❌

Normale Ansicht

GAMA faces fresh leadership shake-up as interim executive director, board vice president announce departures

29. Oktober 2026 um 21:49

Editor’s note: GAMA is one of the sponsors of the BoardGameWire newsletter and an advertiser on the site.

Hobby games trade organisation GAMA is facing another shake-up of its senior leadership, with interim executive director Melinda Prickett and board vice president Ross Thompson both announcing they are leaving their roles.

Prickett’s departure is a significant blow for GAMA, having emerged as a key figure in stabilising the organisation and its finances following the resignation of long-serving executive director John Stacy last year.

She joined GAMA as its first chief operating officer in September 2025, before stepping up to become interim executive director just eight months later – and was understood by BoardGameWire to be under strong consideration for the permanent position.

GAMA said its board of directors scheduled a “rapid response meeting” after being informed of Prickett’s departure on October 26, in an effort to determine its next steps – and would be taking immediate steps to appoint temporary leadership to oversee day-to-day operations.

Prickett is set to leave the organisation in less than two weeks, on November 6 – the day before GAMA’s much publicised Game Store Day, and amid the organisation’s preparations for moving its flagship GAMA Expo trade show to Baltimore for the first time.

Her departure leaves GAMA still hunting for a permanent executive director more than a year after its previous leader, John Stacy, announced his resignation.

A statement provided to BoardGameWire from GAMA board president Meredith Placko and secretary Tiffany Reid said, “Recruiting top talent for an executive position is a laborious process, and finding the right fit for our organization has taken longer than anticipated.

“As well, we have been forthright during public board meetings that the biggest reason for the delay was that we needed to get the foundations of the organization in better order, as we had been advised. To that end, Melinda Prickett did amazing work in bringing our financials from a planned deficit for the year, to a resounding success and raised more money than we anticipated for the organization.

“She also worked on creating stability amongst for the organization, the staff, and membership. Her work helped GAMA grow and succeed in the year she was with us.

“That being said, GAMA’s Board of Director’s had interviewed a strong candidate and we were in negotiations with them, but ultimately it did not work out. Because of that we will need to begin the search again.”

The pair said they could not comment on why Prickett’s notice period was so short, or whether she had been a formal candidate for the permanent executive director role.

They added that GAMA was currently working through a short list of people to bring in a new interim executive director “very soon”, adding that the goal was to “make sure GAMA Expo and Origins are a success, and the overall day to day running of the organization is met”.

The statement said, “To that end, the Board of Directors is currently seeking RFPs from firms that specialize in hiring executives in the trade association and member organization sectors. We feel it will be valuable to have the expertise of a company that knows how to recruit top talent in our search for an Executive Director.”

Placko and Reid said there was currently no estimate on when a permanent executive director would be appointed, but said an interim “to handle the most immediate needs of the organization should be decided upon very soon”.

Prickett’s exit comes after GAMA reported a significant improvement in its financial position during her tenure, with the organisation saying it had moved from a deficit budget at the beginning of 2026 to an expected surplus by the end of the year.

In a statement emailed to GAMA members, the board credited Prickett and treasurer Jamie Mathy with stabilising the organisation’s finances, as well as increasing member participation in events outside GAMA Expo and Origins Game Fair and developing new partnerships.

The statement said, “Though it is a bittersweet announcement to make, we are grateful for Melinda’s tireless work with our organization. She has been an incalculable force in leading GAMA during a transition period, setting us up for success in a way that is visibly reverberating through the organization.”

Prickett previously spent more than a decade at Girl Scouts of Ohio Heartland, including almost five years as chief operating officer, before being hired by GAMA last September to oversee its growing day-to-day operations.

Her appointment came just weeks before Stacy announced he was leaving the organisation after seven years as executive director, having just unveiled an ambitious 10-year plan aimed at expanding its international reach, membership and industry advocacy work.

GAMA appointed veteran leadership consultant Zaria Davis as interim executive director last November, initially saying it expected to find a permanent replacement for Stacy by spring 2026.

But Davis’s contract ended in March, with Prickett subsequently confirming to BoardGameWire that she had taken over as interim executive director on May 21.

The latest leadership departure follows a period of significant change for the organisation’s board.

Former president Nicole Brady lost her re-election bid in April to publisher representative Meredith Placko, who had previously served as GAMA vice president.

Ross Thompson, who was elected as vice president following Placko’s elevation to president, has now also resigned from the board after just over six months in the position.

Thompson only joined GAMA’s board in October last year, winning a special election to replace former secretary Monica Rasso, who had stepped down after five years as a director.

His resignation means the organisation will now hold its second special election for the same Media & Events board seat in little more than a year.

