News Digest – Brainwaves Episode 167

This is a copy of the “script” we used to organise Brainwaves Episode 167. It is not a full transcript but should give you an overview of the news as we reported it. Quotes are in italics.

Headlines

Devir… damn guys that’s racist as hell

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3555308/just-some-ole-racist-history-crap/page/1

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3555308/article/46440167#46440167

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3555679/a-message-to-the-community

https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/60259/devir-recalling-ace-spades

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3555679/a-message-to-the-community – Devir response

• On the 8th of August 2025, Devir Games announced a recall of all copies of its newly released title Ace of Spades, following widespread concern over the depiction of slavery in the game’s artwork. Devi Games is the US-based board game publisher of games such as Bitoku, Lacriomsa and White Castle,
• A day before this, on the 7th of August, concerns were first raised about Ace of Spades on BoardGameGeek by Jeremy Howard where he posted a photo of two cards from the game along with this message:
  • “First I am not a race baiter or need attention. I’m a black man that recognizes history can be betrayed in educational form. This is not that, this is just in the name of fun. I also respect if you and I don’t agree. I’m not sensitive…this is just BS, it’s not just an oversight. Literally a black man in chains DROOLING. I will not be covering Devir Games or any by the artist. Jesus”
• One of the cards called Slaver depicts a white man in a southern style suit cracking a whip around them with a chain in one hand. The other called Fugitive, which Jeremy is referring to, depicts a black man with a chain around his neck that he is holding the ends of. The black man is foaming at the mouth. We will put a link to those images in the show notes. 
• In a reply to Howard’s post, BoardGameGeek user S C explained that the phrase “turning Clubs into Spades” has historical links to the violence of slavery, referring to the racial slur Spades used for African Americans being beaten by slavers with clubs.
• Devir Games acknowledged that the imagery had unintentionally trivialised deeply painful historical realities and should never have been included.
• Devir’s statement said this:
  • “There’s a principle we hold on to in moments like this: never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity. It does not excuse the error, but it reminds us that harm can be done — and was done — without ill intent. That harm still matters, and it is our responsibility to face it fully.
  • “At Devir, we have made a serious mistake that we recognize and deeply regret. In our recent game Ace of Spades, we included two inappropriate illustrations: one depicting a black person in a state of enslavement, and another portraying an enslaver. Both were originally intended as visual references to scenes from the film Django Unchained, as part of the game’s homage to Western cinema.
  • “However, we now fully understand that this approach was misguided. Depicting imagery tied to the violence and trauma of slavery — even as a cultural reference — is not appropriate in a board game context. These illustrations trivialize a painful and deeply rooted historical reality. They should never have been included.
  • “We take full responsibility for the harm caused, and we offer our sincerest apology to everyone, without conditions or excuses. We recognize that an apology is not enough on its own, which is why we are taking the following immediate and concrete steps…”
• Devir’s statement confirms that the company has suspended all sales of the game and has begun retrieving existing copies from retailers.
• Devir confirmed that the original images would not appear in any future edition and that they are designing replacements that will be available free of charge to anyone who already has a copy.
• Devir also promised a thorough review of their editorial and design processes and that they will consult experts in diversity, history and cultural representation on all of their future projects.
• Devir concluded their statement by saying this:
  • “Our commitment is clear: to listen, to make it right, and to do better. We are learning from this mistake with humility, and we know that only through action can we begin to rebuild the trust we’ve broken.
  • “We are especially grateful to those who brought this issue to our attention with clarity and care. You’ve given us the opportunity to improve — and we will not waste it.”
• Several community members commended Devir for their apology and recall. At the same time, posters stressed that harmful depictions can occur even when unintended, and that publishers must take greater care to recognise how imagery and language can perpetuate racist associations.

More CMON Executive Leavers and profit warning 

https://www.marketscreener.com/news/cmon-limited-announces-resignation-of-koh-zheng-kai-as-chief-financial-officer-with-effect-from-14-ce7c5ed2dd8bf026

https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=3_cc-session_a4de1fe9-336e-4f30-98af-42f7d08fc4ce

