Ares Games has expanded its international distribution business again through a partnership with Spain’s Draco Ideas, bringing the English editions of its games to retailers.

The deal covers games from the company’s two publishing arms, Draco Ideas and Eclipse Editorial, which merged into a single business in 2023.

Ares said distribution of Draco games would begin in December with Viking and Anglo-Saxon territory-building title Dark Kingdoms, the first English-language edition of 2018 release Reconquista, and a second edition of family game RatLand alongside two expansions and a miniatures pack.

The agreement is the latest in a series of distribution partnerships signed by Ares over the past two years, including deals with Armenian publisher Red Cat Games, Italy’s Tabula Games and Czech publisher Albi.

Ares also signed a deal with Dark Horizon Games in July this year to bring its co-operative sci-fi dungeon crawler Earth Under Siege: Flashpoint and three expansions to US retail, with the titles beginning to reach stores last month.

The company has also been extending the geographical reach of its existing distribution business, announcing last December that it would begin supplying titles from five publishers – Galakta Games, Tabula Games, Albi, Nuts! Publishing and Don’t Panic Games – to European retailers and distributors through its Italian warehouse.

That expansion has continued despite the trade disruption caused by US tariffs which prompted Ares to rethink parts of its business model last year, including reducing inventory, becoming more selective about products and increasing direct sales.

Di Meglio told BoardGameWire last December, “We are growing in small steps, but considered how complex is the situation in the US in these days, we are quite happy of this slow but steady progress.”

He added, “The current level of tariffs is not something to be happy about, but manageable. However, we have seen through 2025 that the rates can change abruptly and unexpectedly – this means we must be very careful about which products we pick, more than ever.”

Ares’ distribution partnerships have offered a route into conventional retail for games which previously relied heavily on crowdfunding.

Speaking to BoardGameWire about its Tabula Games partnership in May last year, Di Meglio said the Italian publisher had run successful crowdfunding campaigns, but its games had barely reached retail distribution.

The new Draco deal includes crowdfunded title Dark Kingdoms, a strategy and conquest game set in fifth-century Britain, which will begin being distributed to stores once its Gamefound fulfilment is complete.

That game, which was designed by Marco Antonio del Campo, sees players lead Saxon, Angle, Jute and Briton factions competing for control of territory through resource management, construction and military conquest.

Del Campo also designed Reconquista, originally published in Spanish in 2018, which pits four rival kingdoms against one another for control of the Iberian Peninsula in the 11th century.

The third title, Eduardo Garcia’s RatLand, is a family game in which players compete to grow rival rat colonies while gathering and stealing food. Its second edition will be accompanied by The Conquest of the Port and Automa expansions, alongside a pack of plastic rat miniatures.

Draco Ideas was founded in Spain in 2014 by Luis Álvaro Hernández, initially to publish his own historical battle game ONUS! Rome vs Carthage.

It has since developed into a specialist publisher of historical wargames and strategy games, with Eclipse Editorial covering narrative, adventure and family games.

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Ukrainian board game studio Boardova has broken into US hobby distribution through ACD, four years after being launched by two volunteers who met while supporting refugees and Ukraine’s army in the wake of Russia’s invasion.

ACD has added the Lviv-based publisher’s debut title Aridnyk and upcoming George Orwell-inspired game 1984: Unperson to its extensive catalogue, a year after the first title’s $132,000 Kickstarter success.

The move into US distribution continues a unique success story for Boardova, whose co-founder Volodymyr Kuznietsov told Wargamer earlier this year he had been forced to flee his home city of Sievierodonetsk for the second time amid Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Kuznietsov relocated more than 1,000km away to Lviv in western Ukraine, leaving behind possessions including his entire board game collection – which he described to Wargamer as being “occupied by Russia”.

He added that while volunteering to support refugees and the Ukrainian army he decided to change the status of those games on BoardGameGeek to “pre-owned” – a joke spotted by fellow volunteer and board game enthusiast Zholud “Acorn” Dobrovolskyy, sparking a conversation which led to the pair founding Boardova the same year.

