It’s Small Business Saturday, and around here that means celebrating some of our favourite small businesses: game publishers.
I want to poke at a myth I think a lot of us carry around. It’s easy to picture the games we love coming from giant companies with huge warehouses and massive staff. Honestly, I used to think that way too.
But after more than seven years of doing this podcast and review thing, going to cons, and meeting publishers face-to-face, I’ve learned that most of them are anything but “big.” They’re real people, running what are basically mom-and-pop operations.
When you imagine some big office full of employees, the reality—more often than not—is a couple of folks working out of a spare room or a garage, juggling manufacturing headaches, shipping delays, and customer emails between day jobs.
On top of that, the current tariff situation in the U.S. has been hitting the board game and RPG industry hard. It’s getting more expensive and more complicated to get games made and into your hands.
Back in May, when the latest round of tariffs hit, we put together a big roundup of publisher statements and the sales many of them ran at the time. The sale info in that post is now out of date, but if you want a deeper dive into what was going on and how publishers responded, you can find it here: Fight Tariffs by Shopping: Sales on Board Games, Card Games & RPGs.
Okay, so let’s talk about what we can do right now to help keep these companies afloat.
The most obvious way is simple: buy their games.
And here’s the part you might not realize: that absolutely includes buying their games on Amazon.
A lot of publishers have an Amazon storefront. For some, it’s their only online storefront. Even for those with their own webstores, Amazon often wins out as the place they actually want you to shop. I’ve had multiple publishers tell me they’d rather we link to Amazon when we talk about their games because, in their words, “people can get free shipping, get the game faster, and have a better overall shopping experience than they will on our site.”
The first time someone said that to me, I was floored—but I’ve heard it enough times now that I’ve stopped being surprised.
The next way you can support these small publishers doesn’t cost you a dime: boost them during the holiday sales madness. If you follow publishers on social media and you see them posting about a sale or promoting one of their games, give it a like, a comment, or a share. That tiny bit of engagement helps more people see their posts, which helps more people find their games.
Finally, you can give them something that matters more than you might think: moral support. It is Thanksgiving weekend, after all. Take a minute to send a thank-you—post a message on social media and tag them, or send a quick email or DM. Tell them how much their games mean to you, or how playing a specific game with your group has brightened up your day. Over the years, I’ve read posts from a number of publishers and game designers pointing out how messages like that really do help when the business side of things is heavy.
We’re going to be sending out our own publisher thank you letters over on socials all day today. Join in, and use the hashtag #Thanksgaming.
Below is a list of small publishers you can support today. Browse it, find a few you love, or maybe even discover a new favourite.
| Looking for current holiday sales from these publishers? We’re tracking Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals on a separate page: our Holiday Board Game Deals Hub. We have current sales info and discount code for many of the publishers listed below collected on that Holiday Hub page, so we can keep everything up to date in one place. |
I know this list is in no way exhaustive. Time constraints, among other things, mean not every publisher is listed here. If I missed YOUR favourite ping me on social media (where you can find us pretty much everywhere as @tabletopbellhop), I’ll be busy adding more to this list throughout the day.
| If you find this list helpful, please share it. Post it in your game groups, drop it in a Discord, or share it on social media. A quick share is one of the easiest ways to support small publishers today. |
Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. We get a small commission when people use these links and there is no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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25th Century Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Diatoms, Green Team Wins, Hamster Roll, Three Sisters, Ra, and more.
Academy Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Reality Shift (review), Mare Nostrum Empires (review), 1812 The Invasion of Canada, Agents of Mayhem, Freedom The Underground Railroad, and more.
AEG
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Cascadia, Point Salad (review), Space Base (review), Tiny Towns, Smash Up (review), and more.
Allplay
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Kabuto Sumo, Through the Desert, Things and Rings, River Valley Glassworks, and more.
Apis Games
Heather Dixon (a.k.a. Apis Games) is part of the Backerkit Holiday Market with her lovely Victorian themed game, Apistocracy.
Arcane Wonders
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Dubious (review), Mezen, Furnace, Ito, Mother of Frankenstein, Foundations of Rome, and more.
Atlas Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Breakdancing Meeples (review), Magical Kitties Save The Day (review), Gloom, Once Upon a Time, and more.
