Asmodee to adapt its ‘most iconic’ games into shorter, child-friendly versions with launch of kids-focused brand

Board game publishing and distribution giant Asmodee has launched a dedicated kids-focused brand as it prepares to release a slate of re-worked, simpler and shorter versions of some of its most popular titles.

The first game from Asmodee Kids will be My First Unlock later this month, followed by Splendor Kids in October and Dixit Kids in January next year.

All three of the titles those kid-focused versions are based on have been heavy sellers over the years, with Dixit having clocked up more than 12 million sales and Splendor having reached three million as of last year.

Asmodee said the adapted titles within Asmodee Kids would be designed for a maximum of 30 minutes of gameplay, adding that the games had all been designed in collaboration with child development specialists and been tested in schools and “community settings”.

Company CEO Thomas Koegler said, “Board games are more than just entertainment. And while we are keeping the fun at the core of the experience, because that’s what kids are seeking, they also get to develop focus, adaptability, and emotional skills. Asmodee Kids means that children and parents can enjoy our most iconic games together.”

Previous versions of Asmodee studio titles aimed at children include Catan Junior, released in 2012, and US and Europe map editions of Ticket to Ride: First Journey from 2016 and 2017 respectively.

The launch of Asmodee Kids continues the company’s push to put the Asmodee name front and centre across its huge portfolio of games, a shift from its prior strategy of leaning on the identity of its more than 20 umbrella studios such as Fantasy Flight Games, Lookout Games and Days of Wonder.

Asmodee launched a new brand identity as part of that push in June this year, which coincided with the company’s 30th anniversary and followed its spin-off from former owner Embracer Group in February.

Koegler said at the time, “At Asmodee, we have made it our mission to create meaningful, shared experiences through our games to celebrate all players.

“During our 30-year journey in the tabletop games industry, our brand hasn’t always been visible to players themselves. With this brand evolution, we aim to change that – making Asmodee a name that’s recognized, trusted, loved, and sought out by players around the world.”

That rebrand has now extended to Asmodee’s vast global distribution operation, with the company renaming VR Distribution, which covers Australia and New Zealand, and Brazil-focused Galapagos to operate under the Asmodee name.

That brings the pair in line with Asmodee’s 20 other local operations across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Galapagos was bought by Asmodee in 2018, and VR Distribution joined the group in October 2022 – one of its last major acquisitions before the end of a years-long M&A spree under several private equity owners and Embracer.

Asmodee revealed last November that it was preparing to reignite the heavy expansion it undertook after being bought by private equity firm Eurazeo in 2014, which saw it swell from a specialist French operation to a global heavyweight across publishing and distribution.

The company said it had picked out a pipeline of more than 20 acquisition targets, similar to the decade-long spree which saw it buy up studios including Catan Studio and Z-Man Games, as well as a string of global distribution companies.

Asmodee unveiled the opening salvo in that acquisition strategy in June when it picked up the Zombicide, the flagship IP of financially-troubled board game publisher CMON – a series which has raised more than $40m on Kickstarter since its 2012 launch.

Last month the company revealed strong performance in its quarterly results, with Q1 net sales increasing 32% year-on-year to €349m.

Despite those sales the company made a €1.6m loss in Q1, with earnings being dragged on by increased shipping and marketing costs, higher royalty costs to licensors, and expenses partly linked to becoming a standalone listed company.