The company’s first game, Aridnyk, draws on the mythology and traditions of the Hutsul people of the Carpathian Mountains. Boardova released the game in Ukraine in January 2024, before raising more than $132,000 from almost 1,600 backers – almost half from the US – via a Kickstarter campaign the following year.

1984: Unperson, meanwhile, is a semi-cooperative card game designed by Kuznietsov and Yaroslav Kifor inspired by George Orwell’s dystopian novel. The game sees players trying to fulfill collective directives handed down by a totalitarian regime, while also trying to achieve their own secret ambitions.

Kuznietsov told Wargamer the subject had an unavoidable resonance for a Ukrainian studio, describing the dangers of blindly following government orders as a “painful and obvious topic while we are under attack from Russia”.

Boardova has also previously expanded into Germany, signing a localisation deal for Aridnyk with Koalla Spiele shortly after Spiel Essen last year.

ACD said it had separately added five titles from Los Angeles party game publisher McMiLLER to its catalogue, including Jolt, Dummeez and Fish Fight.

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Maestro Media is opening up the publishing, licensing, manufacturing and retail infrastructure behind its own games to outside designers and publishers, including companies looking for a North American publishing partner.

The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls and Clash of Clans: The Epic Raid publisher has launched Overture by Maestro Media, through which it plans to co-publish games from other companies, partner with them during development or production, or potentially acquire titles outright.

Maestro founder and CEO Javon Frazier said, “The hardest part of this industry has never been the ideas. It is everything after them. Getting your design in front of a publisher, funding the development, entering distribution, landing it on a shelf.

“We built a machine to do that for our own titles alongside some of the largest licensors in the world. Overture by Maestro Media opens that machine to everybody else.”

Maestro says Overture will allow other companies to use its existing operations for areas including development and licensing, production, manufacturing, crowdfunding, direct-to-consumer sales and retail distribution.

The company has already struck several deals along those lines, including announcing in the summer that it would publish a new North American edition of Zoch Verlag’s Ghost Blitz from January 2027.

It is also partnering with Nighthawk Interactive on Richard Garfield and Ken Jennings’ trivia game Half Truth: Second Guess, and working with Brazilian tabletop publisher D20 Culture to co-publish The Lord of the Rings: Foes of Middle-Earth and the Justice League Unlimited RPG worldwide and in multiple languages.

Frazier said of the Ghost Blitz deal ahead of unveiling the game at this year’s Gen Con, “Ghost Blitz has sold more than one million copies in 20-plus languages over 15 years. Most North American families have never seen it on a shelf. That’s not a demand problem. It’s a distribution problem.

“That’s the gap we built Maestro Media to close. Crowdfunding, direct-to-consumer, and retail working as one engine, with distribution partners already in place across North America.”

Peterson Rodrigues, CEO of D20 Culture, said, “We’re excited to work with Maestro because we see the same opportunity they do: great games shouldn’t be limited by borders.

“Bringing these titles to players around the world, in their own languages and through partners who understand their markets, is exactly the kind of collaboration we want to be part of.”

Game designers will get their first opportunity to pitch original tabletop games via the new operation through a month-long submission window running from January 1 to 30 next year.

Maestro made its name in tabletop through its 2018 Kickstarter for The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls, which raised more than $2.6m, followed three years later by a further $6.7m for its Requiem expansion.

The company says it has worked with more than 40 licensed properties to date, and shipped more than 400,000 products, while Frazier has raised more than $16m across 16 crowdfunding campaigns – although almost 60% of that total comprises the two Binding of Isaac projects.

Maestro has expanded its distribution network significantly in recent years, signing an exclusive deal with Asmodee last year covering its English-language products in the US, UAE and South Africa, followed by an agreement making Zatu Games its exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland.

The company added that Ryan Lumax has been promoted to vice president and head of games at the company, having joined last year after almost eight years at Canadian distributor Lion Rampant Imports.

Lion Rampant was acquired by Asmodee in 2019, when Lumax was working as head purchaser. He became a purchasing manager at the business in 2023.

Lumax said, “I spent eight years on the buying side, and the games that didn’t make it were almost never the bad ones.

“They were good games whose creators ran out of road somewhere between the prototype and the pallet. That is the gap Overture by Maestro Media closes.”