Bézier Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Suburbia, Rebel Princess, Cat in the Box, Werewolf, Xylotar (review), and more.
Bitewing Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Zoo Vadis, Cascadero, Trailblazers, Spectral, Hot Lead, and more.
Board & Dice
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Tiletum, Side Quest: Nemesis (review), Windmill Valley, Founders of Teotihuacan (review), Teotihuacan: City of Gods, Nucleum, and more.
Breaking Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Dwellings of Eldervale, Rise of Tribes, Expancity, and more.
Brotherwise Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Castles by the Sea, Call to Adventure, Boss Monster, Overboss, and more.
BS Games
BS Games is best know as the publisher of Sinoda.
We are partnered with BS Games, when you use our special code BELLHOP you’ll save 10%.
Burnt Island Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Endeavor: Deep Sea, In the Hall of the Mountain King, How to Save a World, In Too Deep, and more.
Button Shy
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Sprawlopolis, Tussie Mussie, Skulls of Sedlec, Food Chain Island, and more.
Calliope
Some games you may recognize from this publisher: Tsuro, ShipShape, Roll For It! and more.
Capstone
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Orleans, Watergate (review), Ark Nova, Pipeline, Boon Lake, and more.
Catalyst Game Labs
Some games you may know from this publisher: Shadowrun, Battletech, The Duke, and more.
Cephalofair Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Gloomhaven, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, Frosthaven, and more.
Chip Theory Games
Some games from this publisher that you might recognize: 20 Strong, Too Many Bones, Cloudspire, Hoplomachus: Victorum, and more.
Cubicle 7
Some games you may recognize from this publisher: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Starter Set (review), Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Elector Counts An Old World Card Game (review), Doctor Who Roleplaying Game, and more.
Czech Games Edition
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Codenames Duet (review), Galaxy Trucker (review), Lost Ruins of Arnak (review), Pulsar 2849 (review), Starship Captains (review), and more.
Daily Magic Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Castellans of Valeria (review), Dice Kingdoms of Valeria (review), Horizons (review), Shadow Kingdoms of Valeria (review), Card Kingdoms of Valeria, and more.
Eagle-Gryphon Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Age of Steam, Vinhos (review), Brass, Kanban, On Mars, The Gallerist, House of Fado, and more.
Envy Born Games
Some games you may recognize from this publisher: Sirens, Confusing Lands, Mine Your Business (review), and more.
Escape Mail
Escape Mail publishes “escape room in an envelope” style games, like the Shackleton series and the Family Secrets series (review).
Evil Hat
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Fate Core, Fate Accelerated, The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, and more.
Fireside Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Castle Panic (Big Box review), Ultimatch (review), Please Don’t Burn My Village, and more.
Floodgate Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Sagrada, Decorum (review), Skyrockets: Festival of Fire (review), Landmarks, Fog of Love, and more.
Free League
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game (review), The One Ring (review), Tales from the Loop (review), Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game, Vaesen: Nordic Horror Roleplaying, and more.
Friendly Skeleton
Some games you may recognize from this publisher (previously known as Deep Water Games): MonsDRAWsity (review), Fantastic Factories (review), Trash Talk, 7 Summits, and more.
Gap Closer Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Illiterati (review) and Rival Restaurants.
Garphill Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Raiders of the North Sea (review), Architects of the West Kingdom, Paladins of the West Kingdom, Viscounts of the West Kingdom, Wayfarers of the South Tigris, and more.
(Garphill publishes these, and Renegade co-publishes / distributes them in North America.)
Genius Games
Some games you may recognize from this publisher: Cytosis: A Cell Biology Game (review), Genotype, First in Flight, Ecosystem, and more.
Good Games Publishing
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Funfair (review), Guild Master (review), Land vs Sea (review), Star Tycoon (review), Unfair (review), and more.
Goodman Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG, the Original Adventures Reincarnated series of modules, and more.
Grand Gamers Guild
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: The Artemis Project (review), Endangered (review), Gorinto (review), Tír na nÓg (review), the Holiday Hijinks series (reviews), and more.
Grand Gamers Guild was the sponsor of our podcast for 2024.
Grandpa Beck’s Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Skull King, Cover Your Assets, Reign of Dragoness, The Bears and the Bees, and more.
