“It is clear that Take Time won’t be a one-hit wonder”: Asmodee hit passes 325,000 copies after record-breaking launch
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Welcome to the latest BoardGameWire newsletter!
It’s been another busy couple of weeks for the board game industry - including a surprisingly positive development for one of the sector’s most financially-troubled publishers.
In the last BoardGameWire newsletter I wrote about CMON’s efforts to raise fresh capital, after years of heavy losses had left the company with just $368,000 in cash and bank balances at the start of August.
That fundraising has now delivered in a big way, with CMON securing $19m of new capital - providing some much-needed breathing room as it continues its efforts to stabilise the business.
I can also report that Asmodee’s big bet on co-operative puzzle game Take Time has paid off, with more than 325,000 copies now printed less than a year after release. Those huge figures come after it made the game an internal priority and threw its weight behind a record-breaking worldwide launch.
I also spoke to Pandasaurus about how shifting its Spiel Essen sales operation to Asmodee’s EPN has allowed it to slash the cost and complexity of attending the world’s biggest board game fair - while still selling similar numbers of its hit games - and to Chip Theory about its efforts to build a new audience for lighter game imprint Neon Knight.
Plus: UK Games Expo’s founders begin preparing for the giant convention’s eventual future without them, Steve Jackson steps back from running his namesake company, Exploding Kittens gets a new studio boss, and all the rest of the latest industry news - as well as our regular links to designer-focused podcasts and articles, and a roundup of open job positions in the industry.
I hope you find this week’s newsletter useful and packed full of interesting industry news that hasn’t been reported elsewhere. If so, please do help me keep it going by financially supporting the site!
Take care, and have a great week,
Mike Didymus-True - Editor
“It is clear that Take Time won’t be a one-hit wonder”: Asmodee hit passes 325,000 copies after record-breaking launch
Huge demand for Asmodee‘s co-operative puzzle game Take Time has seen the publishing giant print more than 325,000 copies less than a year after release – outstripping even the company’s high expectations which surrounded its record-breaking launch.
CMON succeeds with $19m capital raise in major boost to financially-troubled publisher’s turnaround
CMON has secured a $19m injection of new capital as it battles to turn around years of heavy losses and dwindling cash reserves – which had left it with just $368,000 in bank and cash balances at the start of August.
Chip Theory hires Keymaster veteran to grow lighter game imprint Neon Knight, as it learns to build beyond its existing audience
The Too Many Bones publisher told BoardGameWire it is very happy with Neon Knight’s progress since it began building the studio two years ago, but has acknowledged being “maybe naive” about how many of its existing fans would follow it into lighter games.
Pandasaurus makes significant cut to SPIEL Essen booth size, says lower-cost shift to EPN delivers similar sales volume
Pandasaurus CEO Nathan McNair told BoardGameWire, "What we found is a way to more economically attend the show, get some marketing done, sell games to players, make sure we are demoing games and getting the meetings we need without having to spend €50,000 or more on the show itself."
UK Games Expo creators prep for giant show’s future without them by bringing in AireCon co-founder Mark Cooke
After 20 years growing the UK Games Expo into one of the largest tabletop gaming conventions in the world, founders Richard Denning and Tony Hyams are preparing for their eventual exit by bringing in AireCon co-founder Mark Cooke as operations director.
Tabletop pioneer Steve Jackson returns focus to game design as Sabrina Gonzalez takes over as Steve Jackson Games CEO
Tabletop game design pioneer Steve Jackson has ended a 17-month return running his namesake games company, with new CEO Sabrina Gonzalez taking charge of a business with years of falling revenue as well as a run of promising crowdfunding successes.
New Exploding Kittens studio boss sets sights on expanding namesake IP into “long-lasting evergreen brand”
Exploding Kittens has named chief commercial officer Joeri Hoste as its new head of studio, with the long-time game industry exec eyeing further expansion of the company’s namesake hit into a “long-lasting evergreen brand” beyond its big-selling card game.
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Support BoardGameWire as a Paid SubscriberOther News:
Asmodee’s Kelli Schmitz on Moodbox Games’ debut slate – and what’s next for the studio - Mojo Nation
Asmodee hires Wizards of the Coast’s Brian Trunk as senior VP, Route to Market, Americas - ICv2
Jamey Stegmaier from Stonemaier Games asks if spending big bucks on prelaunch ads is worth the squeeze
Chip Theory Games is inviting experienced developers to join for a short periods of paid collaboration via a “developer-in-residence” programme
Design Zone
Game designer Pam Walls discusses royalties earned, contracts signed and games playtested in her indie board game designer Q2 2026 report
Board game maker Boda provides some advice on submitting artwork files ahead of manufacturing
Skeleton Code Machine looks at additive and subtractive damage systems by exploring the pulse rate system in Demon Ship
Another great grab bag of design chat and advice from Peter C Hayward and AJ Brandon
Designer Diary: Power Vacuum by Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher - BoardGameGeek
The Decision Space podcast look at lane battlers and their forebear, the 1999 Knizia design Schotten Totten
Joe Slack from The Board Game Design Course discusses things you can do to keep up the momentum of your crowdfunding campaign
Designer Diary: How 'Sixty Below' Came to Be by Peter Prinz - BoardGameGeek
Ben Rosset talks about his inspiration for The Game Makers, and the difference between freelance and studio design work on the Game Design Unboxed podcast
The Tabletop Takeaway talk Distilled, recipe fulfillment and set collection, and how much uncertainty is okay?
Shem, Sam and Zach from Garphill Games discuss games they've played together, this week focusing on competitive euro dice drafting game Coimbra.
Job Watch
US - International Sales Director - Allplay
US - Convention Manager - Allplay
US - Amazon and Content Manager - Allplay
US - Creative Director - Renegade Game Studios
US - Senior Mass Market Sales Co-ordinator - Asmodee
US - Senior E-commerce Manager - Exploding Kittens
Remote - Production and Logistics Associate - WeirdCo (Cyberpunk TCG)
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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