What Happened To The Games Workshop Boardgames?

[@aaronsagen692]

Space Hulk gets brought up often that if it was rereleased it would be like printing money for GW.

[@threeohm]

So weird they don't do a reprint every 3-4 years. They don't have to update anything. Just repeat the existing design. Make some money. Make people happy. Doesn't hurt any other GW products/sales.

[@crann777]

I've missed out on Space Hulk 3rd every time they've released it so I'd happily buy a copy. My guess is that they can't release it now at a price point that they can justify, which is fair.

[@Ruinstad694]

I was actually surprised it didn't see a re-release in tandem with 10th Ed.

[@aaronsagen692]

@@crann777 As long as they still have the molds for the minis and all the old artwork/rules then it should be easy to rerelease. That would make it not be much money investment on their part.

[@mikewilliams4443]

@@crann777 Charging a high price point has never seemed to be a problem for GW.

[@DeathMortarion]

I'd definitely purchase a new Space Hulk set, though as others have said the change in scale to the terminators concerns me. I'd rather they redid it entirely in it's own scale and went for Dark Angels instead of Blood Angels, or gave us rules/generic models to make our own personalized terminator teams.

[@RowdiesFan1]

Blood Bowl Team Manager was a really really fun game! I didn't catch the name of the historical game with the regiments and cards, but it almost sounded like a Command and Colors style game. Which, that whole series of Rivhard Borg games are absolutely amazing.

[@piotrjeske4599]

Betrayal at Calth and Burning of Prospero, those things sold and still and would sell if gw sold it

[@liquidmetal9015]

They should make a game that uses board game components, but can be "deluxified" using the starter sets for their mainline games. So you can play this inexpensive boardgame with tokens, and if you really like it the AoS or 40k starter set will give you all the models that you need to use models instead of tokens. They could even arrange it so that their "true starter set" with the paint and clippers and everything has all the models you need to deluxify the board game.

[@albinofreak620]

I wonder if the backlash to Cursed City resulted in them being like “meh, not worth it.” Why go to all the trouble when you can just sell a box of space marines instead?

[@lordsofwargamesandhobbies3905]

Entirely possible!

[@jedidalek]

I love Space Hulk but it takes up so much table space already. Now the Terminators a third bigger if they make the squares a third bigger it will be a truly sprawling collosus.

[@Dram1984]

My body is ready...

[@Azazel-zv4fy]

We'll be able to save space and use Joy Toy figures instead in a few years!

[@xyonblade]

bring back "space crusade" i say!

[@ComEliazar]

Lego just recently started making board games ;)

[@DaiMongar]

Re-started, ackshully. They had a pretty cool range of board games about 15 years ago, including several sets for a dungeon crawler game called Heroica.

[@iiiiiii5]

The US actually has a decent amount of promo board games like Space Marine 2 and Combat Arena that amazing deals for the miniatures you get.

[@maxxon99]

They used to do quite a lot of "pure" boardgames, completely without miniatures. Even ones not connected to the "GW universe" at all. Talisman is probably the most famous example. We played the heck out of that one as teenagers. But lately they've been licensing these properties out rather than doing them themselves. Fury of Dracula, Blood Royale... Yeah, I see why the co-operation with Fantasy Flight is not working anymore. GW would probably want another partner like that, but who would that be...

[@randallhurlburt6389]

I'll chime in with the Barnes & Noble exclusive games as well. I don't know that they sell well, as I often see them on the clearance shelf.

[@uniteallaction]

It's funny that they're only available in Germany and the US and it's not a mainstream product that's released.

[@randallhurlburt6389]

@@uniteallaction That's wild! I had no idea they were so limited.

[@Dstinct]

Someday he will say it correctly: Pay-treon, as in a Patron. But today is not that day.

