship expansion from Flying Frog Productions introduces a brand-new OtherWorld for your Shadows of Brimstone heroes to explore. Featuring new map tiles, enemy types, high-tech artifacts, challenging missions and plenty of interstellar horror!

sarah@flyingfrog.net

Codenames from CGE challenges two teams to identify secret agents hidden among 25 codenames. This refreshed edition includes a revised word list, stunning new art and a streamlined rulebook. czechgames.markettime.com

Petals and Blossoms

by Chase Eisenmenger, Sales Manager, Dragon Shield

Inthe high northern hills, past the frost-slicked ridgelines and forgotten hunting paths, there is a valley no map claims. Wind-stilled and shaded by pine and cloud, the place lies untouched – but not unoccupied.

Two dragons live there.

Blossom, a figure woven from flower petals – soft, layered, pale as moonlit bloom – moves like the slow unfolding of spring. Her body shifts with the breeze, her wings more memory than matter, trailing a faint scent of old gardens and wild things. Gooseberry is quieter still: built of fine green strands, like moss and fern spun into the form of a dragon. Her body sways as she walks, each movement fluid, like a reed in moving water.

They are not the dragons of fire or fear, but something older. Something rooted.

No one knows when they came. The valley has always held their scent, the paths always bore traces of their passing: crushed clover, petals left in strange spiral patterns, breath-warmed moss on stones where none should grow. Animals sense them but do not flee. The forest leans in when they pass.

Blossom sleeps in the cradle of a twisted hawthorn tree, half-swallowed by earth. Gooseberry curls into the hollow beneath the slope where the soil runs rich and the ferns grow thick. They are creatures of habit, tending wildflower clearings, brushing dew from mushrooms, tracing forgotten runes carved into stone by hands long lost to time.

Sometimes, at dusk, villagers from the far foothills say they see something move on the distant ridge. A shimmer. A shape. The wind smells of crushed violets, though none grow nearby. Livestock grow restless. The dogs whimper and press close to their masters.

But nothing comes.

No harm follows.

Still, those who’ve grown up hearing the old stories speak softly when the fog rolls in thick. They say Blossom and Gooseberry keep the valley not only for themselves, but as guardians, protecting what sleeps beneath or waiting for something to return. The petals that make up Blossom’s wings do not wither. The green strands of Gooseberry never dry. Time touches everything else in the valley, but not them.

It is a beautiful place, yes, but not gentle. Not entirely.

When someone wanders too far into the valley and returns, they sometimes speak of songs in no known tongue, of low voices echoing through stone. And always, always, they bring something back: a petal that never fades. A strand of green that grows no matter where it's planted.

The valley does not keep what it does not choose.

But it never forgets.

With the softness of both pastel pink and green with a dark interior these dual matte sleeves are sure to calm the fiercest dragons.

EMBRACE NATURAL BEAUTY WITH Gooseberry & Blossom

Sometimes, a softer touch is just what you need - and for those times, Gooseberry & Blossom are the perfect sleeves. These beautiful pastel colors paired with the stylish black interior of our Matte Dual sleeves, create a delightful and aesthetically pleasing visual experience. Despite their light tones, they remain fully opaque, allowing you to fully embrace your preferred aesthetic without compromise.

Daniel Kerry: Head of Marketing

The torches flicker as your players step into the ancient ruin. The stone walls shift behind them, sealing their only exit. Before them, a maze of twisting corridors stretches into the darkness. With Tenfold Dungeon, you can bring this world to life by crafting dynamic, ever-changing adventures with ease.

Start with a Strong Narrative Hook

Once you’ve decided on which set/sets you’ll be crafting your story within, there are twelve fantasy and four sci-fi options to choose from, you can begin to lay out your rooms and corridors. But make sure you use the core story you’re going to tell to shape the world your players will be exploring, creating an immersive experience for everyone at the table.

The Castle: A cursed castle that rearranges itself every time the players enter a room. Tenfold Dungeon’s modular system makes this easy!

The Wizard’s Sanctum: A multi-level fortress where each floor presents a new, deadly challenge before confronting the BBEG on the top floor.

The Jungle Temple: Players must delve deep into an ancient ruin, overcoming both enemies and traps, to recover a legendary artifact.

Your hook should shape the dungeon itself, ensuring the world feels alive and reactive to the story.

Design Your Dungeon Like a Living, Breathing World

Tenfold Dungeon allows you to create multi-room layouts, so don’t just make it a sequence of fights. Instead, bring the setting to life:

Dynamic Environments: Use doors, secret passages, and elevation to create tactical depth. Imagine a crumbling bridge room in the Mines of Khazad, a pit trap leading to another level in The Temple, or a magically shifting corridor in the Imperial Palace.

Interactive Elements: Add puzzles, hidden levers, or destructible objects to make the space feel real. The Wizard’s Sanctum even has a Portal Room, you could use that to transport the party to a new Tenfold Dungeon set all together! Faction Conflicts: Maybe rival groups inhabit different sections of the dungeon, and players can manipulate alliances (or trigger all-out war) for their own benefit - take The Town for example, maybe one group has taken over the Clock Tower and another the Inn.

Use Tenfold Dungeon for Cinematic Set Pieces

A great dungeon isn’t just a series of rooms, it’s memorable moments that you’ll talk about again and again. Consider these:

A Chase Scene: The walls tremble as the ground cracks beneath the party’s feet. Dust fills the air as ancient stone pillars collapse in a deafening roar. The only way forward? A desperate sprint across a crumbling bridge inside the Mines of

Building Epic Campaigns with Tenfold Dungeon

Khazad, one misstep away from the abyss.

A Boss Fight with Changing Terrain: Start in the Chapel of Ravenhold Castle, but once the villain’s health drops, the floor collapses and the party now finds themselves in The Underdark.

The modularity of Tenfold Dungeon means that rooms can be swapped out easily, allowing you to reveal twists mid-game without missing a beat or breaking the immersion!

Bring It All Together: A Sample Dungeon Layout

Here’s a quick blueprint for a mystical, shifting dungeon using Tenfold Dungeon’s Wizard’s Sanctum set:

Portal Room: The party is suddenly transported into the adventure and finds themselves in the Portal Room, surrounded by stone walls and still air they must venture forth to find out who transported them here and why.

The Shadow Maze: Stone corridors that move when no one is looking (you physically rearrange the pieces between turns!).

The Library: Holds forbidden knowledge but is guarded by sentient books or a magical construct, if your party looks in the right places they may uncover long lost tomes granting them boons and knowledge beyond their imagination.

The Conservatory: The final confrontation, your party meets the Wizard who brought the party to his Sanctum, but why? You’re the DM that’s for you to decide!

Keeping your adventure unpredictable and engaging for your players and yourself is a huge part of a successful campaign, and Tenfold Dungeon is the aide that empowers you to provide both of those elements to your table.

Elevate Your Dungeon Experience

Tenfold Dungeon is more than just terrain, it’s a storytelling tool. Allowing you to craft unforgettable adventures, where every twist, turn, and battle feels larger than life.

Whether you’re delving into Ravenhold Castle, exploring the Wizard’s Sanctum, or forging your own legendary dungeon by combining sets, Tenfold Dungeon is your gateway to unforgettable stories. Are you ready to build your next

The Mech-Based TCG That’s Shaking Up the Arena

by Jared McMullen, Director of Lore, Chrono Core, LLC

Getready to power up your shelves with the next big thing in trading card games: Chrono Core! Chrono Core is a mechbased TCG already making waves in the TCG community. With a 200 percent fully-funded Kickstarter campaign in just 24 hours and more than 60 pre-orders from local game stores ahead of its late November 2025 street date, Chrono Core is more than just hype; it’s a battle-tested, community-driven experience you won’t want to miss.

As an indie TCG company, Chrono Core Studios is focused solely on delivering thrilling gameplay for both competitive and casual players. Chrono Core brings the high-octane energy of Armored Core, Gundam, and Pacific Rim straight to the table. This isn’t just another card game. It’s a full-on mech arena showdown.

Built for battle, designed for depth

• Equipment: Visors, gauntlets, greaves upgrades

• Weapons: Ranged, melee and auxiliary

• Configurations: Attachments that modify equipment and weapon performance

• Support: Tactical boosts, repairs and battlefield control This modular system allows for deep customization and endless replayability. No two mechs – or matches – are ever the same.