We are partnered with Grandpa Beck’s Games, when you use our special code BELLHOP on their website you’ll save 15%.
Green Ronin Publishing
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Sentinels of Earth-Prime (review), Mutants & Masterminds, Fantasy AGE, The Expanse, and more.
Horrible Guild
Some games you may recognize from this publisher: Potion Explosion, Railroad Ink, The King’s Dilemma, Evergreen, and more.
Inside Up Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Block and Key (review), Gorus Maximus (review), Perch, Earth, and more.
Japanime Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade (review), Tanto Cuore (review), Heart of Crown, Kamigami Battles, and more.
KTBG
Some games you might recognize from Kids Table BG: Wreck Raiders (review), Creature Comforts, Maki Master, Fossilis, and more.
Last Night Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: The Finest Fish, Horticulture, Alpine Trails, Panda Royale (review), and more.
Level 99 Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: BattleCON: War of Indines (review), Pixel Tactics, Millennium Blades, and more.
Modiphius
Some games from this publisher that you may recognize: Achtung! Cthulhu, Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, Star Trek Adventures, Fallout: The Roleplaying Game and more.
We are partnered with Modiphius, when you use our special code BELLHOP you’ll save 10%.
Monte Cook Games
Some RPGs you might recognize from this publisher: Numenera, Cypher System, Invisible Sun, and more.
Mysterious Package Company
Mysterious Package Company is known for their elaborate mystery and escape room in a box games. Some titles you might recognize include: Body of Evidence: Best Served Cold (review), Doomensions, or Ghost in the Machine.
Outset Media
Some games from this publisher that you might recognize: Zensu (review), Shadow Ninjas (review), The Crooked Crown (review), Guildlands, Ape Town, and more.
Pandasaurus Games
Some games from this publisher that you might recognize: Aurum (review), Dead Man’s Cabal (review), Sea Salt & Paper, Machi Koro, Dinosaur Island and more.
Paverson Games
Some games you may recognize from this publisher: Distilled (review), and Luthier.
Play to Z
Some games that you might recognize from this publisher: King’s Coalition (review), Lynx, Ascending Empires: Zenith Edition, and more.
Puzzling Pursuits
Puzzling Pursuits makes escape room in a box style games like Blackbrim 1876 (review), La Famiglia (review), and more.
Queen Games
Some games from this publisher that you might recognize: Alhambra (review), Bastille (review), Marrakesh (review), Dabba Walla, Hamburg, and more.
enegade Game Studios
Some titles you might recognize from this publisher: The Fox in the Forest (review), The Fox in the Forest Duet (review), My Little Pony: Adventures in Equestria Deck-Building Game (review), World’s Fair 1893 (review), Kids on Bikes, and more.
Rock Manor Games
Some game you may recognize from this publisher: Seas of Havoc (review), Set a Watch, Merchants of Magick, Lawyer Up, and more.
Runaway Parade
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Fire Tower, Smug Owls (review), Punch Bowl, and more.
Smirk & Dagger Games
Some games from this publisher that you might recognize: boop. (review),The Deadlies (review), Shobu (review), The Night Cage (review), A Place For All My Books, and more.
Steve Jackson Games
Some games you may recognize from this publisher: Munchkin, GURPS, Car Wars, Ogre, and more.
Stonemaier Games
Some games from this publisher that you might recognize: Charterstone (review), Scythe (review), Tapestry (review), Wingspan, Apiary, and more.
Th3rd World Studios
Some games you may recognize from this publisher: The Stuff of Legend (review), Mission Control: Critical Orbit, Charcuterie: The Board Game, and more.
Thunderworks Games
Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Cartographers Heroes (review), Metrorunner, Roll Player, Emerald Skulls, and more.
Thing 12 Games
Some games you might know from this publisher: Matches (review), Puppy Pile, Dinos Not Assembled, and more.
Wise Wizard Games
Some games you might know from this publisher: KAPOW! (review), Sorcerer (review), Robot Quest Arena (review), Star Realms, and more.
Again, many of the publishers listed on this page are currently holding holiday sales. Rather than repeat all of that info here (and risk things going out of date fast), we’re keeping the all of the holiday sale info up to date over on our Holiday Deals Hub.
