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BoardGameWire
@boardgamewire.bsky.social
4.6K followers 1K following 1.1K posts
The world’s leading source of industry news and analysis for board game professionals. Got a story? An anonymous tip? DM or email Mike Didymus-True on [email protected]
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Ravensburger pushes for Upper Deck to pay $3.8m legal fees it racked up defeating ‘groundless but unrelenting’ Disney Lorcana lawsuit:

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Mickey mouse wears a red and brown pointy hat and carries a very large pair of scissors. To his left is Elsa looking at the viewer and conjuring a snowflake, while to the right Maleficent looks at Mickey askance. Below them all are the words Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game, with Ravensburger's logo in the bottom right (the company name in white on a blue background).
November 10, 2025 at 3:40 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Veteran German board game publisher Amigo Spiele has restructured its top leadership for the second time since the start of last year, after long-serving executive Joachim Ulbrich revealed he will retire at the end of 2025:

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Upper body photo of three people smiling at the camera, with trees and grass visible behind them. A woman in a white shirt folds her arms in the centre, flanked by two men wearing light coloured shirts and dark suits. The man on the left has short wave grey hair, a short grey bear and glasses, while the man on the right is taller, has a bald head and longer grey beard. The woman has brown hair which falls down to below her shoulders. Amigo Spiele's new managing director team of Alexander Jost, Alexandra von Reeken and Cristiano Scibetta. An older man with short white hair and a white moustache and soul patch smiles at the camera in this headshot image. He wears a pale blue shirt open at the neck, and there is a brighter light blue background behind. Amigo Spiele managing director Joachim Ulbrich.
November 10, 2025 at 2:32 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
High price complaints and a sluggish start have led Steamforged Games to slash the Terra Mystica special edition all-in price by over $100 within hours of its Gamefound launch. BoardGameWire spoke to company CEO Rich Loxam about current challenges in crowdfunding:

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A board game box which says Terra Mystica Special Edition in gold, on top of a scene of mountains, water and greenery. To the right are green and yellow wooden components in the shape of buildings and people. Head and shoulders photo of a man with short brown hair and a beard looks at the camera. He is wearing a black t shirt with an orange lanyard. Rich Loxam, CEO of Steamforged Games.
November 5, 2025 at 5:01 PM
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Botanicus scores Italian game of the year award win a month after scooping a Nederlandse Spellenprijs, Castle Combo creator Grégory Grard named 2025 designer of the year:

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Red, yellow, blue and green-coloured wooden components such as people, frogs and squirrels on top of a board representing the site of a botanical garden. Cards and other cardboard chits and components are also visible. The board game Botanicus. A bearded man with short, spiky brown hair looks directly into the camera. He wears a black hoodie with a meeple logo on one breast, and a white t-shirt underneath. Blurred foliage and pink flowers are visible behind. Board game designer Gregory Grard.
November 5, 2025 at 12:18 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Altered, the trading card game which broke Kickstarter records with its €6.2m debut crowdfund two years ago, is running almost €2m short of the amount needed for its latest expansion - despite having raised more than 10x its crowdfunding goal from backers:

boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
A robed figure in white and blue faces away from the viewer as they enter a brightly coloured city. A wizard like character to the left and person with two extra mechanical arms to the right welcome them. Visible too are the words Altered in silver at the top, and SEEDS OF UNITY in gold at the bottom.
November 4, 2025 at 2:02 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Asmodee has unveiled its second surprise partnership for flagship title Catan in as many weeks, this time teaming up with a major professional sports franchise for the first time in the form of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves:

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@hovdestad.ca @catan.com
A white logo of a howling wolf on a blue background, a green letter x and the word CATAN in white. A person wearing a wolf mascot costume sits at a table in the middle of a basketball court. Multiple copies of the board game Catan are stacked on either side of the table, and a copy of the game is set up before the wolf. A toy sheep sits on a chair to the left, and a stack of logs has been placed on a chair to the right. The words 'WOOD FOR SHEEP' have been crossed out at the top of this image, replaced by 'TIMBER FOR WOLVES'. Below is a timber card from the board game Catan, and a card styled on that but instead featuring a howling wolf.
November 4, 2025 at 11:53 AM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
The world’s biggest board game fair, Spiel Essen, secured a record-breaking 220,000 attendance this year after expanding into a seventh massive hall – while the decision to scrap 4-day passes secured a hefty boost to visitor numbers on its often quieter final day:

boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
A woman in red clothes with horns on a large yellow poster at the main door of the Spiel Essen 2025 board game fair Crowds of people flock around stalls in this aerial view of Hall 6 of the 2025 Spiel Essen board game fair A person dressed in a yellow, purple and white cat mascot costume with cheering people behind. Meeps, the mascot for the Spiel Essen board game fair. Two adults and two children play a game of the Heat: Pedal to the Metal board game on a specially designed racing car table at the 2025 Spiel Essen board game fair.
November 3, 2025 at 4:24 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Happy Halloween! My 9-year-old took immense delight painting me up ahead of trick or treating. “Should I do right up into your bald bits?” 😂