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California tabletop publisher and game development studio Solis Game Studio is expanding its reach into US hobby retail through a new distribution deal with Southern Hobby, following several years of building its own catalogue through crowdfunding and direct sales.

Solis, which was founded in 2020, has published games including Pocket Paragons, Space Lion, Treat, Please! and The Massive-Verse Fighting Card Game, while also carrying out development and production work for other tabletop companies.

Its contracting work has included projects such as the Cyberpunk TCG, with Solis having led game design and development of a prototype that secured licensing for a new game.

The Cyberpunk TCG ultimately raised more than $28m from 50,000 backers through a huge Kickstarter campaign by publisher WeirdCo earlier this year.

Solis also did development work on Emerson Matsuuchi-designed Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game, and last month announced it would be the developer for the official card game of battle royale video game PUBG.

The company said Southern Hobby will distribute new Solis release Six-Sided Seas, as well as Treat, Please! and The Massive-Verse Fighting Card Game, describing the deal as a “major step forward” for the business.

The publisher has previously used crowdfunding to bring several of its games to market, with its biggest success to date 2024’s licensed Massive-Verse Fighting Card Game, designed by Brian McKay, which raised just over $50,000 from about 800 backers.

Its first Pocket Paragons Kickstarter raised around $22,000 from 432 backers in 2020, while Space Lion: Divide and Conquer raised just under $18,000 from 343 backers and Treat, Please! brought in about $14,000 from 169 backers.

Solis has also already been selling directly to retailers through its own wholesale programme.

The publisher’s newest release, push-your-luck worker placement game Six-Sided Seas, will enter US distribution on October 2 with a $24.95 MSRP.

The two-player pirate game, designed by Kroze Kresky, is built around an unusual component format, consisting of 32 dice and a 14in by 24in edge-stitched playmat which is rolled inside the game’s box – allowing the title to be presented vertically, horizontally, or with a collapsible hangtab in retail.

Solis has previously said the idea grew from a visit to game stores in Thailand, where Chris Solis saw a store employee laminating a game board to protect it and began considering whether the board itself could instead be made from playmat material.

He said in the blog post, “When I returned home I issued an internal design challenge to my community. What does a game that is a playmat and single component look like?

“We explored a ton of really interesting designs and even did a limited release for one of them but none captured me like Six-Sided Seas by Kroze.”

Solis launched the game at Gen Con earlier this month, and said it sold all the copies it brought to the convention. Several of its scheduled learn-to-play sessions at Gen Con also sold out, according to the convention’s event listings.

In addition to founder and owner Chris Solis, the studio’s team includes developer Bryan McKay, business operations specialist John Brieger, graphic designer Katherine Boils, marketing manager Courtney Shernan, convention manager Sara Jordan and community manager Antonio Gil.

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Ares Games is considering bolstering its website protection after suffering its first ever DDoS attack, which it says left its site inaccessible for about 10 hours across three days of difficulties.

The Italy-based War of the Ring publisher said thousands of fake requests repeatedly saturated its server bandwidth and CPU earlier this week, temporarily preventing some customers from reaching its main website and e-commerce site, which is also used for preorders and crowdfunding pledge management.

Ares director of production Roberto di Meglio told BoardGameWire no customer data was compromised during the cyber attack, adding that he was inclined to believe the company was targeted randomly rather than specifically.

He said, “It’s difficult to assess the exact monetary loss in terms of missed orders. We can assume most of the potential customers affected by the issue will probably come back at a later moment, so the revenue should be delayed but not lost – especially if the customer was visiting for something specific, like a pre-order or pledge manager.”

Ares’ e-commerce infrastructure supports ordinary direct sales alongside preorders and crowdfunding activity. The publisher has continued to use crowdfunding extensively, with its 16th Kickstarter project, Mega Empires: The Far East, completing its campaign earlier this year.

The DDoS attack comes after Ares said last year that it was developing its direct sales business to help offset reduced profits through traditional distribution channels amid the US tariff volatility.

Di Meglio told BoardGameWire at the time that the company planned a combination of reduced inventories, increased prices and product selection alongside “developing our direct sales to make up for the loss of profit through the traditional distribution tiers”.