At the heart of Chrono Core is its innovative resource management system centered around a player’s core charge, which adds a fresh layer of strategy to every match. Players must strategically manage charge to optimize their Chrono and pilot performance. Every decision matters. Go all-in on offense and risk vulnerability on defense, or play it safe and miss your shot at victory. Every turn is a tactical decision.

The game’s turn-based combat is fast-paced and tactical, with players piloting custom-built mechs in head-to-head duels. Victory is achieved by reducing your opponent’s shields and pilot life points to zero, but how you get there is entirely up to your build and strategy.

Unique deckbuilding, infinite possibilities

Chrono Core’s deckbuilding system places you in the pilot’s seat and starts with choosing a pilot and core chassis type: light-weight, mid-weight or heavyweight. Each chassis type offers unique strengths to exploit.

Players then build a 50-card deck from four card types:

Battle-tested and community-approved Chrono Core isn’t just a passion project; it’s a polished game that is five years in the making. From extensive in-house testing to public playtesting at major conventions like GenCon and GAMA, Chrono Core is a polished, balanced game that’s earned praise for its depth, accessibility and sheer fun factor.

Why stock Chrono Core?

• 200 percent funded on Kickstarter in 24 hours

• More than 60 LGS pre-orders ahead of launch

• Five years of development and rigorous testing

• Unique gameplay that stands out in a crowded TCG market

• Strong community support and organized play potential

• Indie-developed with a focus on LGS partnerships

Chrono Core is built to thrive in local game stores, with broad appeal for both competitive and casual players and designed to foster a vibrant, engaged community. Whether it’s weekly league nights or high-stakes tournaments, this game is ready to energize your community!

Suit up. Power on. Enter the arena.

Contact your Southern Hobby or Peach State Distributing rep today!

Suitup.Poweron. Dominate the Arena.

Become a Legend Hercules and the 12 Labors

by Mathue Ryann, Owner, Envy Born Games

Step into the sandals of the world’s most iconic demigod in Hercules and the 12 Labors, an epic solo adventure card and dice game where players attempt to complete the legendary tasks assigned by King Eurystheus. Designed for a solo experience that fits on a small table but delivers epic narrative tension, Hercules and the 12 Labors invites players to relive the ancient stories in a bold, new way.

From slaying the Nemean Lion to capturing Cerberus from the underworld, each labor feels like an epic boss battle! Players must manage Hercules’ spirit, gain divinity and strategically use artifacts collected along the way to increase their chances of success in future trials. But beware: mood cards introduce unexpected twists, making every playthrough uniquely challenging.

the odds in your favor in later challenges. Every trial will chip away at Hercules’ spirit, so proceed with caution! Your end goal?

Complete all 12 labors and ascend to godhood.

The game’s compact design makes it ideal for solo gamers seeking a meaningful, story-driven experience in just 30 to 60 minutes. But don’t be fooled by its travel-friendly size; Hercules and the 12 Labors delivers epic gameplay in a small package. Each labor is packed with tactical decisions, thematic depth and tension. Paired with stunning illustrations and elegant gold foil accents throughout, this is more than just a solo game – it’s a collector worthy experience that belongs in every serious gamer’s library.

At the heart of the game is a clever progression system. Success in one labor rewards you with an artifact, like venomous blood from the hydra or Athena’s rattle that can be used to tilt

Whether you’re a mythology buff, a solo gaming enthusiast or someone simply seeking a fresh thematic experience, Hercules and the 12 Labors offers a challenge worthy of Mount Olympus. Are you strong enough to face the impossible?

The labors await…

Add color to your gaming life with Non-Glare sleeves in Blue, Blood Red & Forest Green from Peachstate Hobby. These are the first new colors to be added to the Non-Glare line (also available in smoke and clear). phdgames.com

Urban Shadows from Magpie Games is an urban fantasy tabletop roleplaying game in which mortals and monsters vie for control of a modernday city in a political battleground. magpiegames.com/collections/ urban-shadows

The Crooked Moon - Deluxe Edition from Avantris Entertainment brings folk horror to 5E! It features a premium black faux-leather cover with embossed art, crimson gilded pages and two ribbon bookmarks. MSRP $119.99 avantris.com/retail sales@avantris.com

Diplomacy: Era of Empire from Renegade Game Studios challenges players to rely on their own cunning and cleverness – not dice – to determine the outcome. Seven great empires vie for control.

Race to complete a trip through America’s national parks in 10 Days in the National Parks from The Op Games. Strategically hike, boat, fly and drive to connect the parks. theop.games/products/10-days-in-thenational-parks

New Products on pages 26, 27, 34, 56, 64

Vestige from Orange Nebula is a sandbox euro with tableau building, an intuitive resource mechanic based on the color wheel and a nemesis system that makes solo play a natural, compelling part of the game. orangenebula.com/retailers

The Kess Giant Dice from KessCo are your table's new favorite dice set. The 6-inch diameter makes them comically fun to roll on any table or toss at your friends. MSRP $99.99

Available through ACD, GTS, Southern Hobby

Party Mouth from Cards Against Humanity is a fast-paced party game of shouting obscenities. It takes 5 seconds to learn, moves fast and works great with huge groups. partymouth.com

Chrono Core is a mech-based TCG with more than 60 LGS preorders ahead of its late November release! Scan the QR code or contact your Southern Hobby or Peach State Distributing rep for more information!

In Scream! from Bezier Games, someone unleashed the powers of the Necronomicon! Now your lighthearted camping adventure has become a desperate fight for survival! Can you bluff and deduce your way to morning? beziergames.com

Teas from Misty Mountain Gaming blend fantasyinspired flavors with premium loose-leaf. Each brew enhances game night or solo quests with rich aromas, magical themes, and calming or energizing effects.

mistymountaingaming. com/collections/tea

Enter a World Where Capitalism is King …Then Punch It in the Face!

Welcome to Monsters of Murka

by Jaron R. M. Johnson, Lead Designer, Action Fiction Games

“No other D&D book has influenced me

as much as this one has. Even today, I’ll occasionally see a meme and think ‘This has big Murka energy.’”

- Dave, customer

Monstersof Murka is a high-fantasy parody of American pop culture for Dungeons & Dragons. Journey across the cornfields of Midwesteros, trek through the valleys of Holly Woods and brave the depths of Walmoria's backreaches, laughing (and maybe rolling your eyes a little, too) all the way.

Monsters of Murka: Ratified & Radified, a ground-up redesign of the entire Murka trilogy for both D&D 5e and D&D 2024, raised more than $125,000 on Backerkit in July. What began as a silly, singular TTRPG supplement in 2019 has evolved into a set of three stand-alone compendiums totaling mor than 900 pages, featuring a whopping 47 subclasses, 125 monsters and 79 spells, plus dozens of feats, subraces and other player options. There’s more freedom and explosions in these books than you can speak softly and carry a big stick at.

With three entries in the Monsters of Murka trilogy, each offering commentary on a different part of American living, there’s something for everyone at every table:

• Arcana Americana, designed to be a wide-reaching, acrossthe-board parody of all things America, satirizing everything from Washtown D.C. to Holly Woods

• Restaurants & Retail, offering a flavorful twist on retail jobs with its depiction of Walmoria and Flavor City

• Chromatic Gamut, which ventures to the Big Apple, Magnamalus, with a focus on LGBTQ+ history and culture in the U.S.

Try two new schools of magic: Economancy, where players can become capitalism casters, slinging sacks of silver and manipulating the market of magic; or Gourmomancy, where sorcerers can become saucerers, giving all of their spells a unique, delicious flavor. Cast spells like adventure capitalism and conjure cash cow, or spells like animate food and Mama’s meatball of murder.

For subclasses, Murka offers a crowd-pledged warlock who foregoes the traditional “patron” for a more contemporary “patreon,” complete with conveniently-timed apology ability, as well as a punk rock barbarian who wields a thunderous shredding axe, channeling the spirits of punk’s past to give their rage a musical edge.

Monsters of Murka also allows players to employ a number of hilarious new weapons and magic items. Use fish flops to safely, if unfashionably, traverse difficult terrain; equip a pair of gunchucks to become an unstoppable force of flailing firearms; wield Guillaume Fierre’s frost-tipped spear to spread the wonders of taste throughout Flavor City; or take a bite of soylent beans. They’re totally safe to eat*.

