Kickstarter board game specialist Orange Nebula signs exclusive US distribution deal with GTS

Orange Nebula, a Kickstarter-focused board game publisher which has raised more than $6m across its campaigns, has inked an exclusive US distribution deal with GTS Distribution.

The move expands retail availability of Orange Nebula’s debut title Vindication, which has raised about $1.8m across a trio of Kickstarters, and Unsettled, which has raised close to $3.2m across a pair of crowdfunds.

Orange Nebula had a rocky start with its debut Kickstarter for RPG-tinged fantasy engine-builder Vindication – then known as Epoch: The Awakening – in 2017, cancelling the project after just two weeks while still $10,000 short of its roughly $38,000 goal.

A rejuvenated campaign later that year, which doubled down on community building, advertising and marketing, as well as dropping the price of shipping and adding more video content, raised more than $210,000 from over 3,300 backers, and was the catalyst for a series of strong campaigns since.

The company’s most recent Kickstarter, for open-world fantasy adventure game Spirit Fire, pulled in over $1m from about 6,700 backers in November last year.

Its most successful campaign, a reprint of and set of new additions for co-op survival adventure game Unsettled, raised more than $2m from over 14,000 backers in 2022.

Orange Nebula president Tom Mattson, who co-designed Unsettled with Vindication creator Marc Neidlinger, said, “We’re sincerely delighted to deepen Orange Nebula’s connection to the retail side of the board game industry.

“GTS’s involved, hands-on approach is well-suited to our focus on thoughtful relationship to community and partnerships.

“We’re excited for our award-winning titles to find exposure to a larger audience outside the crowdfunding space, and to be a bigger part of the local gaming store experience.

“We work hard on our games. Retailers work hard on their stores. GTS bringing us all together with care and intentionality feels like a no brainer.”

Patrick Day, director of business development for gaming at GTS Distribution, added, “Orange Nebula’s focus on premium gaming experiences for board game players using deep mechanics, rich settings and detailed components are something the GTS team is pleased to carry and support as a distributor.

“I know these are games customers have been asking retailers about and GTS is committed to helping stores have access to titles like these so that they can be successful.”

Other US distribution partnerships inked by GTS this year include exclusivity with Open Owl Studios, the publisher of Kickstarter successes Mythwind and Stars of Akarios, and a tie-up with inserts maker Folded Space, which is also distributed by ACD and Alliance Game Distributors.