[@Azazel-zv4fy]

GW's "board games" are miniatures games more than traditional board games and they all cross-over into the "wider GW hobby". The ones you cited (as noted by others) were made by FFG under licence, not GW. There's also their own staff limitations. Chaos in the Old World was designed by Eric Lang, who is a renowned board game designer with a deep understanding of the genre. We know that GW is ..limited on who they hire from outside and has even more limited in-house expertise outside of their very specific niche - *and* those designers keep getting tied up and hired elsewhere if they're particularly talented. So they keep pumping out the B&N/Target "exclusive" miniatures-based board games instead. They also focus on one-and-done boxed products outside of the starter sets. Space Hulk would be an evergreen product as would an OG WHQ but it doesn't fit into the FOMO big-box churn that their business model is designed around. Blood Bowl is the closest thing they really have these days in terms of widespread products (as opposed to the limited B&N stuff).

[@andtheinternettkills]

So happy MB re-released Heroquest!

[@lordsofwargamesandhobbies3905]

It's awesome!

[@Havok448]

A Darktide card game is still coming.

[@andrewcook3983]

There is still one boardgame being produced that GW are responsible for - Talisman: The Magical Quest Game. GW released the game in 1983, and FFG had it under license from 2008 to 2017, Pegasus Spiele took over production of Talisman and all of the game expansions in 2019.

[@Omnissiah92]

They shouldn’t have done Legions Imperialis and just put all that budget on Space Hulk.

[@crann777]

They're still releasing board games through Barnes & Noble in the US. Blitz Bowl just got a new edition, they re-released Space Marine Heroes with the new blind box figs, etc. The Space Marine 2 board game was a timed-exclusive at Target and that flopped hard. I think GW have shunted that entire market off to mass retailers rather than take big-money risks themselves after everything that happened with Cursed City.

[@rickroberts7312]

I played a lot of ffg games back when they had the gw bord game license, at the time it felt like the renewal was pulled out of spite from gw, ffg had just released the warhammer quest card game, and 40K conquest was extremely popular. I think Star Wars xwing unseating 40K as #1 miniature game and ffg releasing rune wars (the rank and flank game of unpainted minis) may have lead to gw not renewing the board game license.

[@Blaster__CA]

Like Underworlds? Like Warhammer Quest?? Even just the B&N 'boutique' type games???

[@acid2go]

GW has this weird thing that they sell some board games in the US and Germany exclusively at certain retailers. Like Blitz Bowl, Combat Arena, etc. I got "Combat Arena: Lair of the beast" because it was an insane deal for the amount of minis it came with, very cool minis to collect even if they don't have much use in actual 40k games. Now, the actual game is garbage. Played a couple of times and never enjoyed it. Blitz Bowl is supposed to be very good, although for the price you can just get actual Blood Bowl. They also sell cheaper versions of Warhammer Underworlds at these retailers.

[@JeffG-n8p]

Sounds like after this new info drop debacle on Sunday or today not sure , you guys need to bring the hammer down on GDUB. I’m so excited for this next vid. Garbage time AND retail release madness !!!

[@Uncle_Buck]

Darktide blackstone fortress would be fun

[@marksullivan7766]

Fury of Dracula

[@1337Sess]

There was a Hobbit board game I remember seeing in my LGS recently. Think it only had a couple minis and mainly used cardboard tokens.

[@DaiMongar]

Chaos Marauders is one of my favorite games of all time.

[@timeguy441]

I think more compact card games like the fantasy flight space hulk death angel game would be cool

[@williamwhyte9697]

didn't GW just partner with Avalon Hill(a Hasbro subsidiary) to release a new edition of Talisman this year?

[@TogashiShinkaze]

Boarding actions is the new Space hulk

[@BaeBunni]

My first thought is no they still make them just they marketing them to a larger consumer market. Like literally a month ago I picked up Combat Arena lair of the beast from barnes and nobles from my local barnes and noble. Got little front sticker that says it's exclusive for them, push fit models all the tokens you need and a game board for 35 bucks. Target also had that spacemarine 2 board game and the titus model is the legal model for their killteam and wargame. I just think they understand by now the board games are kinda worthless to someone already in the hobby. If you already bought 600 dollars worth of miniatures the board games aren't going to incentive you to buy another 600 dollars worth, so they are just offering this stuff to bigger stores that will stock some of this stuff and they don't bother advertising it. Like the Combat Arena game I got wasn't on a shelf it was in the back and the cashier literally had no idea it was there or that they had multiple boxes in stock.