If you want to get the platinum-best-selling satirical trilogy on your shelves, visit monstersofmurka.com or reach out to sales@actionfiction.com.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.

Speedpaint Markers

A Retail Revolution for Miniature Painting

by

Michael Andresen, CSO, The Army Painter

Every game store owner knows the spark of excitement when a customer decides to paint miniatures for the first time. Regardless of whether they’re brand new to the hobby or veterans looking for a fresh approach, having the right tools can make that journey even more rewarding.

Speedpaint Markers are that fresh approach. No palettes, no prep, no clean-

up – just uncap and paint. Developed with Deep-Cut Studio with a design inspired by legendary painter Roman Lappat's vision, these markers utilize our proven Speedpaint 2.0 formula in an innovative way. That means a single swipe brings smooth, consistent coverage with instant shadows and highlights. It's ideal for beginners and a powerful tool for hobbyists who want to get models on the table in time for game night.

This isn’t about replacing brushes and traditional methods. It’s about adding a powerful new tool to the experience. For newcomers, Speedpaint Markers provide an accessible, joyful way to jump in, while seasoned painters will appreciate the speed, portability and freedom these markers offer when they want to get models ready for play, test color schemes quickly or paint anywhere inspiration strikes.

Each marker features our Felt-Tech tip design, engineered for precise pigment flow. The tip is firm enough for details yet soft enough for broad coverage. From speedy basecoats to advanced shading and

glazing to edge highlighting, Speedpaint Markers invite painters to reimagine what's possible – to give anyone of any skill level the ability to achieve striking results.

And an added bonus for your store is engagement. Speedpaint Markers are a product you can demo in-store easily and quickly, sparking conversation and curiosity. Available in Starter Sets with 10 markers and Introductory Sets with three markers, this brush-free painting option means easy setup for demos and minimal cleanup. You can offer something experiential that actively reduces friction between a customer and their new favourite hobby.

Speedpaint Markers bring you a new category, another revenue stream and, maybe most importantly, a way to reach members of your community who want to paint but feel daunted by the traditional methods.

Speedpaint Markers will be available in September 2025. For more information, reach out to retailer@thearmypainter.com.

Wholesale Dice

with Unmatched Flexibility, Speed and Value

by Zack Schmidt, Head of Sales and Marketing, Old School Dice and Accessories

Ina booming tabletop gaming market, choosing the right supplier can make or break your margins. That’s why more game, comic, hobby, TCG and book stores are turning to Old School Dice and Accessories. They’re a wholesale partner known for having the lowest order minimums, fastest shipping and one of the most extensive dice catalogs in the industry.

Order what you want, when you want Say goodbye to rigid ordering systems. Old School Dice believes in true flexibility – there are no order size or frequency requirements. Whether you need a full restock or just a few topsellers, you can order exactly what you need, when you need it. This level of convenience makes it easy for stores of all sizes to stay agile without overextending cash flow.

With the fastest shipping in the industry, you won’t be left

waiting. Ninety-nine percent of all orders are shipped within 24 business hours, helping you keep shelves full and customers happy.

More than 900 SKUs and always growing

Old School Dice offers a constantly expanding product lineup, with more than 900 unique items and new designs launching monthly. From core sets to specialty collections, their catalog includes a wide variety of themes, materials and finishes – perfect for building eye-catching displays and offering customers something new every visit.

Many of these products are developed in collaboration with their wholesale partners, so what hits the shelves is based on real retail demand, not guesswork.

Wholesale-friendly from the ground up

Old School Dice isn’t a retail-first brand dabbling in wholesale. It’s built entirely around supporting game stores, resellers and online shops. Every item comes barcoded and shelf-ready, and the company’s policies are designed to help you succeed, not compete against you.

You also get a dedicated account representative, so you always have a real person to help with orders, inventory questions or product suggestions.

Maximize your margins with monthly promotions

To help you stay competitive, Old School Dice runs monthly wholesale promotions designed to boost your margins. These limited-time offers give stores access to exclusive deals, bestsellers and deep discounts, allowing you to get more value with every order.

Why retailers love working with Old School Dice

• Lowest order minimums in the industry

• Fastest shipping turnaround

• More than 900 dice products and growing

• Flexible, no-pressure ordering

• Monthly promotions to protect your margins

• Real support from real people

Whether you're testing dice sales for the first time or expanding into a full dice wall, Old School Dice gives you the tools, products and pricing to succeed on your terms.

The History of

CODENAMES

by Jared Kaplan, North American Marketing, CGE

Sinceits debut in 2015, Codenames has become a staple of game nights around the world. Designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition, this clever party game mixes deduction, word association and teamwork in a way that's both easy to learn and endlessly replayable. Two teams compete to contact all their secret agents using only oneword clues, without accidentally revealing the deadly assassin. The game quickly earned widespread acclaim, including the prestigious Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) award in 2016.

Over the years, Codenames has sold more than 16 million copies and expanded into a vibrant game family. Codenames: Duet reimagines the game as a cooperative mission for two players or groups, where partners must work together to uncover agents from a shared, two-sided key. The catch? Multiple assassins lurk among the words, raising the stakes each turn.

For a visual twist, Codenames: Pictures swaps words for unique illustrations packed with layered symbolism. With just 20 cards in play, every clue feels tighter and every guess riskier, challenging players to think creatively and spot subtle patterns others might miss.

The newly refreshed editions of Codenames bring a polished experience to newcomers and longtime fans alike. Updates include a streamlined rulebook, a smarter box insert for easy storage and a refined word list that keeps gameplay smooth and engaging. Whether you’re diving into standard Codenames, testing your teamwork in Duet or decoding abstract images in Pictures, the mission is as exciting as ever.

From game nights at home to conventions around the world, Codenames continues to unite people through its perfect mix of strategy, laughter, clever clues and bold guesses!

Explore the worlds of Stormlight, Mistborn, Warbreaker and beyond! The Cosmere® Roleplaying Game from Brotherwise Games invites players to a universe of adventure and Investiture! Launching this fall with the Stormlight Campaign Setting! brotherwisegames.com

The Angelic Warfare board game returns with Deliverance: Council of the Fallen from Next Level Web. Can you safeguard the saints of Fallbrook and hold off the encroaching darkness long enough to emerge victorious?

playdeliverance.com/cotf

Tenfold Dungeon from Gale Force 9 brings adventures to life through highly detailed, high quality, rightout-the-box 3D settings. Features detailed art in every box and discreetly layers 1x1 inch grids. battlefrontgroup.com/gf9-hobby/ tenfold-dungeon-scenery

The award-winning party game Telestrations from The Op Games will get your family and friends laughing as they draw what they see, then guess what they saw for hours of hilarious miscommunication. barnesandnoble.com/w/telestrations-8-player-usao poly/1147218210?ean=0700304160003

your way to fame in FlipToons from Thunderwork. In this animated deck-building game, hire and audition talented toon actors for the next great cartoon. For ages 10 and up. MSRP $19.95 thunderworksgames.com

Telestrations

Don’t

A CHEEKY GAME OF Squirrely Behavior and Hoard Mentality

by Nathan Thornton, Wordsmith, Floodgate Games

let the adorable squirrel on the box fool you. In fact, don’t let anybody at the table fool you. Because they’re going to bluff, misdirect and pull out every underhanded trick they can get away with to take what’s rightfully yours.

Now, this isn’t your typical cutesy game of woodland creatures and their forest friends. These squirrels don’t scamper, and they don’t frolic. They’re on a mission to stash away the biggest pile of nuts they can, and they’ll steal them from right under your whiskery little nose. And you’d do the same thing to them, if you had the chance.

Squirrel Away is designed by Clarence Simpson, with art by David DePasquale, and it’s a unique blend of sleight-of-hand, bluffing and deduction and nut collection. It’s a gem of a game that features gorgeous jewel-like acrylic acorns that you won’t be able to keep your paws off of.

Feels like a classic heist movie

You and your ragtag crew of squirrely thieves have just pulled off the biggest job of your bushy-tailed lives. Now you’re sitting on a whole winter’s worth of acorns, stolen back from the clutches of a greedy raccoon. Back at the rendezvous point, it’s time to split up the loot as unevenly as possible.