The latest departures also follow a turbulent period for GAMA’s board, which publicly apologised in March after some directors were accused of being rude and disrespectful towards members during a heated annual general meeting over proposed changes to the organisation’s bylaws.

GAMA did not give a reason for Thompson’s departure, but praised his work alongside Prickett in streamlining organisational processes and strengthening representation for its Media & Events members.

Thompson wrote on Facebook, “After being part of GAMA for many years, I was happy to lend my time, energy and experience to GAMA serving on the Board during the past year and a half. It was wonderful to be able to work with passionate people, identfying projects that needed support or upkeep, along with bringing new ideas to life.

“By far, GAMA is one of the best organizations to grow your business in the tabletop game industry. The connections made at events like GAMA Expo can revolutionize the way your work and that is truly special.

“There are things that need attention within GAMA, at the Board level and the Organization as a whole. I hope the membership, staff and current Board are able to continue to support GAMA’s mission and identify the obstacles it faces so the tabletop industry can continue to connect.

“I’ll still be around and am not going anywhere, but needed to end my time on the Board.”

The organisation said it would hold a special election to replace Thompson as Media & Events director, with nominations opening today and closing on November 8. Voting will take place between November 10 and 16, with the successful candidate serving until the next annual election in March 2027.

The changes come at a key time for the organisation’s professional trade show GAMA Expo, which has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is preparing to move from Louisville, Kentucky, to Baltimore, Maryland to accommodate rising demand.

This year’s event attracted a record 3,820 attendees, almost 12% above the previous year’s 3,425, continuing a run of growth that had put pressure on the show’s available exhibition and seminar space.

The first Baltimore edition is scheduled for April 25 to 29 next year. A statement provided to BoardGameWire from GAMA board president Meredith Placko and secretary Tiffany Reid said, “We are currently working to ensure there is no visible impact on the preparations for GAMA Expo.

“GAMA staff has been diligent in doing an excellent job to bring us to our new home in Baltimore. They continue with the work that needs to be done, including finalizing programming, working with vendors on booth placement, and everything that needs to happen to make GAMA Expo a success!

“Melinda has led an amazing team, and even in her absence, they will continue with the work that needs to be done.”

GAMA’s other major convention, Origins Game Fair, is set to return to Columbus in June. That show has struggled to recover its pre-pandemic attendance, with visitor numbers falling 2.5% this year to 18,700 – the show’s first annual decline since Covid-19, and still below its 2019 record of 20,642.

The event could face further pressure next year from the launch of PAX Unplugged Houston, a new tabletop gaming convention scheduled to take place just 12 days after Origins, which could potentially force publishers and exhibitors to choose between the two shows.

The post GAMA faces fresh leadership shake-up as interim executive director, board vice president announce departures first appeared on .

Game Store Day gets more time, more publishers – and bigger ambitions – for year two

01. Oktober 2026 um 16:09

Editor’s note: GAMA is a BoardGameWire sponsor, and has advertised Game Store Day on the site – but this article is not a paid placement, I just think it’s interesting enough to cover editorially!

Game Store Day, GAMA‘s annual initiative aimed at getting more people into local game stores to play, shop and take part in events, is growing for its second year after retailers and publishers were given substantially more time to prepare than for its debut.

Almost 300 retailers are currently signed up for this year’s Game Store Day on November 7, while nearly 60 tabletop publishers have committed games to a new promotional box, as GAMA looks to establish the event as a long-term fixture on the tabletop industry calendar.

GAMA board member and Red Raccoon Games owner Jamie Mathy told BoardGameWire that rising retailer participation was the clearest measure of success for Game Store Day at this stage, with this year’s 297 sign-ups already ahead of last year’s total with over a month to go.

But he believes there is scope for the event to grow significantly bigger in future years – and said GAMA had already learned lessons from 2025’s relatively short-notice launch.

He said, “Last year, Game Store Day was something [GAMA’s] Team Retail had been advocating for, and then suddenly it was announced and launched with less than eight weeks to prepare. That wasn’t enough time for a lot of retailers to really build it into their calendars or plan meaningful events around it.

Game Store Day 2025 at Games Unlimited in Pittsburgh

“This year stores have had roughly four months to prepare, and we’ve had substantially more time to bring publishers into the program. The Publisher’s Box and other publisher initiatives give retailers additional reasons and tools to build something around the day.

“I think we’ll learn from this year as well. Ideally, I’d like stores and publishers to have even more lead time in future years.”

He added, “There are estimates of roughly 5,000 hobby game stores across North America. If we could eventually get 500 stores participating, that’s approximately 10% penetration and I would consider that a tremendous accomplishment. Getting to 1,000 stores – roughly 20% – would be amazing, even if that’s an ambitious long-term goal.