[@esweeney47]

GW has a love / hate relationship with their board games. So many of them are now Barnes and Noble exclusives that receive almost no advertising on Warhammer Community. If it wasn’t for internet buzz, then you wouldn’t even know when something new was released. It’s obvious that the company has no clear vision about what their board game division should be. Is it supposed to just be easy advertising? A devoted revenue stream? Or just a week to fulfill existing deal contracts that they can’t get out of? From an outside point of view, it could be any number of those answers. That shouldn’t be the case for a modern company that seems focused on brand recognition and loyalty.

[@TerrierHalo]

It is time for them to bring in Eric Lang and make Chaos in the old world 2.

[@uniteallaction]

I think there aren’t many board games because companies that have created them in the past likely realized there’s very little profit in it. These games aren’t stocked in their own stores, and historically, there’s been little concern over whether they succeed or not due to the extremely high cost of acquiring the IP. When Fantasy Flight Games held the license, they operated in isolation, relying entirely on the strength of the IP to sell the product. Additionally, the board gaming community is already well-established and well-served by other sources. Games like Space Hulk or Warhammer Quest aren’t exactly traditional board games. Many of the games Games Workshop produces in-house are more niche and heavily guarded. If another company with deep enough pockets was willing to follow strict guidelines for the IP, I’m sure they’d get the license-but so far, no one seems interested. On top of that, Warhammer 40K in the board gaming space feels a bit outdated. Convincing 40K players to engage with a 40K board game remains a significant challenge. So, could it happen in the future? Possibly, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.

[@GlennGriffin]

Warhammer Quest 1995 has its 30th anniversary next year, so hopefully they will do something with that.

[@lordsofwargamesandhobbies3905]

That would be sweet

[@Colorcrayons]

I have a lof of friends that work a few miles away at FFG, and while I cannot say why GW pulled the license as abruptly as they did, they were definitely the ones to halt that business relationship. Leaving FFG and fans standing with their pants around their ankles, and a lot of projects unfinished. Conquest LCG being a prime example. It's frankly amazing how GW keep failing upwards, making profit in spite of their best efforts. The lesson here is never enter into a license agreement with GW, since all the money you invested in art and writing simply either no longer belong to you, or you can no longer use them. It's simply too costly to promote their IP and brand for them.

[@anotherzingbo]

I have heard one person claim that it's because X-Wing started doing really well and challenging 40k as the top miniatures game. GW didn't like a company that had become a direct competitor to GW making money off GW's IPs, so ended the licensing deal. Whether this is true or not I don't know.

[@steinarvilnes3954]

@@anotherzingbo I have heard that explanation many times from different sources, and think it is the truth.

[@Havok448]

I own every FFG game based on GW properties. Never ran into one I didn’t like 😢

[@lordsofwargamesandhobbies3905]

They were all very solid!

[@redsven7624]

Space Hulk is the standout GW-produced board game, although I enjoyed Battle for Armageddon, the Horus Heresy, and some of the Warhammer quest games. Non-GW Chaos in the Old World is fantastic. I do think GW is perhaps staying away from board games after Cursed City, maybe when the production properly settles. It could also be the studio staff there has been a shift to more tournament-play-oriented designers and while GW tends to primarily see their board games being sold by minis that still needs someone comfortable in developing a board game. As for partnership GW legal is probably just too much hassle for people to deal with , outside of companies that have there own miniature games

[@kudosbudo]

They had that Darktide game which is just coop killteam

[@Jeff-ne1lh]

Is Blackstone Fortress actually a Board game though? Is Space Hulk....?

[@drwrly8060]

Chainsaw Warrior anyone? That was more of a Citadel thing I think. Then there was the Dread Fleet...Ugh!

[@maxxon99]

Chainsaw Warrior was great. I even got the limited edition models even though they have no use in the game.