It takes stealthy sleight-of-paw

First, you’ll lay down your acorn card, which tells

you exactly which nuts you’re “allowed” to grab from the pile. Then – with one hand only – you’ll carefully and strategically take literally whatever you want. It can be a real feat of prestidigitation – cup your hand around them, grip them gently and don’t let anybody see what you’ve got. Don’t worry, you’ll probably get away with it. You won’t get called out or anything.

You will get called out … you scoundrel

These squirrel faces have eagle eyes, and if they catch you taking more than your fair share, they’re going to pounce. If you took more acorns (or different acorns) than were shown on the card you played, you’re busted! Drop the nuts and step away slowly.

Call out your friends

Catch your fellow rogue rodents closely. It’s up to you whether they get to bank their ill-gotten gains in the nut stash behind their player screen or give up the goods. But watch out! Make a false accusation and you’ll give up even more. Know when to point the finger and when to let it go.

You know who would like Squirrel Away? Families, who can play with their kids. Gamers, who like a sneaky game of take that. And of course, squirrels, who will love the beautiful multicolored acorns and the fact that it’s just the right length (about 20 minutes) for their famously short attention spans. Squirrel Away is a cheeky little heist game that makes players pull off real feats of mental (and manual) manipulation. Learn more at floodgate.games.

CShadows of Brimstone Derelict Ship

by Sarah McGrath, Distributor and Retail Relations Lead, Flying Frog Productions

enturies after disappearing on its last mission with all of its crew, the star ship Vostros’ systems continue to run as it hurtles through interstellar space. Its Dark Stone Warp Drive is still active, tearing open gates in the fabric of space and time, leading bold heroes into its dark corridors and cold steel rooms. Though darkness and death close in all around, there are many parts of this derelict ship yet untouched; there’s amazing weapons and technology to be had if players can survive this terrifying voyage of the dead!

The Derelict Ship expansion for Shadows of Brimstone introduces a brand-new OtherWorld for heroes to explore, full of high-tech artifacts and the cold terrors of deep space. Not only will players have to hold back the darkness, but they’ll also have to face the still-active security systems of the ship, including auto-turret defenses and large, robotic B.E.A.C.O.N. drones, equipped with an array of technologically advanced weaponry. If that wasn’t enough, shambling necronauts roam the halls as well, hostile to any and all who find themselves aboard the long-lost vessel of Vostros. Even if heroes manage to evade the creatures and constructs aboard, the atmospheric protection measures seem to be on the brink of failure. Adventuring in this place is not for the faint of heart.

So long as players own an entry set into Shadows of

Brimstone, they can add this OtherWorld expansion to their campaigns. Vikings and conquistadors can plunder the ship for its hidden treasures while facing off against constructs they could never imagine fighting back in their homelands of the Norse Lands or Spanish Forts. Perhaps a samurai from feudal Japan might decide to outfit himself in a vacsuit for extra protection, or a gunslinger from the Old West could choose to add a warp pistol to his arsenal. No matter where your players’ heroes come from, they’ll certainly need whatever they can find, for who knows what will come crawling out of the broken grates and dark corners of this ship.

This Derelict Ship expansion includes a full set of 18 map tiles for this new world (with all new mine rooms on the back for the Old West setting), three deadly new enemy types (six undead necronauts, three auto-turret defenses and three B.E.A.C.O.N. drones), a host of new game cards and six challenging new missions. The Vostros will push your heroes to the brink of madness, as the flickering lights and whispering voices in the dark close in all around.

Available now in your local retail store, interstellar terrors, unimaginable technology and futuristic weapons await your players if they can survive aboard the derelict ship!

by Sean Jacquemain, Marketing Director, KTBG/Burnt Island Games

TuesdayWHAT WE

Endeavor For

is our normal day for team meetings, and on May 20 the Burnt Island Games crew were all gathered around our laptops discussing the upcoming schedule for the year. That day however, was different. At 10 a.m. EDT, we put everything on pause to watch Christoph Schlewinski and Harald Schrapers make the nomination announcements for this year’s Spiel des Jahres. We had a hunch that our environmental action game Endeavor: Deep Sea just might be in the running.

If you don’t know, the Spiel des Jahres is kind of like the Oscars of board games. There are multiple awards games can win throughout the year, but the Spiel is by far the most recognized and lauded. I remember early in my board game career, seeing that red pawn logo on a game box marking it as a previous winner. Being able to put that logo on your game came with pride, prestige and likely a healthy influx in sales. The Spiel, or German game of the year, actually gives out three prizes annually. The main prize is the Spiel, but they also award the Kinderspiel for the best kids’ game of the year and the Kennerspiel for the expert game of the year. That’s what we’d be in the running for.

Recently, we’ve been honored to receive a few awards for our sibling company KTBG. In 2023, Creature Comforts won the Origins Award for the Best Light Strategy Game. The following year, we won again with Diced Veggies, taking home the Origins

Award for Best Children’s and Family Game. We’ve won other awards over the years from a Golden Thumb to a Golden Geek, but a Spiel is a different beast altogether.

Now, let me say that we did not get into this industry to win awards. However, as in any creative professional field, it feels incredibly good to have your work recognized. It indicates you made good decisions in the mechanisms, art and production of the game. It means you created something that people loved. In an industry with tight margins and production issues, and delays to deal with, sometimes you need to hear that people are enjoying the products you put out. It’s the sort of professional validation that makes the tough days feel not so bad.

So back to May 20. We were waiting while the judges first went through the long list of recommended games in each of the three categories and then to announce the actual nominees. Agonizingly, the Kennerspiel was saved for last. We cheered as we made the long list, then the moment of truth came. Endeavor: Deep Sea was the second game to receive the full Kennerspiel nomination! What an incredible feeling. What an incredible moment for our team.

We’ll have to wait until July 13 to find out if we won, but with the Endeavor: Deep Sea – Uncharted Waters expansion about to launch on Kickstarter, we’ll have plenty to keep us busy!

Unveil excitement with the Mystery Dice Bag from Old School Dice and Accessories: a surprise seven-piece metal RPG set, exclusive collectible pin and bonus premium die. Valued at $65 to $91, yet priced at $39.99.

oldschooldice.com/mystery-dice-metal-7-piece-metal-setcollectible-pin-w-bonus-premium-dice

Citizens of the Spark from Thunderworks packs a strategic punch, featuring card drafting, engine building, variable setup (with 30 unique animal citizens!) and elegantly sleek gameplay. For ages 14 and up. MSRP $54.95

thunderworksgames.com

In Nanatoridori from KTBG, birds from all over have come for the Peacock Pageant. It’s up to you to get them sorted into flocks before they fly home. kidstablebg.com/games/nanatoridori

Dice Pool Party from Pegasus Spiele NA is an energetic roll and write where players instantly identify a scoring category to gain points. Be careful – each category can only be scored one time per game! pegasusna.com

In Pathfinder Monster Match! from Paizo, compete with your friends to court all kinds of curious creatures, from vivacious vampires and dashing dragons to… a sentient pile of ooze? MSRP $39.99

paizo.com/products/ btq0crq3/discuss?PathfinderMonster-Match-Card-Game

GAMA members are eligible to receive two complimentary badges to the Midwinter Gaming Convention January 8 to 11, 2026. We believe every game tells a story … what story will you tell?

daydreamproductionsllc@gmail.com midwintergamingconvention.com

GODS

by Matthew Dawkins, Creative Strategist, Onyx Path Publishing

Godsare multitudinous and vast. They have the power to enact their will upon the world and see their desires manifest. They are also problem-filled and flawed, the human experience magnified a thousandfold. So, too, are they flawless paragons who have shepherded humanity for thousands of years and cared for us, despite our foolish notions. They are all these things and more.

What does it mean to be a god?

We’re about to find out.

Scion: God is the final core book for the Scion Second Edition game line, and just as gods contain multitudes, so does this RPG. Purchase a copy and find:

• New pantheons – the Balahala of the Visayan people, the Ilhm of the Phoenicians, the K’uh of the Mayans, the Pālas of the Buddhists and the Zemí of the Taíno people

• New fiction and fresh powers for playing your games at an epic scale

• New rules for new abilities, myths, purviews and knacks

• Fresh overworlds, immanent realms, primordial realms and god realms for exploration

• A huge host of monstrous antagonists But to better understand what a god is, we need to consider the steps that led us to this point.