“More importantly, numbers like that would demonstrate to publishers and retailers that Game Store Day isn’t a one-time novelty. It’s something that has become part of the industry’s calendar.

“There’s a comparison to Free RPG Day here. It started relatively small, retailers can purchase a box of promotional products if they want those materials for their customers, and over time it has become something stores and consumers recognize.

“But ultimately, the part that excites me isn’t the box or even a particular participation number. It’s seeing hundreds of independent stores across the country celebrating our industry on the same day and giving people a reason to come together and play games.”

The short notice for last year’s launch left no time to run a Publisher’s Box – but 59 publishers including Leder Games, CGE, Blue Orange, Capstone Games and Bezier Games have agreed to contribute this year, with another four waiting to take part and others having approached GAMA after submissions had closed.

Publishers contributing to this year’s Publisher’s Box for Game Store Day

The $179 box will contain games, demos, promotional items and other material for participating stores – and Mathy said physical weight and shipping limits had now become the main constraint on adding more publishers.

“Probably, and that’s a wonderful problem to have,” Mathy said when asked whether GAMA would eventually need to rethink how publishers participate if interest continues to grow.

“This is only year two and the first year we’ve even offered a Publisher’s Box. Let’s learn from what works and what doesn’t this year.

“But if publisher interest continues growing, we’ll obviously need to think creatively about how publishers participate rather than assuming everything always has to fit into one physical box.”

Publishers are also beginning to build their own initiatives around the event aside from the promotional box.

Allplay is making 4,900 copies of new game Woo available exclusively to retailers participating in Game Store Day, with COO Joe Wiggins saying, “Allplay has been looking for new ways to work closer with our brick and mortar partners. When GAMA announced Game Store Day, we knew this would be an amazing opportunity. Allplay is all in.”

Mathy told BoardGameWire he believed part of the publisher interest was the difficulty some have in reaching hobby game retailers.

He said, “Game stores are incredibly diverse. We have different ownership styles, different product mixes, different customer bases and very different areas of specialization.

“Red Raccoon, for example, goes much deeper into board games and RPGs than many stores do, and that’s part of what has made us a regional destination. Another successful game store may have a completely different mix.

“That fragmentation makes it difficult for publishers to know where to spend their marketing dollars if they’re trying to get a product in front of retailers.

“Game Store Day gives them a self-selecting group of engaged retailers. A store willing to spend $179 on a box without knowing exactly what will be in it, because they believe in the idea and intend to build an event around it, is probably a pretty attractive audience for a publisher trying to get its products noticed.”

The increased publisher involvement brings Game Store Day closer to events such as Record Store Day – which GAMA has cited as an inspiration – where exclusive products, offers and other incentives have become part of the draw for customers.

But Mathy said, “I don’t personally think Game Store Day needs to become Record Store Day for games. The Publisher’s Box is a great addition, but to me it’s a bonus rather than the purpose of the event.

“I participated last year with essentially an idea, a logo and a store-locator website, and we had 35 people come specifically for our Game Store Day events.

“At its core, I think this should be a day when we celebrate local game stores, bring people together and play games. Publisher exclusives and promotional items can absolutely help stores make the day special, but they aren’t the reason Game Store Day exists.”

That vision has been taken up by participating stores including Oddwillow’s Game Haven in Wisconsin, which is partnering with its local library for activities including button-making, storytimes, miniature painting and game demos.

Gamers taking part in Game Store Day 2025 at Oddwillow’s Game Haven in Wisconsin

Pennsylvania’s Lookin’ For Games, meanwhile, is combining its first Game Store Day with game demos and a special Blood on the Clocktower event with a 24-hour gaming fundraiser for Extra Life benefiting Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Neil Goldberg, the owner of the New York-based Main St Board Game Cafe, said the event was a chance to focus customers on the experience offered by their local game store while also encouraging people to think of board games as gifts ahead of the holiday season.

Mathy said, “GAMA provides the umbrella, publishers can provide additional support, but individual stores make Game Store Day their own and use it to celebrate the communities they’ve built around games.”

The post Game Store Day gets more time, more publishers – and bigger ambitions – for year two first appeared on .