[@gdsmith785]

Keep up ther great work guys. Fantastic to meet you Jay. If anyone is in the neighbourhood I would highly recommend a visit to Lords of War

[@lordsofwargamesandhobbies3905]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@traestorm]

A Hero Quest version of any of their games would be intetesting. Not sure if any of their old boardgames fit this model. Also, they have TTRPGs. I was always surprised they didn't use a system to tie into the mini games more directly. D&D's Birthright setting was an example of larger potentially "army-sized" role playing systems but that was before minis were a popular component of D&D and they never attempted to build out full-scale army minis for it.

[@PMMagro]

A lot of modern boardgames have miniatures, especially the Kickstarter or premium ones. Some of GWs boardgames have been good (the pure boardgames). As someone playing a lot of boardgames GW is facing some tough compettion unless the game is depending on minis. But as a boardgamer and wargamer it whould be fun with some GW boardgames added to Chaos in the Old World, Talisman, Fury of Dracula, and other older GW games. It seesm easier to make minis for someone elses boardgame (also usable in GW miniature games) but who knows?

[@makinote]

listen, Twilight Imperium 4 but with 40k factions :D

[@lordsofwargamesandhobbies3905]

Im listening...

[@glimmer_twin]

Warhammer monopoly when?

[@_phaz_]

Love the FFG Space Hulk: Death Angel game. Still have my copy as it plays extremely well solo.

[@drenne32]

Any update on what’s going on with Warmachine? It’s been a while and Steamforged seems to be full steam ahead. No pun intended. Okay, well maybe. : )

[@Dullahan3470]

I think it is simply that board games have improved a lot over the years but GW isn’t willing or able to develop something competitive mechanically. The games they make aren’t very good and most people just buy them for the minis. So why risk another Cursed City situation when they can just make minis? The exception is the tie in games that are designed to sell at Target like Space Marine or Darktide.

[@Colorcrayons]

They are capable of hiring good designers. James Hewitt is proof enough of that. Hewitt leaving GW is the biggest mistake they made in the last decade, and is the reason why you dont see better game from GW in the past 5 or so years. Once he left, the last good original design they have had was Warcry. Which is a shame. I guess that just makes them unwilling now.

[@kudosbudo]

The Darktide game is ok. Cept it's not really Darktide. It's more kill team light/coop mode. A proper Darktide would have you fighting hordes. It would probably more like a worker placement, time management game due to the scale of the hordes you fight

[@marshaledrek71]

lol I may have to make an overnight trip to visit your store? 7.5 hour drive. BTW so whose dad is that on the Google Maps pic of the storefront? Some shirtless middle aged man with a mullet in front of the shop on the sidewalk lol.

[@dominicmetzger3246]

You guys don’t know? When fantasy flight made their shitty Runewars miniature game they breached their contract with Gw, and all of the IPs got pulled But all GW board games suck as they aren’t games but advertisements for sigmar models 😅 For their third party companies I think it’s because of the above “you can’t make miniatures” part of their licensing deal thus those companies are hamstrung

[@zovni]

You guys are missing the fact that GW is doing this with their B&N boxed game series. Case in point: they do actually have a board game tie-in with the Space Marine 2 videogame.

[@lordsofwargamesandhobbies3905]

Yea I'm aware of those. I'm less interested in those as they are minis products first, and more interested in what they used to do with FFG where they were board games first.

[@zovni]

@@lordsofwargamesandhobbies3905 I get where you are coming from but there are some true gems there. FYI Blitz Bowl is secretly the best game GW has put out in recent memory. Fireteam & Bladeborn are really cool too if you can find them

[@adaml2910]

Underworlds??????

[@PMMagro]

A card game right?

[@lordsofwargamesandhobbies3905]

Underwhat?

[@JeffG-n8p]

Hate board games ! That’s why I started playing Warhammer ! Cuz it’s NOT a board game . To each his own but it seems like GW is focusing on other things now. And that’s a good thing.

[@bradp6452]

They had an absolute trash space marine 2 board game