While Ares has experienced other hacking attempts previously, Di Meglio said this was the publisher’s first DDoS attack. Its server administrators introduced additional security rules in response, and Ares is now considering whether to add further protection such as a DNS proxy service like Cloudflare.

But he added, “The main concern is that every rule or system you implement to stop this type of ‘swarm’ attack potentially might stop or slow down a regular visitor, so you have to find the best compromise between keeping danger out and allowing customers in.”

The incident comes as DDoS attacks have become more numerous and larger across the internet. Web application security and performance giant Cloudflare recently said it detected a 519% increase in hyper-volumetric DDoS attacks across its network during the first half of 2026.

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German children’s book, gifts and stationery publisher arsEdition has confirmed it has tasked Asmodee with distributing its fledgling board game range to specialist toy retailers and some wholesalers, after making its first significant move into tabletop games just under a year ago.

Asmodee has been distributing the Bonnier-owned publisher’s games under the agreement since the beginning of 2026, creating a split-channel model that sees arsEdition continue to handle distribution within the book trade and major book retail chains.

The pair said the move gives retailers improved availability, clear product range structures and coordinated support across both distribution channels – with an aim of sustainably increasing the visibility of arsEdition games in the market and generate further momentum in the family games segment.

arsEdition launched a dedicated games programme last September focused on family-weight games for ages 6, 8, and 10 and up, with an opening slate of seven titles including Reiner Knizia designs Oshiya Tokio and Guardian of the Treasure, and Sophia Wagner’s Twilight Watch.

The board game unit lead, Volker Hirsch, previously spent six years as creative director at Amigo Spiele until 2001, and has also since worked as head of product development at Ravensburger Digital, and as a partner at former Games Workshop collectible card games subsidiary Sabretooth Games.

arsEdition publisher Dagmar Becker-Göthel said when the range was unveiled last year that games represented a growing category in the toy trade, while also becoming increasingly important for booksellers – providing the rationale for developing a range capable of operating across both channels.

The publisher said at the time it planned to release new games twice a year.

Rebecca Roscher, commercial director at arsEdition, said, “We are currently putting a great deal of energy into the development and production of exceptional family games for ages eight and above, which are characterised by innovative mechanics, strong brands and unique design.

“With Asmodee as our partner, we can now position our games even more strategically and comprehensively across the relevant distribution channels.”

Upcoming releases from arsEdition include include Toshi, a 1-4 player tile-laying game from Friedemann Friese scheduled for September, and Cat and the Tower, a cooperative dexterity game from Masakazu Takizawa.

The company also continues to work with prominent designer Reiner Knizia, with its website currently listing seven products from the storied creator.

For Asmodee Germany, arsEdition adds another outside publishing partner to a distribution operation that has continued to broaden its third-party portfolio.

Last year it agreed to add selected Moose Toys games to its distribution network in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and in June 2025 struck a wholesale distribution agreement covering a large part of German publisher Frosted Games’ range.

Asmodee Germany managing director Udo Fischer said the arsEdition deal brought together the companies’ different areas of expertise.

“The trusting collaboration between Asmodee and arsEdition brings together two distinct perspectives – expertise from the book trade combined with many years’ experience in board and card games – which complement each other perfectly,” he said.

“By entering the world of board games, arsEdition is providing a strong additional impetus in the family segment.”

arsEdition is part of Bonnier Media Deutschland, which also owns publishers including Carlsen, Piper, Ullstein and Thienemann-Esslinger. The wider group reported net sales of €336m in 2025, sold 75.5 million books across all formats and employed an average of 795 full-time staff.

Bonnier Media Deutschland describes itself as the largest German book publishing group, with particularly strong positions in children’s publishing, comics and illustrated formats.

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Few people in the hobby game industry have seen as many sides of the business as Scott Morris – from leading global strategy at Lucky Duck Games, building publishing partnerships at GTS Distribution and running sales, marketing and social media at Arcane Wonders. Now Morris is applying that experience to his own venture as founder of Steelwing Games, whose debut title Rainbow Blvd. has been nearly a decade in the making. He spoke to BoardGameWire about deciding to launch as a publisher in a challenging market, why he believes a slower, more selective approach is the right fit, and the lessons he is bringing from his career at Lucky Duck Games and beyond.