„Board Game Barometer“: Interessante Daten, fragwürdige Schlussfolgerungen

29. September 2026 um 22:13
Das „Board Game Barometer“ ist eine neue Brettspiel-Studie. Sie bietet interessante Daten, methodische Schwächen und zweifelhafte Schlussfolgerungen. Wir beantworten die wichtigsten Fragen dazu. Hintergrund: Im Juni 2026 präsentierten Asmodee und Kantar erstmals das „Tabletop Game Barometer“. Die neue jährliche Studie soll zeigen, wie Menschen in Europa und den USA Spiele nutzen und erleben. Dieser Artikel ist eine Ergänzung eines etwa einstündigen Podcasts mit Dominik Zöllner. Das komplette Gespräch könnt ihr im Podcast Brettspielgalaxie nachhören. Wir haben Asmodee am 22. August 2026 schriftlich Fragen zum „Board Game Barometer“ gestellt. Bisher wurden diese nicht beantwortet. Welche Studien und Analysen über Brettspiele gibt

Quelle

Three-year-old DSV Games continues rapid rise with trio of Dutch game of the year award nominations

06. September 2026 um 17:10

Three-year-old Dutch board game publisher DSV Games has continued its rapid rise by securing three nominations in this year’s Dutch game of the year awards, a year after picking up its first win in the contest.

DSV has landed a nomination in each of the three Nederlandse Spellenprijs categories with Reiner Knizia design Rebirth, Tomáš Holek’s Pondscape and Ants from Renato Ciervo and Andrea Robbiani – equalling veteran Dutch publisher White Goblin Games and industry giant Asmodee as the most-nominated company this year.

The entirety of this year’s nominations are split between those three publishers, with White Goblin selected for Grégory Grard and Mathieu Roussel’s design Castle Combo in the Family category, and Keith Piggott-created River of Gold and Hisashi Hayashi’s Yokohama among the Expert games.

The remaining nominations are from Asmodee studios: Alexi Piovesan and Julien Prothière’s Take Time from Libellud in Family, and Space Cowboys’ Dewan (Johannes Goupy, Yoann Levet) and Office Dog’s two The Lord of the Rings: Trick-Taking Game releases (Bryan Bornmueller), which were judged as a single title, completing the Connoisseurs’ game shortlist.

The result sees DSV and Asmodee join White Goblin and fellow Dutch board game publishing veteran 999 Games as the only publishers to score at least three nominations in a single year since the Nederlandse Spellenprijs moved to its current three-category format in 2020.

This year’s shortlist is a stark change compared with last year’s Nederlandse Spellenprijs, when eight different publishers shared the nine nominations.

999 Games was the only company to secure two nominations last year, and ultimately won both categories it contested, with Hisashi Hayashi design Bomb Busters taking the Family award and Botanicus (Samuele Tabellini Ferrari, Vieri Masseini) triumphing among the Connoisseurs games. DSV won the remaining Expert award with Tomáš Holek’s SETI.

This year 999 Games has no nominees at all – a not unprecedented situation, with the publisher also having missed the shortlist in 2021, but one that marks a sharp turnaround from its five nominations across 2024 and 2025. They included Sky Team winning the Family award two years ago.

DSV Games was launched in 2023 by online shop De Spelletjes Vrienden, with a focus on visually appealing titles which offer exceptional gameplay – making use of “stunning artwork, high-quality components, and well-crafted mechanics”, according to its website.

Its debut release slate in 2024 comprised four games including Rats of Wistar, designed by Simone Luciani and Danilo Sabia, which secured the publisher its first Nederlandse Spellenprijs nomination. The publisher increased its output to nine releases in 2025, and put out another 11 releases between January and the end of June this year – the cut-off point for games eligible for the 2026 award.

DSV picked up its first win in the competition last year with its localisation of SETI, which also won Golden Geeks for heavy game of the year and best thematic board game in 2024, and the Deutscher Spiele Preis last year amid a lengthy run of international awards success.

DSV co-owner Marieke Kuit-van Woesik said after the Nederlandse Spellenprijs victory last year, “We are really proud that as a publisher, which has only been around for two years, we receive this wonderful confirmation that we are on the right track with our small team.”

DSV Games co-owner Marieke Kuit – van Woesik collects the Nederlandse Spellenprijs Expert Game award for SETI in 2025

This year’s nominations take DSV into territory previously reached under the current award system only by two of the most established names in Dutch-language board game publishing.

The Nederlandse Spellenprijs added its intermediate ‘Connoisseurs’ category in 2020, creating the current annual line-up of three nominees apiece across Family, Connoisseurs and Expert games.

999 Games took five of those nine nominations in 2020, with White Goblin taking three. White Goblin followed with four nominations in 2021, while 999 again reached three in 2024. No other publishers bar those had scored three nominations in one year under the current format prior to 2026.

More than 100 board and card games released for the Dutch market during this year’s eligibility period were played by the Nederlandse Spellenprijs jury, which selects its nominees with a focus on quality, playability and originality.

The winners of the Family, Connoisseurs and Expert categories are due to be announced on October 10 at BumbleBeez Spellenwinkel in Bergen op Zoom.