Scion: Origin introduced players to the world and the basic mechanics of Scion Second Edition. Origin gave them the tools needed to play divinely-inspired characters skirting the edges of the supernatural elements and discovering the abilities and knowledge that separated them from ordinary mortals. Previsitation scions understand a fraction of the world.

Scion: Hero expanded options, casting open the doors to the divine. At

are Multitudinous and Vast

the heroic tier, scions gain a fraction of the power of the gods, giving them the opportunity to take their adventures further. This creates new choices for players, allowing their scions to shape the world: protecting their neighborhood from Titanspawn, investigating dangers and helping prevent catastrophes.

In Scion: Demigod, Scions stride further from humanity, becoming too powerful to be mistaken for mortals any longer. While most scions of this tier continue working to better the world, the quest for power becomes its own irresistible journey. Apotheosis – the process of becoming a god – defines demigod scions as much as anything else. Demigods no longer wrestle with the question of whether or not to become a god, but rather what kind of god they wish to become, forging their own legend.

With Scion: God, Scions are near the end of their journey for resources; they now have the incredible power they’ve dreamed of and can finally fulfill the desires they had in the earlier steps of their journey, regardless of what those might have been. Gods seeking to steer the world to a better place can play a geopolitical game, using their influence over their cults and religions to nudge humanity toward a better path. They can take a more direct role, although the more overt the changes they seek, the more resistance they’ll encounter from other gods. God-tier scions can even create Incarnations, pieces of themselves to do good in the world much as they did when they were younger, but now with a clarity of purpose only available to those who can take in the entire breadth of the world with divine eyes.

Through Scion: God, all things are possible.

Fulfill the Prophecy Embrace Your Fate

by

Inthe innovative unique deck game KeyForge, every deck comes complete and ready to play right out of the wrapper. Each procedurally generated deck becomes your personal key to unlocking the secrets of the Crucible. With every new set, fresh mechanics or ideas shake things up – from new houses to the token creature mechanic introduced in KeyForge: Winds of Exchange. Yet through all that innovation, one rule has remained constant: players only act during their own turn. Never their opponent’s.

Until now.

Enter KeyForge: Prophetic Visions, the ninth official set, and the first to let players shape the game even when it’s not their turn.

This set introduces an entirely new card type: prophecy cards. Each KeyForge: Prophetic Visions deck includes two double-sided prophecy cards, giving players four unique prophecies to work with each game. These allow you to set traps and predict future events that might – or might not – come true.

At the start of a match, players set their prophecies aside. During the game, they may activate one by moving it into the play area and placing a card facedown beneath it. A player may have up to two prophecies activated at a time. Each prophecy describes a possible game event such as an opponent forging a key or shuffling their discard pile. If the described event occurs, the prophecy triggers and the facedown card is revealed. If it includes a fate effect, that effect resolves, potentially shifting momentum on a key turn.

This mechanic introduces an all-new layer of strategy. Players must think not only about their own actions, but how their opponent might trigger – or avoid – prophecies in play. The result is a more dynamic back-and-forth where every turn holds the potential for a twist.

For retailers, this set provides a great talking point and an easy in-store demo opportunity. Prophecy cards offer visual anticipation and interaction that draws in spectators and new players alike. And because KeyForge: Prophetic Visions is fully compatible with all previous sets, existing players don’t have to

start from scratch to enjoy it.

That flexibility makes it ideal for stores looking to build regular play nights or run casual leagues. Whether someone picks up a deck for the first time or adds to an existing collection, KeyForge: Prophetic Visions gives them something truly new to explore.

As always, KeyForge delivers a completely unique deck experience every time. No two are the same, no boosters required and no deckbuilding barrier to entry. It’s pick-up-andplay fun with real competitive depth and a perfect fit for hobby game shelves.

Whether your store is full of seasoned Archons or curious newcomers, KeyForge: Prophetic Visions offers something for everyone. Get ready to embrace your fate and bring a new vision to your game night.

KeyForge: Prophetic Visions is out now!

Jeremy Culver, Marketing Coordinator, Ghost Galaxy

Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design

HALL of FAME

by Mike Elliott, Chairman

TheAcademy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame was founded in 1974 by Charles S. Roberts, who is known by many as the father of modern wargaming. His game Tactics, published in 1954, was the first wargame to be mass produced and include full rules and components in a box, and Roberts leveraged his success to form the Avalon Hill Game Company.

Since 1974, many individuals and products have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Hall is a global institution and represents exceptional contributions to the field of tabletop gaming from around the world, as seen by the members of this year’s class who were inducted at the 2025 Origins Game Fair.

Ryo Mizuno

Ryo Mizuno is a Japanese writer and role-playing game designer who is best known for Record of Lodoss War. It began as a monthly serial in a Japanese magazine and was one of the first examples of "spectator gaming" where the audience watches – or in this case, reads about – characters playing a campaign, what is known in Japan as a replay. The campaigns were filmed and in some cases redone with additional dialogue, then transcribed to written form.

The book series sold more than 10 million copies and led to manga and anime series and a number of fantasy novels. Mizuno also helped design the Sword World RPG, which was Japan’s first successful home-grown RPG and helped bring many players into role-playing games.

Susan McKinley Ross

American game designer Susan McKinley Ross is best known for Qwirkle, which was first published in 2006. It won the 2011 Spiel des Jahres Award, making her the first woman to receive the prize as a solo designer, and has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. McKinley Ross leveraged her success to grow her own game company, Idea Duck, which was founded in 2002 and is still active today.

Stefan Feld

Stefan Feld is a German board game designer who is best known for Castles of Burgundy. Feld has a unique style of games that use dice in a clever way that reduces the feel of randomness. This style has earned him a substantial fan base in Europe, the U.S., and around the world. More than 60 of his titles have been published since his first game in 2005.

GAMES

Codenames

Designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition in 2015, Codenames has become a gateway game for introducing people who aren’t core hobby gamers into the fold.

Time's Up!

Designed by Peter Sarrett and published by R&R Games in 1999, Time’s Up! has become the standard for charades-style game play, with dozens of expansions and millions of copies sold. The short time window for each player ensures everyone is involved, but doesn't put a ton of pressure on any single person, making it very friendly for groups with mixed experience levels.

Ryo Mizuno

Susan McKinley Ross

Stefan Feld

GAMA Expo

March 1 - 5, 2026

The largest B2B trade event in tabletop gaming!

Members get two free badges to the show.

More than 150 hours of seminars, workshops, game nights, and networking events.

Exhibit hall featuring 300+ exhibitors.

Retailers who complete requirements receive the Retailer Appreciation Box containing more than $1,500 in gaming products delivered straight to their store.

The global trade association for the tabletop game industry

1,700+ members in 38 countries

Annual Membership Dues $300

Network with hundreds of retail, publisher, creator, manufacturer, media & events, and wholesaler members from the U.S. and around the world.

Enhance your business through professional development oppor tunities and networking events held throughout the year.

Keep up on industry news with our weekly email newsletter and quar terly print magazine.

Get a look at the new hot products with the Winter Wishlist seasonal retail buying guide.

Attend Origins Trade Day events with two free badges to Origins Game Fair in June.

Is there anything that is equally square and non-stop, a bit absurd and hugely creative, extremely entertaining, but not washable at all? Guess words using unusual associations of attributes as hints in Perfect Mismatch, a fun party game for two to eight players combining deduction, creativity and teamwork. Ideal for family game nights and gatherings, it can be played in about 20 to 30 minutes in competitive or cooperative mode, with plenty of laughs while discussing hilarious combinations and the thoughts they trigger.

