Latest news with #tabletopgames
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
New Pathfinder And Starfinder Books Pave The Way To Gen Con
Treasure Vault is one of four books ready to expand your Pathfinder and Starfinder adventures It's shaping up to be a big summer for tabletop games publisher Paizo with two big releases slated for Gen Con. The long awaited mass battle rules for Pathfinder Second Edition Remastered will be at the show. The new edition of Starfinder, which premiered as a playtest last year, will arrive in its final form as well. There's no rest for the wicked goblins at Paizo. There are books that have come out that expand options for players and Game Masters. Here are some highlights within these recent releases with thanks to the company for providing review copies for this article. Pathfinder Second Edition Remastered Lost Omens: Rival Academies The popularity of fantasy stories like Harry Potter have made wizarding schools a popular choice as a campaign setup. It makes sense to follow first level spellcasters as freshman through their graduation and beyond. Schools are chock full of potential allies and rivals that can cause drama in between dungeon runs. Lost Omens: Rival Academies provides six schools for playes to use along with the personalities that make each school unique. They have different focuses and philosophies that get into the intrigues of wizards for any game. There's even a runelord archetype for players who want to dip their toes into the dark side of villainous magic users that have been around since the beginning of the game. I really enjoyed the Convocation section which brings together the schools for a sort of convention and competition. There's a lot of politics and intrigue to explore here. It shows that Pathfinder doesn't have to be dungeon crawls all the time. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Pathfinder Second Edition Remastered NPC Core One of the joys of classic fantasy games is flipping through the monster book for inspiration. Sometimes it's to beef up an encounter while other times a neat monster with a clever ability can inspire a new story on its own. But what about obstacles of a less fire breathing nature? The NPC Core book focuses on humanoid adversaries from goblin raiders to infernal bureaucrats. Each entry comes with a full write up plus lore, setting information and special rules to challenge players above and beyond their usual battle tactics. These NPCs are perfect for city and town encounters. I'm glad Paizo decided to split this off into a separate book. Mundane adversaries like these often get a quick mention in the back because monsters are naturally more interested. Here, normal people the players encounter get a little more focus to help them connect with players and make story hooks more engaging. Pathfinder Second Edition Remastered Treasure Vault As Pathfinder Second Edition books go out of print, Paizo is taking the opportunity to bring them fully in line with their remaster project. Guns & Gears was the first of these books that updated some of the steampunk elements of the game. The inventor and gunslinger classes were refitted to make sure they interacted with everything else propeller. The most recent expansion to get this treatment is Treasure Vault. This book contains a dragon's hoard worth of magical items from the tiniest consumable to legendary relics. Players love getting new toys to play with and these are the newest. There are crafting rules in here that go into a little more depth for players that want to build their own epic sword than buy one from the local blacksmith. I really enjoyed the narrative questing rules for crafts and the advice on how to turn a magic item into something the players earn. There are some great examples that pair well with iconic monsters to slay. Starfinder Galaxy Guide Starfinder Second Edition officially released next month. But, thanks to the playtest, most fans have a good idea of what's coming in the core books. The last book on our list offers a bridge between the two eras of the game. The first official Starfinder Second Edition hardcover release is Galaxy Guide. For old fans, it catches up what's been going on in the setting with solid summaries of story points like the Drift Crisis and the Newborn. That also makes this a great jumping on point for new fans, too. The book contains six ancestries, which are my favorite thing in Starfinder. While I'm glad the new edition can easily port over ones from Pathfinder, the ones here embrace a fun sci-fi feel right out of Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm definitely going to make a character with the giant floating brain aliens called speculatives out of this book.