Looking forward to getting back to BoardGameWire-ing on Monday after a week of Spiel followed by a week of school holidays childcare. Until then: stay spooky!
A man with his face painted like a skeleton. He wears a black t shirt featuring cartoon cats performing a demonic summoning ritual.
October 31, 2025 at 4:26 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
SETI continues powerful awards run by beating Endeavor: Deep Sea, Bomb Busters to 2025 Deutscher Spiele Preis:

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Congrats to @czechgames.com @heidelbaer.de @frostedgames.bsky.social @pegasusspiele.bsky.social @burntislandgames.bsky.social and all the nominees!
A smiling man wearing a black t shirt featuring SETI in white letters and an orange radio telescope. He holds a copy of the SETi board game in his left hand and a golden award in his right, shaped like octopus tentacles holding a box. Behind him is a large banner which says SETI and CGE. Tomas Holek, designer of Deutscher Spiele Preis-winning board game SETI. Four men smile as they show off identical awards in different colours: golden, silver, bronze and rainbow. The awards are all shaped like octopus tentacles holding up a cube. This year's winners of the Deutscher Spiele Preis German board game awards.
October 29, 2025 at 11:38 AM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Getting closer to Spiel Essen!
A white aeroplane being boarded at an airport An electronic sign on a train which reads RE6 Essen Hbf
October 22, 2025 at 9:17 AM
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Board game giant Asmodee has continued its push into crowdfunding by picking up Cthulhu: Death May Die from financially-troubled CMON – a series which has raised almost $10m from backers to date

This + all the latest industry news in today's BoardGameWire newsletter!

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The words Cthulhu Death May Die on a sinister background which features claws, tentacles and the suggestion of a demonic face. Below this the words 'Now part of Asmodee, Inspired by Players' are visible in white. A faint background shows a Lovecraftian monster with red eyes.
October 20, 2025 at 12:19 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
“Production will stop, shipments will be frozen, and some companies may not make it”: board game industry braces for further pain after Trump threatens 130% tariffs on China:

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A large container ship in the sea with many brown, yellow, white and other coloured shipping containers on board. A smaller ship with about a dozen containers is visible to the right.
October 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Spiel Essen eyes record 220,000 attendance as world’s biggest board game fair expands into seventh huge hall:

boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...

@spielessen.bsky.social @carolrapp.bsky.social
Aerial shot of crowds at the 2024 Spiel Essen board game fair. A large blue banner hanging from the ceiling saying KOSMOS in white is visible to the left, a red and yellow banner with CATAN in yellow is centre to the right. Many other exhibition booths fill the image. A woman smiles at the camera, She is wearing a black hoodie, with a medium-blue jacket over the top, and is wearing dark blue jeans. She has short red hair, which is swept to the right and covers her ear on that side. Carol Rapp, managing director of the Spiel Essen board game fair.
October 16, 2025 at 1:17 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Bohnanza, 6 Nimmt publisher Amigo Spiele shutters US operation after eight years, saying tariff uncertainty was the ‘final impetus’:

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@amigogames.bsky.social

Wishing all the best to @alexyeager.bsky.social and Corey Delmonto for whatever comes next for them.
The letters AMIGO in red, surrounded by a jagged black line like an explosion. The logo for German board game publisher Amigo Spiele. A yellow board game box with a cartoon image of a green runner bean aggressively hoeing a patch of earth. Two other beans, one orange, one blue, are visible in the background. The blue one is dressed like a cowboy. Box for board game Bohnanza, the title of which is written in red along the top.
October 15, 2025 at 3:42 PM
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Asmodee makes US mass market push with launch of new party games-focused studio Moodbox Games:

boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...

@moodboxgames.bsky.social
Purple looping writing which reads MOODBOX GAMES, with the O having three yellow lines issuing from its top, perhaps symbolising hair, or the O as the head of a shocked person. Logo for Asmodee's new US mass market focused party games studui Moodbox Games. the word asmodee, with with a thick black shadow. In the shadow underneath is the text 'Inspired by Players', also in white. The logo for board game publisher and distributor Asmodee.
October 15, 2025 at 9:49 AM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Cryptozoic Entertainment co-founder John Nee has stepped down as CEO of the board game, TCG and comics publisher, with veteran team member Shahriar Fouladi taking on leadership of the business:

boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...

