“We’re like a Tiny Epic Asmodee”: Tycoon Games CEO Dan Yarrington on the company’s ongoing acquisition spree, future plans and criticism of his past business practices
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Welcome to the latest BoardGameWire newsletter!
When the word ‘acquisitions’ rears its head in board game circles, it’s almost inevitable that people are talking about Asmodee, given its decade-long strategy of hoovering up smaller publishers and distributors. But when the recent news broke that financially troubled board game publisher CMON was selling off titles including Blood Rage and Rising Sun, it was Everdell publisher Tabletop Tycoon - since rebranded to Tycoon Games - that emerged as the buyer.
Tycoon has grown to become a major board game publisher since it began life as Game Salute way back in 2008, with sales in the tens of millions of dollars each year. But that success has also been accompanied by frequent and continued criticism of founder and CEO Dan Yarrington and his business practices over the years. In our feature article this week, Yarrington spoke to BoardGameWire about his company’s ongoing acquisition spree, the criticisms that plague his companies, and whether the recent purchases are a precursor to Tycoon Games itself being bought by Asmodee.
We also have news that board game distributor, publisher and e-commerce specialist Flat River Group has downsized again, with industry veterans Jules Vautour, Colin Young and Danni Loe leaving to revive distributor Luma Imports as part of ACD Distribution. And we report on how CMON has suffered yet another blow this year after revealing its Gamefound campaign for Degenesis: Clan Wars has been cancelled by the IP holder amid a legal wrangle between the pair.
We also have our regular roundup of all the other recent board game industry news, our designer-focused advice and discussion zone (which is looking for a sponsor, incidentally - email me if you’re interested!), and all the latest job openings in the hobby.
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Have a great week!
Mike Didymus-True - Editor
“We’re like a Tiny Epic Asmodee”: Tycoon Games CEO Dan Yarrington on the company’s ongoing acquisition spree, future plans and criticism of his past business practices
When board game crowdfunding giant CMON sold off some of its best-known titles, including Blood Rage and Rising Sun, at the end of May there was little surprise within the industry, given the company’s high-profile financial struggles over the past few months. But the element of the deal that did catch many off guard was the buyer: not Asmodee, despite the company having reignited the acquisitions strategy that saw it swell from a specialist French operation to a global tabletop heavyweight over the past decade.
Instead, the Eric Lang designs and co-designs were picked up by Tabletop Tycoon, best known as the publisher of Everdell – and for the condemnation often levelled at company founder and CEO Dan Yarrington for his past business practices. Yarrington spoke to BoardGameWire about his company’s ongoing acquisition spree, criticism of his past business dealings, and whether the purchases are a precursor to being bought by Asmodee.
Flat River Group downsizes again as veteran trio leave to relaunch Luma Imports under ACD Distribution; ACD also buys Flat River’s Synapses Games
Board game distributor, publisher and e-commerce specialist Flat River Group has downsized again, with industry veterans Jules Vautour, Colin Young and Danni Loe leaving to revive distributor Luma Imports as part of ACD Distribution.
Flat River has also sold Canadian publisher and design house Synapses Games to ACD, continuing a whittling down of the private equity-backed business that began in response to US tariffs volatility three months ago.
CMON announces cancellation of Degenesis: Clan Wars Gamefound campaign after breakdown in relationship, legal dispute with IP holder
Financially-troubled board game publishing major CMON has suffered another blow after revealing its Gamefound campaign for Degenesis: Clan Wars has been cancelled by the IP holder amid a legal wrangle between the pair.
CMON announced to the campaign’s 1,200 backers that German design studio SixMoreVodka had terminated its contract with the publisher, after what it says began as a collaborative and respectful relationship “quickly became one in which legal channels were the only remaining form of contact”.
Staff at London’s first board game cafe, Draughts, prepare to strike over zero-hour contracts, ‘erratic scheduling’ and security concerns
London’s first board game cafe, Draughts, is facing strike action from staff who claim the business is ignoring their concerns about issues including unfair contracts, having shifts cancelled at short notice and a lack of security at one of its premises.
The vast majority of workers at Draughts, which operates a trio of cafes in the UK capital, joined the United Voices of the World union en masse in May to protest against what they see as falling standards for both staff and customers at the decade-old business.
