Asmodee continues push into crowdfunding by buying Cthulhu: Death May Die series from struggling CMON
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Welcome to the latest BoardGameWire newsletter!
Breaking news this morning to kick off today’s newsletter - Asmodee has swooped in to buy another title from financially-troubled publisher CMON, picking up the IP and games for the Cthulhu: Death May Die series. The deal continues Asmodee’s drive into the crowdfunded board game space - an area it had almost entirely ignored until the middle of this year - following its acquisition of Zombicide from the same publisher in June.
The sale is the latest move by CMON to help combat its mammoth losses over the last 18 months, and comes alongside the company selling a significant chunk of new shares in order to bring more money into the business.
This week’s newsletter also features an extensive dive into the impact of Donald Trump’s newly-threatened 130% tariffs on China, which are currently due to come into effect on or before November 1. Board game publishers large and small told BoardGameWire the move would likely have a devastating effect on the industry if it goes ahead, and revealed the challenges they are facing - both now, and in attempting to navigate the chaos to plan their operations for 2026.
We also have a preview of this year’s giant Spiel Essen board game fair, which is eyeing a record-breaking 220,000 attendance when it kicks off later this week. BoardGameWire will be there, of course - if you’re heading to Spiel and would like to meet up to share any industry news, tips, or interesting plans for 2026, please do drop me an email! I am, as ever, mike.didymus@boardgamewire.com.
Thanks as always for reading the newsletter! If you’re not already a paid subscriber, I’d ask you to please consider helping me continue to professionally cover the board game industry by supporting BoardGameWire from as little as $1 a month. If you can afford more than $1, that’s wonderful - just increase the quantity via that link.
Have a great week!
Mike Didymus-True - Editor
Asmodee continues push into crowdfunding by buying Cthulhu: Death May Die series from struggling CMON
Board game giant Asmodee has continued its push into the crowdfunding space by picking up the Cthulhu: Death May Die IP and games from financially-troubled CMON – a series which has raised almost $10m from backers to date. The buyout comes four months after CMON sold its flagship IP Zombicide to Asmodee, and is the latest move in CMON’s drive to battle the huge losses the business has chalked up in the past couple of years.
Asmodee’s acquisition - the second in its reignited M&A strategy - follows the company bringing in David Preti, the recently-resigned COO of CMON, in May to head up its newly-launched crowdfunding and miniatures operation.
“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
Board game companies already labouring under the pain of elevated US tariffs on China have seen their future plans thrown into chaos yet again, after President Trump threatened an imminent hike of the rate to 130%. Trump said he plans to impose the colossal tariff rate by November 1, in retaliation to China announcing it would curb its exports of rare earth materials.
The tariff hike has already seen several board game businesses shutter their operations in recent months, while others have laid off staff and been forced to hike the price of their games to cover the unexpected costs.
Spiel Essen eyes record 220,000 attendance as world’s biggest board game fair expands into seventh huge hall
The world’s biggest board game fair, Spiel Essen, is planning for its biggest-ever attendance at next week’s show as it looks to outstrip the 209,000 visitor record it set just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The show now covers an area larger than 14 American football fields, and is almost 50% larger than the exhibitor space at Gen Con – although its US peer also boasts a vast, separate expanse of gaming tables, tournaments and live events that Spiel Essen does not.
Bohnanza, 6 Nimmt publisher Amigo Spiele shutters US operation after eight years, saying tariff uncertainty was the ‘final impetus’
Amigo Spiele, the veteran German board game publisher of titles such as Bohnanza and 6 Nimmt!, is shuttering its US arm after eight years after struggling to overcome the double impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the current tariffs volatility. The US operation, called Amigo Games, will close at the end of the year “due to the ongoing economic challenges since the coronavirus pandemic”, Amigo Spiele said.
The decision comes despite Amigo Games being one of the few hobby board game publishers that managed to diversify some of its manufacturing away from China – one of the countries which has been hit the heaviest by recent US tariffs.
Asmodee makes US mass market push with launch of new party games-focused studio Moodbox Games
Board game publishing and distribution giant Asmodee has continued its reignited expansion strategy by launching a new party games studio as part of a push into the US mass market.
Moodbox Games will be led by former Catan Studio director of brand development Kelli Schmitz and long-time young adult-focused book editor Shaina Olmanson, who joined Asmodee as an operations and communications manager in May of this year.
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Other news:
Spiel Essen 2025: This year’s best panels for board game professionals
Cryptozoic co-founder John Nee steps down as CEO, Shahriar Fouladi takes on role
Tabletop journalist and advocate Rob Wieland has passed away - Rascal News
Hutter Trade to assume exclusive distribution of SPIEL DAS! titles
Design Zone
The latest Ludology podcast sees Sarah Shipp discuss the permissions games and their rules give us to break social conventions within the construct of the so-called "Magic Circle"
Matthew Dunstan on the realities of burnout for a full-time board game designer
Mondo Davis looks at ways to move forward when you're feeling stuck as a game designer
Designer/Developer Diary: Underwater Cities, Epona, and Aquaria by Vladimir Suchy - BoardGameGeek
Skeleton Code Machine explores how Amabel Holland’s design The Field of the Cloth of Gold makes every decision a painful one (in a good way)
Kelp designer Carl Robinson chats with the Cardboard Philosophy podcast about his list of different types of fun, and what goes into the secret sauce of making a ‘fun’ game
The Unboxed podcast’s Danni Loe and Jen Graham-Macht speak to tabletop industry veteran Ross Thompson, who co-created the huge Tabletop Game Jobs Facebook Group, about how to get a job in the board games
Designer Diary: Ayar: Children of The Sun by Fabio Lopiano and Mandela Fernandez-Grandon - BoardGameGeek
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Joe Slack from The Board Game Design Course reviews the Tabletop Publishers Dossier and CRM System
The Game Design Unboxed podcast speaks with Gems of Iridescia designer Roberto Panetta about launching his own publishing house, reigniting creativity and the power of peer feedback
LaunchBoom director of games Victor Shiu discusses the realities of crowdfunding, independent publishing, and his hummingbird game Hover with the My Favourite Game podcast
Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda from the Tabletop Takeaway podcast discuss bidding in trick-takers through the lens of Cat in the Box
Peter C Hayward opens up about his regrets from across his board game design career, including design choices, co-design pitfalls, self-publishing mistakes, failed Kickstarters and burnout
Joe Wiggins from Allplay and Nick Murray from Bitewing Games share their expertise on marketing in board games
Designer Diary: The White Castle Duel by Shei Santos - BoardGameGeek
The Garphill Games crew look at the game design elements of Secret Societies by S J Macdonald on the latest Lens and Veil podcast
Job Watch
Brazil - Product Manager, Loot Studios
All these jobs are from the very excellent Tabletop Game Jobs Facebook Group - head there to take a look at all the latest listings
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