@cryptozoic.bsky.social
Head and shoulders photo of a man wearing a dark blue shirt with light blue jellyfish on. He has shortish grey hair swept to one side in a messy style, and thin black-rimmed almost circular-lensed glasses. John Nee, the co-founder and outgoing CEO of Cryptozoic Entertainment. Head and shoulders photo of a man looking up and to the right. He has short, black curly hair and wears black-rimmed glasses and a grey top. A red lanyard bearing the word Cryptozoic in white is visible around his neck. Shahriar Fouladi, the new CEO of Cryptozoic Entertainment.
October 15, 2025 at 8:51 AM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Spiel Essen 2025: This year’s best panels for board game professionals

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@spielessen.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 2:47 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
“I should have brought a trailer”: 999 Games scoops double win as Bomb Busters, Botanicus pick up Dutch game of the year awards:

boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
A bald man in a dark grey suit and white shirt holds a copy of board game Bomb Busters and a small glass rectangle, the Nederlandse Spellenprijs for best family game. To his left a woman with short blond hair and a bright technicolour dress holds a microphone and certificate, and to the right a smiling woman with long blond hear helps hold up the board game box. Above them is the logo for the prize, half a red windmill, and half a blue pawn, with the prize's name printed vertically in black in between.
October 14, 2025 at 1:47 PM
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Upper Deck brings new claim against Ravensburger in Disney Lorcana lawsuit after losing all its existing claims against publisher, trial of designer Ryan Miller to start next month:

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Donald Duck dressed as a chef wields a whisk and pie, while Moana character Maoi is visible to the left of the image and Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck It Ralph to the right. Below them are the words Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game on a purple swirly background.
October 10, 2025 at 3:27 PM
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Financially-troubled board game publisher CMON has sold its global headquarters after suffering a $12m H1 revenue slump - and is charging some pre-order customers extra to cover tariffs it says it "cannot absorb given our current financial position”:

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The letters C, M, O and N in a yellow square on a purple background. Logo for board game publisher CMON.
October 8, 2025 at 3:56 PM
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“The board game sector is fragile, especially at the moment”: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice publisher Triton Noir closes down after failure of last crowdfunding campaign:

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Five plastic miniatures - four humans and a statue of a plinth, with a winged lion standing on an open book. The four humans are clothed in assassin's robes and hoods and armed with swords and other weapons, in the style of the Assassin's Creed II video game. Miniatures from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice by Triton Noir. Headshot of a man with short shaved hair and short stubble smiles at the camera. He can just about be seen to be wearing a brownish-purple jumper and black t shirt underneath. Behind him is a tree and some foliage. Thibaud de la Touanne, founder of board game publisher Triton Noir. Plastic miniatures and cardboard boards and components, including coloured plastic dice, from the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice board game.
October 7, 2025 at 8:19 AM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
BREAKING NEWS: Hobby games trade organisation GAMA is losing executive director John Stacy after seven "transformative" years - just three weeks after it unveiled ambitious plans to become the "epicenter” of the global tabletop gaming industry:

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A man with short white hair and a short white beard smiles at the camera. He wears thin rimmed black glasses, and is wearing a light blue shirt and a red bow tie with tiny white and black dots. GAMA executive director John Stacy. GAMA in black, with smaller words to the right which read THE TABLETOP GAME ASSOCIATION. To the left is a red cube surrounded by orange, green and blue segments. The logo of board game trade organisation GAMA.
October 6, 2025 at 10:15 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
“We know how important brick-and-mortar retail is”: Asmodee Germany expands retail, hobby store-focused sales teams with new hires:

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@asmodeede.bsky.social
the word asmodee, with with a thick black shadow. In the shadow underneath is the text 'Inspired by Players', also in white. The logo for board game publisher and distributor Asmodee. A man with short brown hair and a short brown beard looks at the camera, smiling slightly. He is wearing a dark blue shirt, open at the collar. Benjamin Pilz, sales at Asmodee Germany. A man with short brown hair and very short chin beard and stubble looks at the camera. He wears thin framed glasses. He is wearing a deep blue jumper and with shirt underneath. Jakob Stachelhaus from Asmodee Germany.
October 6, 2025 at 3:54 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
GAMA unveils 10-year plan to become “epicenter” of global tabletop gaming industry, renames itself after almost 50 years.

Read this and all the rest of the week's board game industry happenings, design notes and jobs in the latest BoardGameWire newsletter!

buttondown.com/boardgamewir...
GAMA in black, with smaller words to the right which read THE TABLETOP GAME ASSOCIATION. To the left is a red cube surrounded by orange, green and blue segments. The logo of board game trade organisation GAMA.
October 2, 2025 at 2:41 PM
boardgamewire.bsky.social
Kickstarter workers set to strike tomorrow over minimum salary proposals, four-day work week protection:

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@kickstarterunited.org
A black and white circular image, which shows the writing KICKSTARTER UNITED and two hands shaking, above the letters OPIEU 153. The Logo for Kickstarter employees union Kickstarter United.
October 1, 2025 at 2:30 PM