• As reported by board game news website BoardGameWire on the 7th of August 2025, CMON, the US-based board game publisher whose ever-dwindling stable of games continues to raise eyebrows across the industry, announced the resignations of two senior executives amid ongoing financial challenges.
• Koh Zheng Kai, the company’s Chief Financial Officer, will step down as of the 14th of November 2025. CMON stated that Koh has no disagreements with the board and is not aware of any matters requiring shareholder attention, but that his departure will allow him to focus on his personal business interests. 
• The other executive to leave CMON is Ng Sau Mei, the Company Secretary, who will resign on the 28th of August 2025.
• She will be succeeded by Wong Chun Wing Samuel, who will assume the roles of Company Secretary, Authorised Representative, and Process Agent.
• These changes follow previous executive departures, including the Chief Operating Officer in September 2024.
• These resignations form part of broader efforts by CMON to stabilise its operations and governance structures, after the company has faced ongoing financial difficulties in recent years, including delayed annual reports and trading suspensions on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. 
• The hits don’t stop there for CMON however. 
• Again reported by Boardgamewire, CMON has issued a profit warning to the tune of 6-8 million dollars for the first half of the year which is about three times the size of their profits from the last 10 years combined!
• It is unclear at the moment if this figure includes the sales of some of its properties like Zombicide and the Eric Lang designed series of games that started with Blood Rage

US Import Tariff Troubles

https://www.ctpa.org.uk/news/usa-de-minimis-exemption-suspended-8542

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2p17xypgko?fbclid=IwY2xjawMWgf5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHjtV7mqx6qv6P4-CSGWofvqYpk1vI-O59FV4q2U0N-UOduSuyZ8kGm8ruuFX_aem_rHTP6ygrvyZB_JDrDY_mYg

• Following an Executive Order (EO) issued by US President Donald Trump on the 30th of July this year, the so-called ‘de minimis’ exemption for commercial shipments into the US will no longer apply from the 29th of August onwards.
• The ‘de minimis’ exemption is for low-value commercial shipments into the US below $800. It allowed smaller and medium-sized businesses to sell their products to US customers without facing tariffs or other import duties. Potentially more importantly, it also meant less red tape and form-filling for these businesses.
• However, starting from the 29th of August, all of that changes.
• Businesses sending goods to the US will have to pay import duties, which are most likely to be included in the purchase price of the item, so that customers don’t have to deal with customs when their item arrives in the US.
• Additionally, businesses have to ensure they complete all the relevant paperwork, including listing the correct tariff code, the country of manufacture, etc., which means more red tape for sellers.
• To top it all off, there have been reports that USPS, one of the major postal delivery companies in the US, will charge a flat $80 fee, as their systems are currently unable to handle each and every item’s tariff requirements individually.
• So while US tariffs on UK-manufactured goods are currently 10%, meaning a small extra duty cost for low-value items, if these items are sent on via USPS, they will cost at least $80, making it commercially unviable for most small businesses to continue sending orders to US customers.
• Already, a number of board game businesses have announced that they urge orders to the US to be placed now, before the deadline, and that after the suspension comes into effect, they will stop shipping to the US altogether.
• For many of these smaller businesses, the US market represents a large percentage of their turnover, creating doubt over their future viability.
• Larger businesses that ship goods in bulk will also be affected by the suspension, but to a much lesser extent.
• Thank you to Adam Richards for bringing this to our attention on our Discord.

Updates

CGE Responds to HP Codenames Backlash

CGE’s response on various social media platforms:
Instagram: https://discord.com/channels/653652846167851008/1397834273645396100/1403479858251825285
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/czechgames.com/post/3lvw44i6tk32r

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1328670495928290&id=100063560561493&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=c6aJLUWZCsvY5SJG# 

Block Collective’s response: https://bsky.app/profile/blockcollectives.bsky.social/post/3lvyas4jezs2q 