BoardGameWire: How long has the idea of you launching your own publisher been rolling around your head? I think I remember you saying you registered Steelwing some years ago?

Steelwing originally began to take shape in 2016, after first playtesting Rainbow Blvd. (which was then called Leprechauntractors as a play on words with Leprechauns and Contractors). Like a lot of people who work in games, I’ve always had ideas about the kinds of projects I’d love to help bring to life if the timing, team, and titles were right.

The company itself was set up in 2021, and I’ve been very intentional about not rushing into publishing just for the sake of launching something. For me, it was important that Steelwing start with the right game, the right creative partners, and a clear sense of what we wanted the company to stand for.

What was it that finally got you to make the jump and launch?

It was really a combination of timing, people, and product. Rainbow Blvd. is the perfect first game, it always has been. It has a fun identity, a strong table presence, it is easy to teach, and has the type of meaningful gameplay that Steelwing is focused on.

I also reached a point in my career where my experience across multiple areas (sales, marketing, crowdfunding, distribution, licensing, production, and working with designers) has given me the confidence to give Steelwing a thoughtful and responsible start.

What does Steelwing represent or offer that perhaps hasn’t been possible for you in your other board game industry roles?

Steelwing gives me the chance to build something from the ground up with a clear creative point of view. The goal is to publish games that are welcoming, polished, distinct, and deliver a satisfying and rewarding experience for players.

The name reflects that mission. The “steel” represents the experience and discipline I’ve built in the industry, while the “wing” represents using that experience to help create opportunities for others and give talented people new pathways into board games when and where we can.

At its heart, Steelwing is about making games we would be thankful to have in our collection while trying to leave the industry a little better than we found it, along the way.

The industry has been facing higher manufacturing costs, tariffs, freight disruption and increasing competition for attention. Many people might see this as a difficult time to launch a publisher. What makes you optimistic?

It is absolutely a challenging time, that can’t be minimized in any way. Costs are high, attention is hard to earn, and publishers need to be more thoughtful than ever about what we make and how we make it.

What makes me optimistic is that players still respond to games that they can connect with, that have that special feel, and are well cared for. This is a time to be disciplined, focused, and clear about why a game deserves to exist. That is the mindset I am bringing to Steelwing.

Of course it will be challenging. There is never a perfect time to start a new business. One of the principles I try to live by is, “Be good today and be better tomorrow.” Staying humble, listening carefully, continuing to learn, and making games that bring people joy, will result in positive outcomes for Steelwing and more importantly, for the community.

Having worked in the industry for more than a decade, which experiences most shaped the way you’ll run Steelwing?

Not to date myself, but it’s closer to two decades, and actually my second stint in the industry. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (known as Poughkeepsie, New York), I had my first opportunity in games as a retailer, managing a local store called Iron Vic’s.

The experiences that have helped shape me are the ones where I’ve been able to see the full path a game takes from idea to table. A great design is essential, but game development, product development, manufacturing, communication, and post-release support all shape the experience players ultimately have with a game.

One night, while developing Rainbow Blvd., we realized the rainbow borders on some cards felt slightly different. Opening the files in InDesign, we found that one border was 13 pixels from the cut line and another was 15. Those two pixels bothered me more than they probably should have, but I knew someone, somewhere, would have that same subtle feeling that something was off. So we spent several hours fixing it. Was it necessary? Maybe not to some, but for me, it was 100% necessary.

I’ve also been fortunate to learn from many generous and experienced people across the industry. Those relationships have shaped how I think about publishing, leadership, and the responsibility that comes with bringing a game to market.

My goal with Steelwing is not to assume we’ll get everything right. We won’t. But experience gives us a better chance to be thoughtful, avoid preventable mistakes, and build trust with the people who help bring our games to life and with the people who enjoy them.

Your recent newsletter makes clear Rainbow Blvd. has been in development for years, with prototypes dating back to 2016. What made you confident about launching a new publisher with this title?

Rainbow Blvd. has had a long and amazing road, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of that story through our updates and crowdfunding campaign. At times, it has felt as though it has a life of its own. The core idea has stayed strong through a slow-and-steady development process, while the game itself has become more focused, more accessible, and more visually distinct over time.