Forbes
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Kickstarter's New Head Of Games Asher McClennahan Discusses His Vision
Asher McClennahan joined Kickstarter in March of 2025 as the new Head of Games. Kickstarter has become a vital part of the tabletop gaming industry. It serves both the start up dreamers who want to make their first game and larger interests that want to reach a broader audience while also gaining advance capital to offset costs of a big release. Many games and gaming companies would have never gotten off the group withut the help of Kickstarter. That makes the Head of Games at Kickstarter an important position. Asher McClennahan joined the company in that position a few months ago. He sat down with me for an interview where we discussed how he views his role and what he can do to help tabletop creators no matter the current economic climate. 'The thing that is constantly running through my mind,' said McClennahan, 'what I am always talking to people internal to Kickstarter about and people in the community is being of service to them. It is very important to me that Kickstarter as a platform and just me as a person are actively serving this community.' Part of McClennahan's concept of service is giving back to a hobby that helped him. During the strange days in which we live, it's important to step away from the constant feed of troubling news. Tabletop games give people a chance to break away for a few minutes or hours and reconnect with those most important to their lives. 'I think that in a post pandemic world,' said McClennahan, 'with the climate, the economic political climate that exists in 2025. It is really easy to spend a ton of time doom scrolling or trying to find ways to escape and cope with whatever it is that we are dealing with as humans. The thing that really saves me from a lot of that was games and so creating opportunities for play I think is one of the most important things that we as people and as a society can do.' One of the first steps that McClennahan took to help creators to use the platform was integrate pledge manager assistance after the ledge drive was completed. After a Kickstarter, the creator either had to manage getting the product to their backers on their own or to turn to a third-party service that took an additional cut of the pledge money. Now backers can use an integrated service to help fulfill their promises. I think the big one is how streamlined everything is not just from crowdfunding to pledge manager," said McClennahan. 'Obviously there's huge benefits and just being able to stay in one ecosystem. I am so impressed by really genuinely they are very, very cognizant of how easy it would be to over inundate creators with pledge management features and guides and walkthroughs that sort of overcomplicate the reality. What I really love about our pledge manager is how simple and streamlined it is. I think the right buttons are in the right places that you expect them to be. From a feature perspective, the big reason that the Kickstarter pledge manager is so useful and helpful is that it has all of the sort of table stakes features that most creators expect.' The main feature he was excited about was helping creators figure out taxes on whatevr funds are raised. It's a common misperception that the end number of a Kickstarter is just a big pile of money for the creators to use however they wish. In reality, creators have to pay start up costs, give Kickstarter a cut and then keep some aside for when the IRS comes calling next year. "It is really robust in its reporting and in remitting of of taxes to try to make that Process much, much easier for creators," said McClennahan. McClennahan sees room for all kinds of scales of Kickstarters under his watch. Some supporters enjoy being ablr to easily be notified when their favorite creator is preparing something new. Others like to wander the site like a physical store and see what new things they can help fund. "In terms of what we see on the platform in like a macro view I'm really excited about what's happening on Kickstarter," said McClennahan. 'Tabletop games are at an 80%+ success rate so far on Kickstarter this year, which is incredible. There is there is a group of people who expect sort of more high fidelity Kickstarter pages and things like that. There were also still a lot of people that go on the website. You know, we have many millions of people hitting this website every single, every month and I think what's cool is like there are still lots of people who are on Kickstarter, backers who are there for the discovery aspect, to see a small game and really let it come to life, and I think that's one thing that I really love about Kickstarter. You can have both. There is like a dichotomy that exists within Kickstarter itself, where it's like these huge campaigns featuring major IP or very well known creators that are making these really high fidelity pages.' Recent years have been a challenge to tabetop creators. Shipping has become more expensive and less reliable, the market is full of games vying for attention and the current state of the economy is very volatile. There's no easy solution but there are steps creators can take to minimize their vulnerability. "If you're a creator and you're looking at tariffs I think the reality is just pay attention," said McClennahan. "There's amazing communities of people out there that are really talking about it every day. They're being very public and vocal about what the status of all of this is, and you know we have a couple of articles to help you understand. Tariffs shoot up. Don't panic, we've seen that go back and forth many, many times already. We don't know how it's all going to end up. There's like, thereyour shipping costs that you will you will dictate there? There's a couple of levers that you can pull. There is the tariff manager if you using the Kickstarter pledge manager. There are ways that you can pass those costs on. When you're doing the budgeting and the projections after your campaign, before you launch, consider all of the scenarios that are possible including the worst case. You should have a sense of understanding where the tariffs are today. Build it in your calculations that looks at those manufacturing costs with a with a 30% tariff, with a 54% tariff, with a 45% tariff. Just so that you can more deeply understand what situation you might be walking into. Try to build your tiers and pricing model such that provides value to your backers but also honors the fact that there is a little bit of unpredictability. Now, I'm not saying double the price of your your tiers and call it a day, but I think really being eyes wide open before you launch your campaign will help decrease the level of panic that you might experience afterwards. If you can arm yourself with the knowledge of your costs and and potential outcomes, you are most well equipped to weather any storm that is coming."