• As we reported in our last episode, CGE recently announced the release of their new version of their Harry-Potter-themed Codenames.
• That announcement was made on the 22nd of July and led to a huge backlash from many in the board game community, due to the game financing Harry Potter author JK Rowling’s active lobbying against trans rights in the UK. JK Rowling has actively supported anti-trans legislation in the UK and has publicly stated her financial support for many of the groups looking to curtail trans rights. 
• A number of board game reviewers, including Efka Bladukas, co-creator of No Pun Included, and Tom Brewster, editor in chief of Shut Up and Sit Down, publicly expressed their disapproval of CGE’s new release of the game.
• Despite CGE asking for an “ongoing conversation” and encouraging “everyone to approach [the] discussion with care, empathy, and respect—both online and in person”, as they put it, the company started to block a lot of commenters on social media.
• Since then, Marceline Leiman, the Diana Jones Award-winning designer of High Tide, added her voice by organising a boycott of CGE. She set up the Block Collective with the goal of educating the board community about the implications of CGE’s decision. As part of this, she created leaflets that explained the situation. She distributed them at the recent Gen Con Indy and encouraged others to distribute them themselves at suitable locations.
• Leiman also spoke to CGE to discuss the situation, share her thoughts, and find a way forward.
• It took CGE nearly three weeks from their original announcement before they shared their response on the 8th of August, saying this:
  • “We are all devastated that the project we were so excited to share with you caused harm instead of joy. […]
  • In our excitement about creating a game within a universe many of us still treasure, we failed to see how that universe no longer brings joy to others.
  • Over time, the harmful views of the story’s creator have escalated into harmful actions. We apologize unreservedly for not doing more to consider that possibility, and for subsequently announcing the game without taking preemptive actions to mitigate the pain it would cause.
  • Many of you have expressed your understandable anger, pain, and disappointment through a variety of platforms. Frankly, we were not prepared for the volume of the response. As a result, multiple accounts and comments were blocked or muted that should not have been. We would never want anyone experiencing the pain this situation has caused to then feel like they are being silenced.
  • So for that, too, we want to sincerely apologize.
  • Like the world we live in, CGE is made up of individuals with various backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, and belief systems.
  • None of us would ever want to take actions that would hurt or restrict the rights of another human being. We commit to remaining supportive of an inclusive and welcoming community of gamers.
  • We believe in the rights of all people to have their own identity, and we reject hate and bigotry in all their forms. Trans rights are human rights.”
• The statement goes on to say that CGE will donate 100% of the profit from Codenames: Back to Hogwarts to appropriate charitable organisations and ensure that an amount equal to or greater than the fee paid for the Harry Potter licence will go to organisations that provide support for the trans community.
• CGE is asking the community to make suggestions on which organisations should receive the money.
• CGE closes the statement by apologising for the time it took for them to respond, which they explain by saying this:
  • “We opened discussions with members of the affected communities and we came together as a whole company to find a way forward that was a genuine reflection of our values and desire to do the right thing.
  • We are sorry for the time it took us to communicate our path forward, but we hope you see that we did so with the care and consideration that you all deserve.”
• The Block Collective, responded to CGE’s statement by saying this in a Bluesky post:
  • “Last night, the organizers of the trans boycott of CGE read with delight CGE’s third public announcement related to the publishing of content that actively harms trans rights globally.
  • Their long awaited apology is very welcome, as is their alignment with trans rights as human rights.
  • In this moment where our legal rights are under attack more than ever, such a statement is fundamental.
  • We also recognise and appreciate their commitment to donate 100% of the profits of this game and look forward to working with them to help repair the relationship with their trans fans and to build new relationships with the trans movement in Czechia.”
  • We completely understand that many trans people are still hurt and don’t yet feel safe in this environment. The way that CGE initially responded to the problem, blocking hundreds of trans people, created an enormous amount of pain and mistrust. It will take time to build those relationships back again.
  • We do not see this as a perfect situation. We would have hoped that by now, all of our favourite publishers would have known not to publish something that puts money in the pockets of someone who is trying to destroy our right to a peaceful and equal existence.
  • But now that we are in this situation, and now that CGE is listening, let us turn to the job of making our own magical world: a board game hobby space that cherishes and protects all of the people in it, including the trans ones.”
• CGE have now unblocked everyone on their social media platforms, but no further statements have been made.

Read this

https://www.rascal.news/zatu-denies-toxic-workplace-allegations-from-former-employees

News

Ultimate Guard jump into Harry Potter controversy

https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/60061/new-harry-potter-ultimate-guard-deck-boxes-unveiled

• CGE are not the only company to have attracted controversy by aligning themselves with the Harry Potter franchise
• A new set of deck boxes with Harry potter theming was recently released and many called for a boycott of the company similar to CGE. 
• Many of these products will be aimed at Magic The Gathering players and that community is rightly angry at Ultimate Guard lining the pockets of someone so vehemently anti-trans. It is our understanding that trans people are a large and active part of the Magic: The Gathering community. 
• Although the boxes were announced by Ultimate Guard they have since been pulled from the site. Ultimate Guard are yet to release a statement on the matter. 
• Discussion: Ultimate Guard’s approach seems to be to take down the offending work, whistle and move on. 