Designed by Alexander Peshkov and developed by the Armenian game studio Red Cat Games, Perfect Mismatch arrives in English published by Ares Games. In competitive mode, the game is suitable for three to eight players. Each turn, a card is drawn. One player takes the lead and secretly picks one of their numbered tokens which will assign them one of the six words on the card. They will then have to describe the secret word as precisely as possible by swiping beads toward the attributes on the two sides of a tablet – romantic or problematic, fingerless or fragile, wearable or helpful, entertaining or washable, and so on. The rest must interpret the leader's clues and hurry to vote for their chosen word as the other players all can read the words on the card. The faster they are, the more points they will get. When everyone

Perfect Mismatch A Fun Word-Guessing Game

by Andrea Fanhoni, PR & Communication, Ares Games

is ready, the leader’s token is revealed and then the players’ tokens on the voting board. Each player counts their score, and the leader gains points for each player who guessed the secret word. If all players correctly guessed the word, the leader scores an additional point, but if no one guessed it, the leader instead loses one point.

In cooperative mode, two to eight players work together as a team to score as many points as possible. The number of rounds does not change and neither does the core gameplay. All players take turns becoming leaders and trying to explain their secret words to the others, but the other players’ actions are

somewhat different. They can either vote collaboratively, discussing their choice with other players, or each player can vote for the options that seem most likely to them without commenting on their choice – the points for all correct answers will then add up and become the team's total score.

With its unique gameplay for testing associative thinking, easy-to-learn rules, scalable difficulty and engaging mechanics, Perfect Mismatch appeals to both casual and seasoned players. It is the newest addition in the growing Ares Games family and party games line. Check out this and other games on aresgames.eu/games/family-games.

Let’s Sail Together!

Find out about our upcoming new games and new expansions for our best-sellers at Essen Spiel PAX Unplugged Gen Con Alliance Open House

The Great Sea Awaits!

by Valerie Osbourn, Director of Internal Resources, Magpie Games

Magpie Games, the publisher behind Avatar Legends, Urban Shadows and Masks: A New Generation, is preparing to launch its next major title: Rapscallion, a pirate-themed tabletop roleplaying game built on the popular Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) system. After more than five years of development – including extensive playtesting, writing, design and illustration – the game is slated for full release on August 20.

Funded in part by a successful Backerkit campaign that raised more than $185,000, Rapscallion invites players into the unpredictable, myth-laden world of the Great Sea. Here, crews of daring pirates navigate ever-shifting waters, confront magical phenomena and chase treasure and freedom through narrativedriven adventures. At its core, Rapscallion is a story about chaos and choice, in a world that refuses to be tamed.

In fact, the game introduces players to a realm where the sea itself is in constant flux – one voyage might reveal a cove of sirens, another a haunted storm or a chasm into the underworld. Each playthrough begins with a sparse map that grows and evolves as players explore, shaping their own version of the Great Sea over time. This setting flexibility, combined with high-concept piratic elements, sets Rapscallion apart from more grounded pirate fare.

Character creation centers around distinctive playbooks that define a player’s archetype, abilities and narrative hooks. Players might portray a captain possessed by vengeful ghosts, a sea-sorcerer bound by dark bargains or a navigator who’s literally stolen the heart of the ocean. In addition to 10 character playbooks, the game includes three ship playbooks which represent not only the crew’s vessel but also its personality, strengths and potential narrative complications.

The full product line launching this August includes a 6- by 9-inch, 250-plus page, full-color core book featuring the full ruleset, rich lore and striking illustrations. Magpie Games is also releasing a Rapscallion dice pack emblazoned with salty skulls, a dice tray with full colored illustrations and a GM screen designed to provide quick-reference tools and immersive artwork at the table. All products will be available in retail stores upon the game’s official release!

With its bold tone, evocative setting and dynamic mechanics, Rapscallion offers something new for both veteran game masters and players hungry for high-seas drama. Weigh anchor and make way! In the name of freedom, family, adventure, and most importantly – treasure!

This is Not War. This is the End.

by Peter Gosling, Head of Product and Marketing, Warlord Games

Konflikt ’47 is a game of heroes, horrors, monsters and mechs, thrusting players into command of a nightmarish struggle for supremacy as the world is torn apart and remade in blood and crackling energy. Fast-paced and action-packed, it delivers countless cinematic moments – where fluctuating Rift energies and the everpresent fog of war ensure no two games are ever the same, and victory is never guaranteed. Heroes and villains lend their unique powers to shift the tide, as mechs and monsters clash in brutal contests of flesh versus steel.

This is not war. This is the end.

Konflikt ’47 returns on September 27 with a brandnew edition, completely overhauling the model range, game mechanics and wider universe to deliver a thrilling new hobby and gameplay experience. Created by a highly experienced team, the game builds on the core mechanics of the critically acclaimed Bolt Action: Third Edition. While still utilising Bolt Action’s beloved Order Dice system, Konflikt ’47 expands it with

Set in a warped alternate World War II, the opening of the Rifts has unleashed terrifying new technologies and onceimpossible scientific advances onto the battlefield. Genetic monstrosities, heavily armoured soldiers and walking tanks now dominate combat with arcane and futuristic weaponry. But the influence of the Rifts extends far beyond hardware, as every aspect of warfare and society has been irrevocably transformed. The average infantryman of 1947 may be more lethal than his 1944 counterpart, but he fights in a world far more deadly.

On the tabletop, the action is fiercer than ever. Designed for cinematic, tense and above all fun gameplay, Konflikt ’47 builds upon Bolt Action but evolves into something far greater. Central to this evolution is the Rift dice mechanic. Much like Order dice, Rift dice determine the flow of play, but they also represent the unpredictable power of the Rifts themselves. Units that harness this volatile energy can unleash devastating effects – if the dice favor them. This core mechanic ensures no two battles are ever alike and reinforces the game’s dynamic, story-driven feel.

At Warlord Games, we’ve been incredibly excited to bring Konflikt ’47 back to life in this bold, expanded form. The original world and concepts from Clockwork Goblin laid a fantastic foundation, and the team we’ve assembled is deeply passionate about every aspect of the game – from miniatures and mechanics to worldbuilding and lore. Every element has been scrutinised, upgraded and reimagined to create a universe we know players will love. And we’re just getting started. The September launch is only the beginning of what’s to come.

Neighbors and Rivals, à la Rondel

by Anton Torres, Marketing Manager, Pegasus Spiele North America

AndreasSteding, frequently known for Hansa Teutonica, is the designer of Rival Cities, a brand new two-player strategy game that is fast moving, highly interactive and can be finished in less than an hour.

The game is set in 16th century Germany, where two cities, Altona and Hamburg, find themselves fierce rivals. They constantly strive to outshine the other by expanding commercial fleets, producing goods and engaging in strategic lawsuits.

In Rival Cities, each player controls the fate of one of these neighboring cities, working to gain an unbeatable advantage in prestige, successful lawsuits, the size of one’s fleet or one’s alliances. Each of these four categories presents an instant win condition for whoever manages to achieve it first. If neither player can pull off an instant win, the game will naturally end and a final tally of the board state will establish the winner.

Rival Cities offers intense and suspenseful gameplay where the key to success lies in mastering the art of deflection, the ability to read your rival’s intentions and identifying opportunities on the game

main board, including the prestige track, a stack of ship cards, four random alliance cards (out of a total of eight) and a deck of lawsuits to resolve. Surrounding these central elements is a track of 19 spaces that get filled with cards: the rondel that players must navigate that drives every player action in the game.

On a player’s turn, they will move the shared rondel marker – an ink jar – a minimum of one space forward on the track. The space on which the ink jar ends its movement determines what action or actions are available to that player.

As is typical for a rondel mechanism, moving one or two spaces is free, but choosing a space further along the track is increasingly costly. Should one choose an action that is immediately available or is it worth spending valuable resources to move further along the track and claim an action essential for one’s strategy? Even more exciting, the order of actions on the rondel can be randomized each game during setup and will inspire fresh new approaches every play.

The pacing of Rival Cities is snappy. Every move and resulting action is resolved quickly but also telegraphs to one’s opponent which of the four victory conditions you may be pursuing. Its mechanics are straightforward, but it is a game that demands focus and attention –both on one’s own plans and on the actions of your opponent. It’s a delightfully tense and interactive design that feels like a tug-of-war across four diverse victory conditions.

Stake your claim for either Hamburg or Altona in Rival Cities, today!

Festive Roars & Epic Rivalries

Roaring 20s is a game for 3-5 players designed by Leo Colovini where players prepare for lavish dinner parties by attracting the trendiest Dino-guests to their bash!