Nederlandse Spellenprijs nominees 2026

Family
Castle Combo – designed by Grégory Grard and Mathieu Roussel (Published by White Goblin Games)
Rebirth – Reiner Knizia (DSV Games)
Take Time – Alexi Piovesan and Julien Prothière (Libellud / Asmodee)

Connoisseurs
Dewan – Johannes Goupy and Yoann Levet (Space Cowboys / Asmodee)
Pondscape – designed by Tomáš Holek (Published by DSV Games)
The Lord of the Rings: Trick-Taking Game (Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers) – designed by Bryan Bornmueller (Office Dog / Asmodee)

Experts
Ants – Renato Ciervo and Andrea Robbiani (DSV Games)
River of Gold – Keith Piggott (White Goblin Games)
Yokohama – (White Goblin Games)

The post Three-year-old DSV Games continues rapid rise with trio of Dutch game of the year award nominations first appeared on .

Reiner Knizia: „Erwarte, dass Verlage aus dem, was ich geboren habe, schöne Spiele machen“

03. September 2026 um 05:02

Foto: Spiel des Jahres, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ein Autor, drei Auszeichnungen: Reiner Knizia ist der erste Mensch, der das Spiel, Kennerspiel und Kinderspiel des Jahres gewonnen hat. Im Triple-Interview verrät er, dass er Besteck aus Flugzeugen klaut, zum Einschlafen Witzbücher liest und sich über unprofessionelle Verlage ärgert.

Weiterlesen

Reiner Knizia: „Erwarte, dass Verlage aus dem, was ich geboren habe, schöne Spiele machen“

03. September 2026 um 05:02
Ein Autor, drei Auszeichnungen: Reiner Knizia ist der erste Mensch, der das Spiel, Kennerspiel und Kinderspiel des Jahres gewonnen hat. Im Triple-Interview verrät er, dass er Besteck aus Flugzeugen klaut, zum Einschlafen Witzbücher liest und sich über unprofessionelle Verlage ärgert. Reiner Knizia hat als erster Autor die drei wichtigsten Auszeichnungen der Brettspielbranche gewonnen: das Spiel, Kennerspiel und Kinderspiel des Jahres. 2008 gelang ihm das Double. Damals gewann er mit Keltis das Spiel, und mit Wer war’s? das Kinderspiel des Jahres. Knapp zwanzig Jahre später komplettierte er das Triple. Das Kennerspiel des Jahres 2026 wurde Rebirth. Wir haben ihm passend dazu

Quelle

Perfekt für die Mittagspause: Drei Spiele für die schnelle Spielrunde

20. August 2026 um 15:36
Spiele fuer die Mittagspause: LAMA, Halli Galli, Biberbande

Mittagspause heißt: kurz abschalten, den Kopf frei bekommen und am besten für ein paar Minuten über etwas anderes reden als Arbeit. Eine kleine Spielrunde mit den Kollegen und Kolleginnen kommt da gerade recht. Doch natürlich eignet sich nicht jedes Spiel für die Pause: Es sollte schnell aufgebaut, leicht erklärt und in überschaubarer Zeit gespielt sein. Mit Halli Galli, Biberbande und LAMA hat AMIGO gleich drei Spiele im Programm, die genau diese Voraussetzungen erfüllen.

Halli Galli – für eine etwas aktivere Pause

Wer nach einem langen Vormittag einen kleinen Wachmacher in der Mittagspause braucht, ist bei Halli Galli genau richtig. Das Prinzip ist denkbar einfach: Karte aufdecken und sobald genau fünf gleiche Früchte zu sehen sind, ab an die Glocke! Wer zuerst klingelt, schnappt sich die ausliegenden Karten.

Das sorgt schnell für Stimmung am Pausentisch. Es braucht keine lange Taktik oder komplizierte Regeln, dafür aber Reaktionsvermögen und flinke Hände. Der kleine Wettkampf darum, wer zuerst die Glocke erwischt, bringt ordentlich Leben in die Mittagspause und dürfte spätestens beim ersten Fehlklingeln für Gesprächsstoff sorgen. Perfekt, um sich ein wenig von der Arbeit abzulenken und den Kreislauf in Schwung zu bringen.

Biberbande – Gedächtnis, Glück und ein bisschen gegenseitiges Ärgern

Etwas ruhiger, aber nicht weniger unterhaltsam geht es bei Biberbande zu. Vier verdeckte Karten liegen vor jeder Person, doch nur zwei davon darf man sich zu Beginn ansehen. Jetzt gilt es, sich die Zahlenwerte von 0 bis 9 unter den verdeckten Karten zu merken, und möglichst nur die niedrigen Werte zu behalten. Mithilfe von Sonderkarten darf man sich weitere Karten ansehen oder den Mitspielenden unliebsame Karten zuschieben. Die Regeln sind schnell verstanden, trotzdem bleibt genügend Raum für kleine Entscheidungen und natürlich für die Frage: „Was lag noch mal unter dieser Karte?“ Besonders schön für die Mittagspause ist die Mischung aus Gedächtnis, Glück und gegenseitigem Ärgern. Und das alles ohne dass man dafür erst eine halbe Stunde Regeln studieren muss.