GenCon 2025 Sets New Attendance Record

https://www.gencon.com/press/record-breaking-gencon-2025

https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/60227/gen-con-2025-sets-new-attendance-record

Suzanne Sheldon post on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/425suzanne.bsky.social/post/3lvqiqhyche2g 

• On the 4th of August 2025, Gen Con LLC, owner of the largest and longest-running annual event dedicated to tabletop gaming and culture in North America, announced that Gen Con Indy 2025 had set a new attendance record. The event drew nearly 72,000 attendees to the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium, an increase of around 1,000 compared to 2024.
• The four-day event, which ran from the 31st of July to the 3rd of August, featured over 575 exhibitors up from 540 in 2024. It offered attendees access to nearly 30,000 events, including gaming sessions, tournaments, film screenings, and author appearances.
• Gen Con Indy 2025 also raised nearly $40,000 for its official charity partners, Women4Change Indiana and the Brown Toy Box Foundation.
• Gen Con President David Hoppe summed up the event as follows:
  • “Gen Con 2025 was another record-breaking year, and we are grateful for the incredible support of Indianapolis. The warm and welcoming atmosphere created when the tabletop gaming community meets Hoosier hospitality is essential to making The Best Four Days in Gaming™ come to life each summer.”
• Despite all the positive news from the convention, some publishers faced difficulties, as reported on the 5th of August 2025 by board game news website BoardGameWire.
• Portal Games couldn’t show off its new release, Age of Galaxy, due to shipping issues, while Cephalofair Games’ COO Price Johnson stating that the company faced costs “north of $100k” in the month preceding the convention due to tariffs, 
• There are also concerns about the long-term sustainability of Gen Con, which is contracted to remain in Indianapolis until 2030.
• Suzanne Sheldon, co-host of the podcast Salt and Sass and a Dice Tower team member, took to Bluesky to ask how much Gen Con is straining the location, pointing out that expanding to the Lucas Oil Stadium addressed some issues, but that hotel rooms, food establishments, as well as exhibition and event space is going to get scarcer.
• Yet, Gen Con has so far not mentioned any concerns about its growth.
• The next Gen Con convention is scheduled to run from the 30th of July to the 2nd of August 2026.
• Discussion: Another successful convention. Looks like tariffs have had some impact, but not a lot. Travel concerns also don’t seem to have taken hold yet. 
• Iain: Quite surprising there wasn’t more impact from tariffs to be honest

Funforge has been liquidated

• On the 9th of August 2025, French board game publisher Funforge went into liquidation. Funforge was known for titles such as Tokaido and Monumental.
• The company, founded by Philippe Nouhra in 2008, had faced financial difficulties for several years, with problems dating back to the pandemic. These included layoffs in early 2024, delays to Monumental, and a weak market reception for Far Cry.
• In October 2024 in episode 151 of the cast, we reported the sale of the Tokaido licence to Stonemaier Games, which cleared part of the company’s debts, but failed to restore stability.
• Then, on the 23rd of July 2025, Funforge was put into receivership. After a period of court observation, the shutdown was ordered.
• In a statement to the media, Nouhra reflected on the seventeen-year history of the company, saying this:
  • “Funforge was seventeen years old. Almost two decades building something bigger than ourselves. It wasn’t just a line on a balance sheet—it was a living organism, fueled by the passion of an entire team. And I want to be clear: it was never a financial coup. I had no exit plan, no strategy to sell to the highest bidder. The mission was to create, again and again, to continue offering gaming experiences that thrilled us. Moreover, in seventeen years of existence, no shareholder received a cent in dividends. Everything was systematically reinvested in new projects, new adventures. We were there to create games, not for the jackpot.”
• Just to clarify, the quote by Nouhra above was translated from French into English using Google Translate. Please check Funforge’s statement to see what Nouhra said in French. There is a link to the statement in our show notes.
• Funforge cited difficult distribution conditions, unsuccessful product launches, and increasing costs as factors in the company’s collapse.
• Although Funforge tried to recover the business while it was in receivership, the process created concerns among partners, strained relations with banks and suppliers, and left the company increasingly isolated, which ultimately led to the company being made insolvent.
• In their statement, Funforge thanked the designers, illustrators, players, and former staff who contributed to its output and noted the success of former employees now working across the industry.
• Discussion: Although this outcome wasn’t inevitable, given that Funforge had been struggling for many months, it was also not unexpected. It sounds like a lot of former employees have already found new jobs, which is good to hear. Let’s hope everyone else also lands on their feet

Mobeus makes Big Potato a Hot Potato

https://www.mobeus.co.uk/news/mobeus-backs-big-potato-games/

https://www.mobeus.co.uk/investments/big-potato-games/

https://www.dcadvisory.com/news-deals-insights/deal-announcements/dc-advisory-advises-mobeus-equity-partners-on-its-investment-in-big-potato-games/#gref