Each Dino has different preferences and will accept your invitation if you bribe them with their favorite snacks or bedazzle them with splendid gems. Once all guests have a party to attend, players score points for each Dino, and bonus points for multiples and numerical sets.

Roaring 20s is a brisk and competitive bidding game that will keep everyone on their toes as they attempt to throw a party that will be remembered for the ages!

In 1535, the small village of Altona was founded in Northern Germany, initially posing no threat to its long-established neighbor, Hamburg. However, a fierce rivalry emerged, with each constantly trying to outdo the other.

Rival Cities is a two-player game by Andreas Steding that focuses on the 16th century cities of Hamburg and Altona during this formative and competitive period in German history.

Players must balance a multitude of strategies to outwit their opponent. Whether you achieve one of the four instant win conditions—via prestige, lawsuits, ships, & alliances—or hold fast until the last moment, you will need foresight and clever choices to lead your city to victory in this highly-interactive strategy game.

PNA57823.USA……………………………$32.99

Atomic Mass Games Star Wars: Legion Spotlight

by Will Shick, VP Creative and Development, Atomic Mass Games

StarWars: Legion is in a new chapter, with new starter boxes and character expansion boxes releasing this year and going forward. With new hard plastic, refreshed rules and all new packaging, Atomic Mass Games is ready for the next chapter of tabletop miniature wargames.

Hear from Will Shick as he shares a look at the upcoming miniatures games.

What are you excited for with the refresh of Star Wars: Legion?

There were two big things that we really wanted to achieve with the refresh. The first was to address the balance of all currently existing units that had released over the approximately five years of Star Wars: Legion’s lifespan. We wanted to pull the ends of the spectrum closer together to ensure that, as much as possible, every unit had a place and a reason to be considered when players were building their armies.

The second was to take the strong foundation of Star Wars: Legion and build the framework for the next five years of its future. This meant making small quality of life changes like making the movement rules more intuitive and clarifying the timing of abilities. Larger items included readdressing the math on Cover, reworking the battle cards and adding new exciting

options to army building like increased squad sizes. In the end the goal of all these changes was to continue pushing to make Star Wars: Legion the best army scale wargame possible.

Why is now a good time to get into Star Wars: Legion if you’ve never tried it?

There are a couple of reasons why now is a great time to start on your Star Wars: Legion journey. The first one is that with the refresh of the game we are releasing all new single player starters. These new starters come with a full 600-point Recon level army, meaning that they are basically ready to play right out of the box. Whereas other starters for games may only give you enough to sample the rules or the play experience, we were determined that our new Star Wars: Legion starters would truly offer a way for players to dive right into the full experience of what Star Wars: Legion has to offer.

The second reason now is such a great time to start is that with the refresh, every player, both old and new, is really starting from the same point. There’s never been a more exciting time to jump into the game with so many things being new and ripe for exploration. Add to that an already established global community of players always ready to help people new to the game get off and running, and I think there’s never going to be a better time to try out miniatures gaming in a galaxy far, far away.

For more about Star Wars: Legion, visit the Atomic Mass Games and Asmodee websites. Order from your local game store. For retailers, follow up with your Asmodee rep for more information.

Glareless Sun

by Chase Eisenmenger, Sales Manager, Dragon Shield

Inthe far reaches of the northern highlands, where the wind carves through stone and light hangs thin in the sky, there are old stories of dragons who do not sleep. They come not in fire nor fury, but in silence.

It begins with a soft dimming, as though dusk has arrived too early. Shadows stretch longer across the ground. The air is still. Birds stop singing. Farmers pause mid-task, sensing a weight in the sky. Somewhere far above, three twin-headed serpent drakes begin to gather.

The dragon, clad in red, moves first wreathed in simmering heat, its scales the deep color of embers left to burn beneath ash. Its body radiates dry wind and scorched scent, and wherever it flies, the clouds part in wide, aching circles. It burns nothing, but everything wilts in its wake.

From the forest ravine climbs the dragon coated in green, layered in thick strands like coiled vines. It drags the scent of damp roots and wild overgrowth, its form trailing tangled branches that pulse with slow, unnatural life. It brings growth, but not peace. The kind of growth that smothers.

Last of the three drakes, painted in blue, drifts just above the others as if carried on mist. Its body ripples like deep water, and rain follows in thin sheets behind its wings. The clouds gather around it, heavy and slow. Its movement stirs something old in the bones of all who look up.

The three do not cry out. They do not descend. They circle – once, twice, then a third time – casting great shadows in perfect alignment. The sun grows dimmer with each pass. The sky takes on the weight of stone.

Then, with a sudden stillness, they hold.

The sun disappears. Not behind clouds. Not in eclipse. It simply fades, wiped clean from the sky. One full day of darkness.

When the light returns, no sign of the dragons remains. But across the land, crops fail to flower. Rivers run colder. And travelers whisper that the sunlight feels thinner, like something is missing just beyond the edge of brightness.

The dragons have left.

But they did not leave empty-handed.

I’mBest Practices for

Tabletop Media Committee

by Mike Dunn, Co-Chairman

a member of the Media & Events division of GAMA. More specifically, I am part of what is loosely called “gaming media,” a motley assortment of folks who love to cover this wonderful industry we are all a part of.

You may know of us as content creators, journalists, influencers, press, enthusiasts, Tik-Tokers, Youtubers, bloggers, reviewers – we write the reviews, post the how-to-plays, interview the game designers, get the word out about the Kickstarters, and so on. Most of us don’t have journalism degrees or professional training; we just love games and love to talk about them, and what we may lack in skill we make up for with

enthusiasm. While I find that aspect of what we do endearing, the fact is that the content we create can have a direct impact on how a consumer perceives the products we talk about. That is a responsibility that I have learned to take seriously after doing this for 20 years.

If I could give my younger self a message, something to guide them through a better path, I would say this: “It’s all about trust.”

Trust is the fulcrum on which everything we do in media depends: trust between us and our audience, trust between us and the designers we cover, the publishers we work with. It isn’t always attainable or sustainable, but in a world where we are assailed by advertising, divided by tribalism and faked out by bots and generative AI, I feel it is important to hold on to its value more than ever.

Preserving and reinforcing that trust is what we’re trying to do with the Best Practices in Tabletop Media Committee. Cochair Drew Wehrle and I have spent the last two years laying the groundwork for establishing some guidelines for content creators of all stripes, guidelines that will not only help them steer clear of legal concerns but also to uplift and strengthen relationships with their audience and the industry as a whole. Currently, members can find videos of relevant panels from the 2025 Expo – such as “A Question of Trust: The Role of Media in the Tabletop Space” and others – on the GAMA Resource Hub. We have also published a white paper on FTC content guidelines, and we are now aggressively recruiting new members to help further diversify the conversations around these issues.

Future projects include a central hub for media best practices resources, a community where we can collaborate and discuss best practices and a aspirational goal of a code of ethics for tabletop media to be able to point to and say, “This is how we work.” We’ve got some big ideas, and we’re going to need help to achieve them!

Ultimately, we hope that our work on this committee provides the tools that can help content creators to establish and maintain trust in an ever-changing landscape, whether they have been around for years or are just starting out. If you are interested in joining this discussion, please reach out to myself or Drew. We’d love to have you on board!

GAMA Sues President Trump Over 'Emergency’ Tariffs

GAMA has joined a lawsuit by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), suing President Donald Trump over his unlawful use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose widespread tariffs based on alleged “emergency” authority.

“GAMA strongly supports the New Civil Liberties Alliance’s lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s emergency tariff orders under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act,” said GAMA Executive Director John Stacy.

“These orders are not only disruptive to the tabletop game industry and broader creative sectors, but they also represent a serious breach of constitutional boundaries,” said Stacy.

“Over 80 percent of tabletop games are manufactured abroad. Sudden tariffs of this nature threaten tens of thousands of small businesses, diminish global competitiveness, and chill innovation in an industry that thrives on international partnerships.”

The suit was filed on July 21 in federal court by the NCLA, a nonprofit civil rights group founded to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the administrative state. Joining GAMA as plaintiffs in the suit are FIREDISC, which manufactures and sells outdoor cooking products from supplies sourced in China, and Ryan Wholesale, which manufactures trusses and timber products from materials sourced in Italy.