LAMA – ganz entspannt und gut für die Stimmung

Schon der Name verrät bei L.A.M.A., worum es geht: Lege Alle Minuspunkte Ab. Wer an der Reihe ist, legt eine passende Karte ab, zieht eine neue oder steigt aus der laufenden Runde aus. Was zunächst simpel klingt, führt schnell zu der entscheidenden Frage: Noch eine Karte riskieren oder lieber freiwillig aussteigen?

Genau das macht LAMA zu einem unkomplizierten Pausenspiel. Neue Kollegen und Kolleginnen können schnell einsteigen, die einzelnen Spielzüge dauern nicht lange und trotzdem entstehen immer wieder kleine Risikoentscheidungen. Mal steigt jemand viel zu früh aus, mal wird bis zur letzten Karte gezockt und plötzlich sitzt man mit einem Stapel Minuspunkte da. Da gibt es viel zu lachen und das ist bekanntlich gut für die Stimmung im Team.

Kleine Spiele für die Mittagspause

Egal ob flinkes Klingeln bei Halli Galli, cleveres Kartentauschen bei Biberbande oder lässiges Minuspunkte-Vermeiden bei LAMA, alle drei Spiele kommen ohne lange Vorbereitung aus und lassen sich schnell auf den Tisch bringen. So bleibt selbst in einer klassischen Mittagspause noch Zeit fürs Essen.

Vor allem aber schaffen die Spiele etwas, das im Arbeitsalltag manchmal zu kurz kommt: gemeinsam lachen, sich gegenseitig ein bisschen ärgern und für ein paar Minuten nicht über Termine, Mails und To-Dos nachdenken. Und danach geht es entspannt zurück an den Schreibtisch.

Zehn Jahre Exit: Rätseln mit System

08. August 2026 um 20:11

Foto: Kosmos, Simon Geiger

Was 2016 mit drei Spielen begann, ist heute eine der erfolgreichsten Brettspielmarken der Welt. Hinter dem Erfolg von Exit – Das Spiel steht das Autorenpaar Inka und Markus Brand. Im Interview sprechen die beiden über gute Rätsel, das Geheimnis des Erfolgs und Paketzentren, die ihre Arbeit beeinflussen.

Weiterlesen

Zehn Jahre Exit: Rätseln mit System

08. August 2026 um 20:11
Was 2016 mit drei Spielen begann, ist heute eine der erfolgreichsten Brettspielmarken der Welt. Hinter dem Erfolg von Exit – Das Spiel steht das Autorenpaar Inka und Markus Brand. Im Interview sprechen die beiden über gute Rätsel, das Geheimnis des Erfolgs und Paketzentren, die ihre Arbeit beeinflussen. Seit 2016 sind über 80 Exit-Produkte im Kosmos-Verlag erschienen – neben Spielen auch Adventskalender, Bücher und Puzzles. Exit zählt damit neben Marken wie Catan, Ubongo, Andor oder Die drei ??? zu den wichtigsten Umsatzbringern für Kosmos. Ihr entwickelt seit zehn Jahren Exit-Spiele. Macht das noch Spaß?Ja, das macht es. Wir entwickeln weiter, solange

Quelle

GAMA seeks hobby shops setting the standard for design, innovation in 2027 Power Retail Awards

15. Juli 2026 um 13:56

Tabletop gaming trade organisation GAMA has opened nominations for its 2027 Power Retail Awards, inviting gamers and industry professionals from around the world to spotlight stores and cafés they believe represent the industry’s best.

The annual awards, which have now been running for 17 years, aim to act as a showcase and celebration of business practices, community-building and operational innovations that other hobby retailers can learn from.

More than 750 retailers were submitted for inclusion in last year’s awards, with nominations coming from Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS) customers before being voted on by a GAMA committee of retailers and emeritus ‘team retail’ members.

The awards cover four categories: Retailer of the Year, Innovation in Games (Retail), Outstanding Contribution to Games Industry (Retail) and Outstanding Store Design, with winners of each receiving a one year GAMA membership, recognition in its online database and in the Spring issue of its Around the Table magazine.

That prize was reduced by GAMA last year, with retailer of the year having also previously receiving $1,000 and the other category winners $500 each.

Any tabletop retail business can be nominated regardless of country or GAMA membership status, although US-based businesses have heavily dominated the awards since they were launched in 2010, picking up 50 out of the 63 wins to date.