What stood out to me is that Rainbow Blvd. has immediate appeal, while also providing a very satisfying experience underneath the surface. People are drawn to the colorful 3D rainbows and cozy city-building theme, and then after they play a turn or two, they find meaningful decisions, shared incentives, and strategic choices that make the experience engaging for many different types of players.

That is exactly the space for Steelwing to live in; games that feel welcoming regardless of a player’s experience level, while being memorable and rewarding. Great games have “stand up moments” where players feel rewarded for their choices, and even greater games leave players with that “I can’t wait to play again” feeling. Rainbow Blvd delivers on those two things and [designer Adam Wyse] has done a tremendous job developing it into something approachable, clever, and special! I’m excited to help bring it to players around the world.

What kinds of games are you actively looking to sign? What does a Steelwing game look like?

A Steelwing game should be welcoming and engaging while delivering a memorable experience. The experience is everything. Positive, clever, engaging, intriguing, and above all else, fun.

We are actually not actively looking for games, as we have a publishing plan in place until 2029. If and when we open up for submissions, some key elements are games that are teachable, replayable, and have a clear reason to exist on the table. Strong table presence helps, a unique theme helps, and unique components turn simple into satisfying. That is where my strength as a publisher is; taking a good game design and helping turn it into a full product that delivers a positive experience.

Are there any particular themes, mechanisms or types of games you’re especially excited about right now? Or any genres or play experiences you think are currently underserved?

I believe there are still so many themes, mechanisms, and combinations in games that have not been fully explored yet. I’m especially interested in games that create positive interaction without relying only on direct conflict. I like games where players are paying attention to each other and the choices being made, where timing matters, and where the table feels alive, but not necessarily because players are attacking each other or tearing each other down.

Rainbow Blvd. is a good example of that. We’ve worked hard to make sure players stay engaged even when it is not their turn, because what other players choose can also create opportunities for others. That kind of shared excitement and mutual interest keeps the game active from turn to turn and feeling alive.

There is still a lot of room for beautiful, accessible strategy games, games that families, couples, casual players, and hobby gamers can all enjoy together for different reasons. As a wise person once said, “The people around the table are more important than the game on it.” I hope Steelwing games can help create many of those nights.

How many games are you realistically aiming to publish each year?

The plan is to stay steady, planned, and manageable. Realistically, the goal is not to publish a large number of games each year. I would rather do fewer games better than stretch the company too thin. Right now, we have Rainbow Blvd. crowdfunding this year on Kickstarter and delivering in 2027, plus an unannounced game to crowdfund in 2027 and deliver in 2028. Releasing games in a measured and manageable way is the pace to keep at the start and the primary focus.

Is the goal to remain deliberately boutique, or would you like Steelwing eventually to become more of a mid-sized publisher?

The goal is to grow responsibly. I’m not opposed to Steelwing becoming larger over time, but only if the growth supports the quality of the games and the experience for players. For now, I would describe the goal as focused. We want to be selective, build trust, and make each release feel intentional, delivering the best possible experiences to players.

Will you primarily publish original games, or are licensed titles also part of the long-term strategy?

Original games are the main focus, especially as we establish Steelwing’s identity. That said, I have a lot of respect for what a well-matched license can do when it genuinely supports the gameplay and audience. “Never say never” is the saying, but fit also matters. I am not looking to chase licenses for the sake of it, and our focus is on Rainbow Blvd and the next title, which is also an original, internal game. (Which, I can’t wait to talk more about, as it is also a very unique game like Rainbow Blvd. that gets me excited every time I play it.)

Are you actively accepting pitches? And if so, what kinds of games are you most hoping designers will bring to Steelwing? How should they contact you?

We’re not accepting unsolicited pitches right now. Steelwing already has a publishing plan in place for the coming years and I want to make sure we give those projects and relationships the attention they deserve. If and when we do open submissions, we’ll be looking for games that feel welcoming, replayable, visually engaging, and have a clear reason to exist on the table. However, I don’t want designers sending us projects before we have a proper process in place, especially if those games could be finding the right home elsewhere. We’ll share clear guidelines through SteelwingGames.com and our social channels.

