Asmodee

Asmodee is a French company specializing in board games, card games, and tabletop entertainment, and is known for building international publishing and distribution networks worldwide. Founded in 1995 by Marc Nunes, Asmodee began as a French distributor of collectible card games before expanding into publishing and localized editions for global audiences abroad. The company’s name refers to Asmodeus, a demon appearing in Jewish and Christian traditions, a thematic choice matching its early interest in fantasy settings and card games. Asmodee strengthened its publishing portfolio by acquiring Days of Wonder in 2014, bringing Ticket to Ride and Small World into its wider corporate family internationally. That same year, it acquired Fantasy Flight Games, the Minnesota studio associated with Android, Arkham Horror, Descent, and numerous licensed Star Wars tabletop products globally. In 2016, Asmodee bought F2Z Entertainment, whose companies included Z-Man Games, Plaid Hat Games, and the Canadian publisher Filosofia, expanding its North American presence substantially. Its catalog therefore combines original designs, licensed universes, and modern classics, rather than depending on one house style or a single audience or sales channel. Ticket to Ride, designed by Alan R. Moon and first published by Days of Wonder in 2004, became one of Asmodee’s best-known gateway games worldwide. Asmodee also distributes Catan in many territories, while the game's design remains credited to Klaus Teuber and its original publisher, Kosmos, in the original edition. Acquisitions continued with Lookout Games in 2017 and Plan B Games in 2018, adding titles such as Patchwork, Azul, Century, and Great Western Trail globally. Libellud joined the group in 2020; its signature title, Dixit, uses surreal illustrated cards and won the Spiel des Jahres award in 2010 in Germany. In 2021, Asmodee acquired Board Game Arena, an online platform that lets players meet remotely, extending access to tabletop games beyond physical gatherings and stores. The company’s digital strategy includes adaptations of physical games, but its central identity remains tied to boxed products, retail relationships, organized play, and licensing agreements. Asmodee has created Aconyte, a fiction imprint launched in 2020 to publish novels inspired by Arkham Horror, Legend of the Five Rings, and Descent settings. Its growth made it a major force in hobby gaming, while multiple labels preserve distinctive studios, designers, themes, and communities for players in global markets. Embracer Group announced its acquisition of Asmodee in 2021, completing the transaction in 2022 for EUR 2.75 billion in total.