That total does not include the 2021 Retailer of the Year award, which was presented to every GAMA retailer member at the time to recognise and celebrate them having survived the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Arizona-based Silver Dragon Games scooped Retailer of the Year in the 2026 awards, adding to the Innovation In Games (Retail) and Outstanding Store Design titles it won at the same awards in 2024.

They were joined this year by Illinois-based Fantasy Books and Games, which won the Innovation in Games (Retail) award, Minnesota’s The Gamers Den, which sealed Outstanding Contribution to the Games Industry (Retail), and Wisconsin-based Oddwillow’s Game Haven, which won Outstanding Store Design.

Team Members from Oddwillow’s Game Haven, the winner of this years’ Outstanding Store Design Power Retail Award || Photo Credit: GAMA

UK retailer Eclectic Games remains the only non-US winner in the past two award cycles, having scooped Outstanding Contribution to the Games Industry in 2025, while Mexico City-based La Piramide is the only store from outside of the US, Canada or the UK to win an award, which it claimed during the inaugural contest in 2010.

Nominations are open to stores that have been operating for at least one full year, while previous winners cannot win the same category twice.

Anyone interested in nominating an outstanding hobby retailer can do so here.

The post GAMA seeks hobby shops setting the standard for design, innovation in 2027 Power Retail Awards first appeared on .

Dito! ist Spiel des Jahres 2026

13. Juli 2026 um 14:56
Dito! ist das Spiel, Die Insel der Mookies das Kinderspiel und Rebirth das Kennerspiel des Jahres 2026. Reiner Knizia, der Autor von Rebirth, schaffte damit ein historisches Triple. Reiner Knizia hat als erster Autor überhaupt die drei wichtigsten Titel der Brettspielbranche erhalten: das Spiel, das Kennerspiel und das Kinderspiel des Jahres. 2008 gelang Knizia das Double. Damals gewann er mit Keltis das Spiel, und mit Wer war’s? das Kinderspiel des Jahres. Knapp zwanzig Jahre später gewann er mit Rebirth auch das Kennerspiel des Jahres. „Dass es nun das Triple geworden ist, freut mich persönlich natürlich sehr und bedeutet mir viel“

Quelle

AMIGO-Spiele für die Reise

08. Juli 2026 um 07:20
AMIGO Spiele für die Reise

Lust auf einen tierisch guten Sommer?

Ob Urlaub am Meer, ein sonniger Tag am Badesee oder ein gemütlicher Nachmittag im heimischen Garten – die richtigen Spiele sorgen überall für gute Laune und unvergessliche Momente mit den Liebsten. Unsere tierisch guten Spieltipps bringen Freundinnen und Freunde ebenso wie die ganze Familie an einen Tisch und garantieren abwechslungsreichen Spielspaß für Groß und Klein.

Besonders praktisch: Dank ihres handlichen Formats passen die Spiele problemlos in den Koffer, den Rucksack oder sogar in die Jackentasche. So sind sie der perfekte Begleiter für unterwegs und jederzeit griffbereit, wenn spontan eine Runde gespielt werden soll. Perfekt für lange Reisen, Picknicks, Campingausflüge oder entspannte Sommerabende – mit diesen Spielen ist beste Unterhaltung immer dabei.

Lege Alle Minuspunkte Ab: Das ist das Prinzip, nach dem LAMA gespielt wird. Dazu müssen die bunten Handkarten abgelegt werden, denn diese bringen fiese Chips. Wer keine Karte ablegt, muss eine Karte ziehen oder aussteigen. Dabei ist die Frage: Lohnt sich das Risiko? LAMA eignet sich für den Urlaub zu zweit, mit der Familie oder mit bis zu sechs Freunden und Freundinnen. Es ermöglicht einen einfachen Spieleinstieg.

Für Fans von Bluff-Spielen ist Schrödingers Katzen eine gute Wahl für den Reisekoffer. Mit bis zu sechs Personen stellt man über mehrere Runden hinweg waghalsige Behauptungen darüber auf, ob – und vor allem wie viele –  Katzen sich in den Kartons auf den Handkarten aller Spielenden verbergen. Da heißt es: clever abschätzen – oder bluffen, was das Zeug hält.