Will every game crowdfund first, or do you plan to vary that from title to title?

Crowdfunding will be an important part of Steelwing’s strategy, especially early on, because it allows us to build community around each game and communicate directly with the players most excited about it. That said, I do not think every game has to follow the exact same path. The right approach depends on the game, the audience, the production needs, and the retail strategy.

Looking back over your career so far, what’s the biggest lesson you’re taking into Steelwing?

The biggest lesson I’m taking into Steelwing is that publishing is a long-term relationship business built on trust. A good game matters, of course, but so does how you communicate, how you treat people, how you handle problems, whether your decisions are sustainable, and how well you stand behind your product after it reaches the table.

I want Steelwing to be known not just for the games being made, but for being thoughtful, reliable, and committed to delivering exceptional experiences. Steelwing is intentionally lean right now, supported by a group of passionate and talented contractors, partners, and collaborators who believe in the goals and the games.

One of the things I love most about the board game industry is how accessible and personal it can still feel. I want to have direct relationships with our players. I want to hear their stories of fun, triumph, defeat, and laughter. And just as importantly, I want to hear where we can improve, because every release should help us get better at serving the people who choose to put our games on their table.

Are there any elements of being a publisher that you’ve experienced in your time in the industry that you’re deliberately trying not to do with Steelwing?

One of the most challenging things in this industry, and in life in general, is the art of saying “no” when it needs to be said. Every company has different pressures and constraints. For me, the goal is to avoid growing too fast, avoid overpromising, and avoid taking on games that cannot be given the attention they deserve. That means being honest about what can be done well, while being disciplined enough to say no when something is not the right fit.

You’re still part of Lucky Duck Games. How do you balance those responsibilities with running Steelwing?

The true answer is, “Very carefully”. My responsibilities with Lucky Duck Games remain my professional priority, and I take them seriously. I’m grateful for the opportunity I have here and for the talented people I continue to work with. Steelwing is a separate project, and I’m careful about keeping those responsibilities distinct. That means being thoughtful with my time, avoiding conflicts, and making sure Steelwing is built in a way that does not interfere with my daily obligations. Maintaining trust and professionalism matters a great deal to me.

If you were to look forward five years into the future of Steelwing, what do you hope you’ll see?

Five years from now, I hope I’ve grown to become a better publisher and I hope Steelwing has a meaningful catalog of games that people are excited to recommend to their friends and family. I would love for players to see the Steelwing name and feel like it stands for games made with intention, love, and care.

I do not think success has to mean being the biggest publisher. For me, success would be building something sustainable, respected, and joyful, both for the people who make the games and the people who play them.

Rainbow Blvd.’s Kickstarter pre-launch page can be visited here.

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Asmodee has kicked off its new financial year with another powerful quarter of growth, with the publishing and distribution giant’s net sales soaring 20.9% year-on-year to €422.1m.

TCG distribution remains the engine behind Asmodee’s ongoing growth, with trading card games responsible for more than two-thirds of that quarterly revenue, according to the company’s latest financial report.

But board games also put on a strong showing in the April to June quarter, the report shows, with net sales rising 16% year-on-year amid an ongoing recovery from volatility caused by last year’s US tariffs uncertainty.

Much of that increase came via Asmodee’s distribution of titles from other publishers, with sales of its own published titles only growing 1.8% in the quarter.

That small rise marks a significant improvement for Asmodee’s own board game publishing operation, however, with sales of its published titles having fallen almost 10% in January to March compared to the prior year, and 12.7% in the all-important October to December period in 2025, which includes the run-in to Christmas.

Asmodee CEO Thomas Koegler said growth in US board game sales was driven by “the continued normalization of retailer inventory levels”, as well as “resilient” consumer demand for tabletop games and positive impact of its own commercial and marketing initiatives.

That improvement comes after Asmodee repeatedly highlighted retailer inventory reductions and cautious purchasing behaviour – particularly in the US – through much of the past year, as store owners tried their best to navigate rising prices, unpredictable shipping rates and other fallout from the US tariffs.