Binding of Isaac tabletop publisher Maestro Media hails ‘defining moment’ in agreeing Asmodee distribution deal
Maestro Media, the publishing company adapting IPs such as Hello Kitty and video game The Binding of Isaac to the tabletop, has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Asmodee for its English language products in the US, United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
The deal comes 18 months after Maestro agreed a global distribution deal with Flat River Group, which saw it take on responsibility for managing sales, marketing, and events for Maestro’s English catalogue.
Asmodee brings in David Preti, one of the architects of CMON’s Kickstarter strategy, to head up its own crowdfunding and miniatures operations
Asmodee has hired David Preti, the recently-resigned COO of financially-troubled board game publisher CMON, to head up the tabletop gaming giant’s own crowdfunding and miniatures strategy.
Preti spent eight years at CMON from 2016 as creative director and COO, and was an architect of its growth into one of board gaming’s biggest crowdfunding-focused publishers, raising tens of millions of dollars across campaigns for miniatures-focused titles such as its flagship Zombicide series and its Massive Darkness and Marvel and DC United titles.
New York board game cafe workers win almost two year battle for better pay, protections by ratifying union contract
In further union success news, more than 100 workers from a string of New York board game cafes are celebrating a historic win after ratifying their first union contract, securing pay increases and worker protections almost two years after some of them began pursuing a living wage.
The agreement makes the staff from Hex & Company – the largest board game cafe company in Manhattan – The Brooklyn Strategist and The Uncommons the first to win a tabletop retail union contract in New York City, following nearly 18 months of acrimonious negotiations with cafe owners Jon Freeman and Greg May and their legal counsel.
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Other news:
ICv2 bags an interview BoardGameWire’s been after for weeks - Angelo Exarhakos, the CEO of Universal Distribution, which recently acquired Alliance Game Distributors after a chaotic auction process
Fantastic to see Rascal News and former Polygon tabletop editor Charlie Hall up for the Diana Jones Award this year - strong representation for tabletop journalism. The fellow worthy nominees are climate change board game Daybreak and legendary D&D novelist Rose Estes.
GAMA continues to lobby US elected officials to try to get a tariffs exemption for small businesses like tabletop gaming companies. President Trump has just extended the pause on most country-specific tariffs until August 1.
The Armchair Dragoons have the results of this year’s Charles S Roberts Awards for excellence in conflict simulation games
Nominations are open for the 2025 Summit Award, which aims to recognise the published game that most broadens the historical gaming hobby through its ease of teaching and/or play, novel topic or novel approach.
Design Zone
Erica Bouyouris and Sen-Foong Lim from the Ludology podcast chat to Sarah Shipp for her take on how to combat anti-intellectualism using games with intentional design.
Phil Walker-Harding discusses designing 2001: A Space Odyssey: The Board Game - Mojo Nation
Designer Diary: Sykes-Picot by Brooks Barber - BoardGameGeek
Skeleton Code Machine explores the concept of Hobson's Choice in tabletop games, and when it makes for good or bad design
Board game designer Ellie Dix provides three tips aimed at helping ease new designers into game design
Danni Loe & Jennifer Graham-Macht from the Unboxed podcast get the lowdown from The Op’s David Blanchard about the story and strategy behind hot card game Flip 7’s success
Designer Diary: Wolf Street by Britton Roney - BoardGameGeek
Goliath project manager and producer Regan Deason on bringing The Sims into board games - Mojo Nation
The Cardboard Philosophy Podcast debate whether there is a difference between a ‘game’ and an ‘activity’
Joe Slack from The Board Game Design Course suggests three things you can do right now to become a better game designer
Designer Diary: Make The Difference - a BoardGameGeek Q&A with Shintaro Ono, Shingo Fujita and Jun Susaki
Game Design Unboxed talks with The Op’s Pat Marino about capturing the frenetic excitement of the Cuphead video game for the tabletop
The Tabletop Takeaway board game design podcast looks at Biblios, giving players an outlet for resources they don’t want, and how much hidden information is too much?
Peter C Hayward and AJ Brandon present another week in the life of a board game designer
Designer Diary: Positano by Jeff Grisenthwaite - BoardGameGeek
Shem, Sam and Zach from Garphill Games discuss the design elements they like and dislike in this year’s nominees for the Kennerspiel Des Jahres
Job Watch
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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