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Warhammer maker Games Workshop to reward staff with £20MILLION payout
Games Workshop is handing its employees £20million following another bumper year for the beloved tabletop games maker. The Warhammer creator, which has struck a deal to have its creations star in potential TV and film blockbusters for Amazon, said the cash payments would be given on 'an equal basis' to every staff member. Games Workshop's shares have soared in recent years and it joined the UK's leading FTSE 100 stock market index for the first time last December. The £20million payout represents an increase on the £18million awarded last year and £11million the year before that. It comes as Games Workshop forecast sales to soar to at least £560million for the year ending 1 June, up from £494.7million in the previous 12 months. British actor and Superman star Henry Cavill, a self-declared lifelong fan of the figures, will star in and produce a Warhammer 40,000 series with Amazon Prime and Games Workshop. Last December, Cavill posted on Instagram: 'To celebrate some Warhammer news, I decided to make a pilgrimage to the very first place I bought Warhammer models over 30 years Little Shop, on my home island of Jersey! 'My incredible team and I, alongside the brilliant minds at Games Workshop, have been working away in concept rooms, breaking down approaches to the enormity and magnificence of the Warhammer world. 'Together, we've been sifting through the plethora of incredible characters and poring over old tomes and texts. 'Our combined efforts have led us to a fantastic place to start our Universe, which has been agreed upon by those up on high at both Amazon and Games Workshop. That starting place shall, for now, remain a secret.' Games Workshop said today that it expects to achieve record licensing sales of about £50million, although the company does not envision repeating that figure in the next financial year. Alongside this, the business believes its core operating profits and pre-tax profits will total no less than £210million and £255million, respectively. Two months ago, Games Workshop upgraded its earnings forecast thanks to strong trading across licensing and its core operations. This followed the firm's best-ever first-half result, with sales buoyed by record retail sales in the UK, North America and Continental Europe. Revenues were further boosted by the release of video game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, which sold two million copies on the opening day of its launch and five million by the end of November. During the half-year period, Games Workshop agreed 'creative guidelines' with Amazon to adapt Warhammer 40,000 into films and television shows. In addition, the company entered the blue-chip FTSE 100 after enjoying nearly a decade of consistent growth under its chief executive, Kevin Rountree. During his tenure, Games Workshop has improved its relationship with fans and introduced games with more simplified rules, including Blood Bowl, a parody of American football. Its revenues benefited considerably from the Covid-19 pandemic, when consumers sought new indoor hobbies to occupy their time. Although lockdown curbs eventually ended, the firm's trade has continued expanding, and its market value now stands at almost £5billion. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Games Workshop has a rock-solid core business, underpinned by an army of fans emerged in its fantasy worlds who collect miniature figures and play its board games. 'This success has enabled the company to build a rich library of intellectual property that is now the platform for additional revenue generation. 'Licencing the rights to certain brands and characters is easy money, but Games Workshop is fiercely protective of its assets and won't let anyone come along and milk them.' Despite the optimistic forecasts, Games Workshop shares were 4.5 per cent lower at 15,150p on Friday morning, making them the Footsie's biggest faller.