During Asmodee’s earnings presentation last November, Koegler said US consumers were delaying purchases amid economic uncertainty and favouring lower-priced products, while retailers were pushing Christmas merchandising later into the year.

Three months later, the company reported US quarterly sales had slumped 23%, attributing much of the decline to retailers reducing purchases and ongoing inventory adjustments despite stable consumer sell-through.

Some of those pressures now appear to be easing, although Asmodee’s own US sales were down almost 9.4% year-on-year in April to June – a situation Koegler said was partly caused by the timing of its most recent Star Wars Unlimited release affecting year-on-year comparisons.

Speaking more generally about Asmodee’s board game sales, he said its evergreen franchises such as Catan and Dobble/Spot-It! continued to perform well, and highlighted other new releases including dnup, The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship and Cozy Stickerville as having contributed to growth.

He also added that ATM Gaming, which Asmodee bought in a €250m deal earlier this year, had delivered a strong performance across its social games portfolio, including Speed Bac/Quickstop and Pili Pili.

Koegler also highlighted the first Zombicide crowdfunding campaign under Asmodee ownership, which attracted more than 11,000 backers and raised over €3m, describing it as an early success for its expanding crowdfunding strategy.

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French board game distributor and publisher Atalia has entered compulsory liquidation, saying an increasingly saturated market, the limited capacity of retailers and the loss of distribution rights to bestselling titles left the business unable to remain viable.

A statement posted to Atalia’s Facebook page said the rapid expansion of the tabletop market since the company was founded in 2015 had created a tougher commercial environment for smaller distributors, despite the industry’s continued growth.

Atalia said that despite soaring numbers of players in that time, “so many new games are being released today that the market has become saturated. Shops no longer have the space, the time or the cash flow to stock all the games arriving each week”.

It added, “They therefore naturally turn to distributors with the biggest marketing budgets, some of whom invest sums each year that exceed Atalia’s annual turnover.

“This year, Atalia has lost the distribution rights for its latest bestsellers, as their publisher has chosen to entrust them to a distributor offering greater financial and marketing resources.

“We naturally respect these decisions, but we cannot hide our regret. Without these bestsellers, it has become increasingly difficult to finance new releases and ensure the company’s long-term viability.

French board game distribution is dominated by industry heavyweights Asmodee and Hachette, the latter via its Gigamic and Blackrock subsidiaries.

Atalia was founded in 2015 as a French board game distributor, before expanding into localisation and then publishing in 2021. It distributed games to hundreds of specialist retailers across France and neighbouring francophone territories.

The company says on its website that it deliberately maintained a relatively small catalogue, so individual games entrusted to it would not be “lost amongst an overwhelming number of titles”.

Earlier this year Atalia revealed it was halting its own distribution operations to focus on publishing and localisation, with its distribution being handled by MAD from May.

Atalia’s previously published releases include French localisations of games including Underwater Cities and Lorenzo il Magnifico, while recent titles published by the company include The Royal Society of Archeology and Hands Off!.

The company had also faced financial difficulties in 2019, despite a prior year in which it had generated revenues of more than €1.8m and continued profitability.

Atalia’s decision to double its headcount to six amid that success backfired when the publisher of Limite Limite, a French adaptation of Cards Against Humanity which accounted for about half Atalia’s revenue, switched to a new distributor in 2019 with no prior warning.

The company placed itself into receivership the same year, but emerged intact from that process in early 2020, citing strong sales of its bestsellers including Punto and Dreamscape, and receiving court-ordered compensation from the publisher of Limite Limite for the abrupt termination of its distribution deal.

The company’s liquidation announcement today came a month after Atalia founder and managing director Cesare Mainardi revealed it was “facing an extremely difficult period”, and cancelled its planned attendance at the Paris est Ludique festival, citing financial difficulties and organisational constraints.

Atalia officially entered compulsory liquidation on July 8 via Nanterre Commercial Court.

The company’s assets, including stock, brand and customer database, will now be offered for sale by the liquidator. Mainardi said interested parties should contact him via private message on Facebook.

He said in the Facebook post, “Today, we turn the page with our heads held high, feeling immense pride in everything we have built together.

“The people we’ve met, the games we’ve played and the memories created during this adventure will remain with us forever.”

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