Natürlich sollen auch die Kleinsten auf ihre Kosten kommen: Die Regenbogenschlange bringt die ganze Familie an den Tisch. Wer schafft es, die längste und farbenfrohste Schlange zu bilden und so die meisten Punkte zu ergattern?

boardgame.digital mit AMA von Ben & Frosted-Team

Von: Michael
11. Juni 2026 um 20:41

Diese Woche startet die Fussball-WM und auch wir können verkünden, dass wir uns mit euch in die Spiele stürzen wollen. Für Brettspielende unter Umständen interessanter könnte ab morgen, Freitag, 12. Juni 2026 ab 18 Uhr nämlich die boardgame.digital sein. Veranstaltet von Geekpunkt lädt diese virtuelle Brettspielmesse nämlich zum virtuellen Brettspielwochenende – und Frosted Games ist mit dabei. Bis Sonntag, 22 Uhr habt ihr im Rahmen dieser Veranstaltung dann die Gelegenheit, mit uns zumindest virtuell unsere Neuheiten zu spielen und kennen zu lernen. Und das sogar bei noch nicht erschienenen Spielen wie TIR NA NOG, aber auch bei dem gerade erschienenen WUSELIGE WIESEN. Lasst euch von unseren Spiele-Angeboten auf der Board Game Arena und auf unserem Discord überraschen und wetteifert mit der größten deutschen Brettspiel-Community „League of Geeks“ virtuell vor Ort auf bga. Holt euch zudem die aftergame APP, um keine Aktionen zu verpassen. Geplant ist neben den Spielerunden unter anderem am Samstag auch ein AMA ASK ME ANYTHING am Samstag mit Ben Schönheiter und weiteren Mitarbeitenden aus dem Frosted Games Team sowie ein Panel rund um die Grafik bei Brettspielen am Sonntag. 

Die boardgame.digital sieht sich dabei nicht als Ersatz für eure klassischen Brettspielrunden, sondern möchte ein darüber hinausgehendes Angebot für die Brettspiele-Community unter einem gemeinsamen Label – der boardgame.digital – bieten und zusätzliche Möglichkeiten schaffen, Menschen unabhängig von Wohnort, Mobilität oder sozialen Hürden zusammenzubringen. Im Mittelpunkt stehen virtuelle Spielrunden vor allem auf Board Game Arena, können aber grundsätzlich auch plattformoffen und künftig auch von Spielenden selbst angeboten werden. Über den Technikpartner aftergame können Besucher Spielrunden einfach erstellen, finden und sich direkt anmelden. Ergänzt wird das Ganze durch Livestreams, Sonderaktionen, Talks, Community-Events und weitere Inhalte rund um Brettspiele. Kurz gesagt: Wie eine echte Convention oder Brettspiel-Wochenende … nur diesmal ganz ohne von zu Hause weg zu müssen!

Alles zu den Spielrunden von Frosted Games erfahrt ihr in Kürze hier und natürlich über die Event-Webseite, die APP und die Spielerunden auch über bga. Auf Board Game Arena werden diesmal nämlich alle Frosted-Spielerunden exklusiv stattfinden. Wir wollen euch zudem auf unserem Discord auf dem Laufenden halten und für Rückfragen zur Verfügung stehen.
boardgame.digital – Die virtuelle Brettspiel-Convention
boardgamearena.com
discord.com/@frostedgames

Unsere Events (Auswahl/Links führen zu discord!!)

FREITAG

Auftakt auf der Discord-Bühne mt Michael, Dennis, Jens und Co ab 18 Uhr – wir spielen WUSELIGE WIESEN und TIR NA NOG

SAMSTAG

AMA mit Ben und Frosted Team ab 14 UHR

Brettspielen Live mit Michael und Basti/Geekpunkt (twitch.tv) ab 19 Uhr

SONNTAG

Brettspielen Live mit Hesy auf bga und auf der Discord-Bühne ab 13 UHR

boardgame.digital – Brettspielgrafik Live mit Anna und Basti (twitch.tv) ab 16 UHR

 

Der Beitrag boardgame.digital mit AMA von Ben & Frosted-Team erschien zuerst auf Frosted Games.

Reinhold Wittig gestorben: Ein Leben für Spiele, Kunst und Göttingen

15. April 2026 um 14:26
Reinhold Wittig ist tot. Er starb am 11. April 2026 in Göttingen. Mit ihm verliert die Spieleszene einen ihrer kreativsten Köpfe. Ein Nachruf auf einen Künstler, Verleger, Autoren und auf sein Perlhuhn. Weder ein Nilpferd in der Achterbahn, noch Schlangen auf Leitern können es mit dem Perlhuhn aufnehmen. Das Tier hat die deutsche Spiellandschaft wie kein anderes geprägt, dank Reinhold Wittig. Wie ein Perlhuhn pickte Wittig alles auf, was ihm begegnete. Bierdeckel inspirierten ihn ebenso wie Würfel. Schrott wurde zu Kunst, Ideen zu Veranstaltungen. Er erfand Hunderte Spiele. 1976 gründete er den Verlag Edition Perlhuhn, 1983 das Spieleautoren-Treffen in Göttingen,

Quelle

❌