Geek Girl Authority
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Tavern Talk Thursday: Kickstarters To Keep an Eye on in June
Welcome to Tavern Talk Thursday! We are expanding! What started as a column dedicated to chatting with members of the TTRPG community is growing to talk about all things TTRPG. We aim to continue sharing all the things we love about the community and all the content within. So, consider this a little peek into our favorite worlds and creators as we explore everything we love. As we head into warmer months, we can't forget all the tabletop games waiting for us to fall in love with them. And while our picks on Kickstarter might not be availble for a few months, we think it's crucial to get invested early. Whether you are looking for a fun board game to pass the time or a dark adventure in a new TTRPG, we have a few picks we know you will love. The only question is – where will your adventure begin? City of the Black Rose Kicking off our list of Kickstarters to keep an eye on in June, we have Roll & Play Press' City of the Black Rose . This is a campaign setting filled with gothic horror, dark comedy and tons of drama. The team is marketing it toward fans of The Great Gatsby , Sin City , Arcane or Nosferatu. While those four don't usually get rolled together, we can't help but be excited about the potential story hooks, world and chaos this setting will unfold. It is designed to work within the confines of Dungeons & Dragons 5e , as well as Daggerheart and other TTRPG games. Learn more about City of the Black Rose on the official Kickstarter page. RELATED: 5 TTRPGs You Need to Check out for Your Next Game Session Sleddy's Lost Tapes Next, our second pick is Key Enigma's Sleddy's Lost Tapes . This is a co-op, creepypasta-themed escape game that combines puzzles, narrative, and technology to create a challenging experience. If you have ever played Hunt a Killer or similar games, this one will be right up your alley. Players will work together to sift through evidence-filled envelopes to uncover the truth before it's too late. The gameplay is the perfect blend of tabletop elements and current technology. This makes the game accessible to players of all skill levels. Learn more about Sleddy's Lost Tapes on the official Kickstarter page. Top Frog Our final pick for Kickstarters to keep an eye on is YadCo Games' Top Frog . This is a fun card game that will have players hopping around the swamp to try and stack up fashionable frogs for points. It's a quick-paced game where all players' moves occur simultaneously, keeping everyone on their toes. We love it when games built to create chaos are wrapped up in adorable artwork. We can't wait to see who is able to build the tallest stack of frogs wearing the best hats at a future game night. It's a great game to challenge long-time gamers, but perfect for those new to the table. Learn more about Top Frog on the official Kickstarter page. Tavern Talk Thursday: Everything We Know About Critical Role's AGE OF UMBRA
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Games Workshop to reward staff with £20MILLION payout
Games Workshop is handing its employees £20million following another bumper year for the beloved table-top games maker The Warhammer creator, which has struck a deal to have its creations star in potential TV and film blockbusters for Amazon, said the cash payments would be given on 'an equal basis' to every staff member. Games Workshop's shares have soared in recent years and it recently joined the UK's leading FTSE 100 stock market index for the first time. The £20million payout represents an increase on the £18million awarded last year and £11million the year before that. It comes as Games Workshop forecast sales to soar to at least £560million for the year ending 1 June, up from £494.7million in the previous 12 months. British actor and Superman star Henry Cavill, a self-declared lifelong fan of the figures, will star in and produce a Warhammer 40,000 series with Amazon Prime and Games Workshop. Last December, Cavill posted on Instagram: 'To celebrate some Warhammer news, I decided to make a pilgrimage to the very first place I bought Warhammer models over 30 years Little Shop, on my home island of Jersey! 'My incredible team and I, alongside the brilliant minds at Games Workshop, have been working away in concept rooms, breaking down approaches to the enormity and magnificence of the Warhammer world. 'Together, we've been sifting through the plethora of incredible characters and poring over old tomes and texts. 'Our combined efforts have led us to a fantastic place to start our Universe, which has been agreed upon by those up on high at both Amazon and Games Workshop. That starting place shall, for now, remain a secret.' Games Workshop said today that it expects to achieve record licensing sales of about £50million, although the company does not envision repeating that figure in the next financial year. Alongside this, the business believes its core operating profits and pre-tax profits will total no less than £210million and £255million, respectively. Two months ago, Games Workshop upgraded its earnings forecast thanks to strong trading across licensing and its core operations. This followed the firm's best-ever first-half result, with sales buoyed by record retail sales in the UK, North America and Continental Europe. Revenues were further boosted by the release of video game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, which sold two million copies on the opening day of its launch and five million by the end of November. During the half-year period, Games Workshop agreed 'creative guidelines' with Amazon to adapt Warhammer 40,000 into films and television shows. In addition, the company entered the blue-chip FTSE 100 after enjoying nearly a decade of consistent growth under its chief executive, Kevin Rountree. During his tenure, Games Workshop has improved its relationship with fans and introduced games with more simplified rules, including Blood Bowl, a parody of American football. Its revenues benefited considerably from the Covid-19 pandemic, when consumers sought new indoor hobbies to occupy their time. Although lockdown curbs eventually ended, the firm's trade has continued expanding, and its market value now stands at almost £5billion. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Games Workshop has a rock-solid core business, underpinned by an army of fans emerged in its fantasy worlds who collect miniature figures and play its board games. 'This success has enabled the company to build a rich library of intellectual property that it is now the platform for additional revenue generation. 'Licencing the rights to certain brands and characters is easy money, but Games Workshop is fiercely protective of its assets and won't let anyone come along and milk them.' Despite the optimistic forecasts, Games Workshop shares were 4.5 per cent lower at 15,150p on Friday morning, making them the Footsie's biggest faller.