“Someone gave the president

very bad legal advice,” said Mark Chenoweth, president of NCLA. “No prior administration in the nearly 50year history of the IEEPA thought that it empowered the president to impose tariffs unilaterally. By doing so now, this administration has revived the specter of ‘taxation without representation’ over which the American Revolution was fought.”

The suit asks the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to issue a summary judgement setting aside the unlawful tariffs. It states that the president cannot bypass Congress and the IEEPA by invoking “emergency” authority from another statute that doesn’t mention tariffs. Trump’s tariffs not only violate the law as written but also invite application of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Major Questions Doctrine, which tells courts not to discern policies of “vast economic and political significance” in a law without explicit congressional authorization.

“This lawsuit is not just about economic fairness — it’s about restoring constitutional order,” said Stacy. “We urge policymakers, industry leaders, and the court to recognize the constitutional implications of this case and support a return to lawful trade governance.”

The NCLA case is FIREDISC, Inc.; The Game Manufacturers Association; and Ryan Wholesale, Inc. v. Donald J. Trump, et al. It is the second NCLA tariff lawsuit to name President Trump as a defendant, who has also been named as a defendant in several other suits. The first NCLA suit, Simplified v. Trump, focuses on the hardship suffered by an individual business. GAMA joined the second NCLA suit because it highlights the broad and systemic harmful impacts of the unlawful tariffs.

To advertise, contact Amy Wheeler at 315-789-6431 or amy@fwpi.com

Deadline Mailing Date Q4 September 26 October 31

Volunteer Opportunities

One of the best ways to be engaged with the association and our industry is to volunteer for a committee or workgroup. GAMA is currently looking for members to serve on the following committees:

• Academy, Origins Awards and Hall of Fame Review and Restructure Committee – Charged with exploring ways to increase the relevancy and representation of the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design including the Origins Awards nominations, review and award ceremony and the Hall of Fame.

• Advocacy Committee – Helps direct association government relations, advocacy and lobbying efforts to support the hobby games industry. Potential issues the committee is tasked with include tariffs, customs/exportation, product labeling laws, intellectual property rights, counterfeit product sales, etc.

• Market Expansion Committee – Researches the most effective and efficient marketing and outreach methods to (A) promote the play of tabletop games and (B) increase the number of people who regularly play games.

• Diversity Committee – Investigates how best to reach out to underrepresented communities within the game industry and to create pathways of success within the organization.

• Education Advisory Committee – Work with GAMA staff to identify educational topics and opportunities to create a robust

and designers in effectively operating in the

by Andrew Lowen, CEO, Next Level Web

Effective marketing is of the highest importance for board game publishers navigating the dynamic crowdfunding landscape of 2025. While trends and tariffs may shift, the core principles of connecting with your audience and building a dedicated community remain evergreen. Successful board game marketing isn't just about launching a game; it's about a strategic, iterative process to build a dedicated community that grows your company long-term.

Your product’s purpose

Your game isn't just a game to every buyer. To some, it is an ideal gift for a loved one. To others, it might give them the warm and fuzzies as it sits on a shelf unplayed. Those whom it delights might even place a piece of their identity into your product for a season, where regular game nights and discussion about your game becomes a core part of their lifestyle.

Understanding how your consumers treat and use your product will help you understand more about what delights them, and how to better serve them in the future. This lesson is central to the delighting of your fans over time.

Iteration: Marketing is development

The development process should always be integrated into your marketing push. Engage your community throughout the design process with playtesting, dialogue and polls. If this is a long process, involve them in refining

Crowdfunding Marketing Fundamentals You Should Learn Now

mechanics, artwork and even pricing. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of ownership among your audience. When a true fan feels heard by a publisher, they transform from mere customers into partners invested in bringing your game to life. It is a mistake to only start to market your game once you think it is “ready.”

You must master the big three

Three critical elements must be optimized for a successful board game crowdfunding campaign:

Meta ads: Facebook and Instagram advertising still provide the best bang for buck. Your ads need to clearly answer "What is this?" while building intrigue. Focus on showcasing your game's theme and professional art, as these are powerful hooks. Aim for benchmarks like a $0.20 cost-per-click and a 2 percent unique click-through rate.

Email communication: From automated welcome emails to pre-launch campaigns and live updates, email is vital for nurturing your audience. Segment your list to tailor messages to engaged and less-engaged subscribers. You must master six-word subject lines if your emails are to be opened.

Page optimization: The "onescroll test" is crucial – your sales page must grab attention and convey key information within the first scroll on a mobile device. Your page shows all the key data that proves to your true fan that you are prepared to deliver on your promises. This means understanding your

manufacturing and shipping costs. Backer price thresholds also matter; while small purchases are impulsive, higher price points lead to more extensive research and budgeting from backers.

The Crowdfunding Nerds Academy is our deep dive into these three key areas. To learn more, visit crowdfundingnerds. com/academy.

By mastering these principles –understanding your product’s purpose, building a robust pre-launch community, crafting effective ads and emails and optimizing your crowdfunding page – you can set yourself up for significant success, not just in 2025, but for years to come!

We are Crowdfunding Nerds, and specialize in pre-launch, e-commerce, digital ads of all kinds and email marketing. Listen to every lesson we have taught for free on our podcast at crowdfundingnerds.com/podcast

Fighting Fantasy Makes a Triumphant Return to the U.S.

Theby Michelle Richardson, Marketing Manager and Events Coordinator, Steve Jackson Games

groundbreaking solo-adventure gamebook series

Fighting Fantasy was initially created in 1982 by British game designers and Game Workshop co-founders Sir Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. Over the past 43 years, 20 million copies have been sold in 26 countries worldwide. American game designer Steve Jackson, founder of Steve Jackson Games, is now collaborating with the original authors to bring 50 books from the series to publication in the U.S. for the first time since 2005. The partnership comes at the perfect time, with solo RPG gamebooks ever increasing in popularity.

“To have a new publisher in the USA is a special moment in the history of Fighting Fantasy,” shared Livingstone. “We have known Steve Jackson (US) for more than 40 years, having distributed Steve Jackson Games in the 1980s when we owned Games Workshop. Steve also wrote three fantastic Fighting Fantasy books (Scorpion Swamp, Demons of the Deep and Robot Commando), which caused a lot of confusion at the time when people didn’t realize there were two Steve Jacksons! We look forward to exciting times ahead in the USA for new and existing Fighting Fantasy fans.”

Fighting Fantasy was a near-instant hit in the gaming community – the books revolutionized the genre. In each of the stand-alone novels, which are both a story and a game, the solo reader becomes an epic hero who must make choices to advance the branching narratives.

Before beginning, the reader will enjoy creating their character with statistics, including luck, stamina and skill. Each decision

and dice roll (used to resolve combat and make skill checks) is crucial and leads to a different outcome. The riveting storylines of the first five books encompass experiences such as braving a terrifying mountain in an attempt to defeat Zagor the warlock, entering a magical fortress full of mazes and completing a dangerous, high-stakes heist.

Long-time Fighting Fantasy players will be thrilled to find that the interior illustrations, in a hand-drawn black-and-white style, are from the original books. Each book has more than 240 pages and is designed to be easily portable for gaming on the go. Perhaps the best feature is the replayability – as long as players don’t peek at other pages! – allowing for future playthroughs in which new and different paths can be taken.

The first five iconic titles in the series – The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Deathtrap Dungeon, City of Thieves, The Citadel of Chaos and The Forest of Doom – were crowdfunded in early 2025. The current plan is to continue Kickstarting the remaining 45 books in sets of five. After each Kickstarter has been fulfilled, the books will be made available on warehouse23.com, Steve Jackson Games’ online store and in select bookstores and game stores. Fans of the series, as well as those hoping to play for the first time, can look forward to Books 6 to 10 being available on Kickstarter in late 2025.

Michelle Richardson first discovered Munchkin nearly 20 years ago. Since then, she has played anything she can get her hands on.

The award-winning, pastoral fantasy role-playing game is available now!

ENNIE Awards for Best Family-Friendly Game, Best Cover Art, and Best Interior Art

Nebula Award for Best Game Writing (Finalist)

Polygon’s Best Indie Tabletop Games

GaymingAward for Best Queer Tabletop RPG (Finalist)

TabletopGamingUK’s Best Indie Game (Finalist)