• On the 18th of August 2025, Mobeus Equity Partners, a private equity firm, announced that it had invested £16.2 million in Big Potato Games. Big Potato Games is the London-based creator of accessible, quick-to-play party and family board games such as The Chameleon, Herd Mentality and Don’t Get Got.
• Big Potato Games was founded in 2014 by Dean Tempest, Ben Drummond and Tris Williams, and has built a successful IP-led strategy, offering over 64 titles which are sold in 44 countries.
• Big Potato Games became a certified B-Corp in 2024, which is a company that has met high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. B Corps are legally committed to considering the impact of their business decisions on all stakeholders, not just shareholders. They use business as a force for good by addressing social and environmental problems.
• Big Potato Games employs 63 people in its London office, with growing international operations in the United States and Germany.
• Mobeus’ support follows a management buy-out from private shareholders combined with the establishment of a so-called Employee Ownership Trust, which transfers a company’s ownership to a trust for the benefit of its employees.
• At the same time as the investment, Judy Gibbons, formerly Chair of Wonderbly and Which?, was appointed Chair of Big Potato Games.
• With Mobeus’ backing, Big Potato Games plans to develop new titles, expand further internationally, invest in digital products, increase online sales, and improve its control over its distribution channels to improve margins.
• Dean Tempest, Co-CEO of Big Potato Games, said this of the investment:
  • “Since founding Big Potato in 2014 we have grown rapidly whilst retaining our unique culture and identity. Working with Mobeus, we are excited to continue that journey and look forward to bringing more of our products to more people whilst staying a majority management owned business. We are excited by the potential to grow the business internationally, to distribute our games digitally, and to continue to have fun creating titles that spark joy.”
• Dominic Draysey, Investment Director at Mobeus, who will join the board alongside Partner Justin Maltz, added this:
  • “Big Potato is a purpose-led business, with a clear mission to help people build connection. We have been impressed with the team’s dedication to that mission. We are similarly impressed with their commitment to innovation. We see the combination of purpose and innovation as a winning formula for gaining market share in a market growing by c.6 % annually.”
• This marks Big Potato Games’ first institutional funding round, with proceeds benefitting employee shareholders through the Employee Ownership Trust.

Jobs, Opportunities, and Events

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TabletopJobs

Pegasus Designer Days 2025

https://pegasus.de/UEber-uns/Karriere/Designer-Days

Application form: https://de.surveymonkey.com/r/KS5KF9F 

• Pegasus Spiele, the German board game publisher, has announced the Pegasus Designer Days 2025.
• Game designers from around the world are invited to submit up to two original game concepts for consideration.
• The submission deadline is the 7th of September, after which Pegasus Spiele will review all entries and select a number of designers to proceed to the next stage.
• Selected designers will be notified during the week starting Monday, the 15th of September, and invited to present their concepts in a ten-minute video call, scheduled between the 24th and 26th of September.
• Within two weeks of each presentation, Pegasus Spiele will provide feedback, and if a design demonstrates strong potential, the designer may be invited to submit a playable prototype for further evaluation, which could lead to a publication offer.
• Pegasus Spiele encourages all interested designers to consult the company’s tips for game designers and to familiarise themselves with both the company and the format of previous Pegasus Designer Days via the official blog.

Playfest London

https://www.minervatabletop.co.uk/playfest

• Playfest London is an all-day board game playtesting event in South London organised by Scott Lowe-James, owner of Minerva Games and designer of Swatch.
• This is their fourth annual Playfest London event, which started in 2022 and is growing every year.
• This year’s special guest is Matteo Menapace, co-designer of 2024’s Kennerspiel des Jahres winner Daybreak and lecturer in game design, will be in attendance to talk about his experiences, answer questions, and to playtest one of his prototypes.
• Venue: The Bedford, Balham
  Date: September 28th 2025
  Time: 11am – 7pm
• Tickets
  Designer: 2 hour playtesting slot – £10
  Playtester: All-day gaming – FREE

Tabletop Scotland! 

5th to 7th September

Pub Quiz

Games, interviews etc

Patreon Shoutouts

Kevin Bertram

James Naylor

https://naylorgames.com

Shaun Newan
game-a-lot.fun/en
facebook.com/gamealotboardgames

Our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/thegiantbrain

Support Us

Fanroll

https://fanrolldice.com/ref/2783

Outro

Pictionary Potato

• Time to “draw it like it’s hot!” with Pic-tato from Pictionary. 
• Promising a “hilarious good time”, it’s speed pictionary with added Hot Potato elements, in a plastic potato that plays music and stores the prompt cards. Whoever is holding the Pic-tato when time runs out loses the points they accrued from the correctly guessed doodles.
• It does also say “This toy produces flashes that may trigger epilepsy in sensitised individuals.” so there may be some lights on the pic-tato too. 
• In slightly sideways Pictionary news, back in episode 157 we covered Pictionary vs AI, where someone draws a picture and an AI system guesses what it is. At the time we were not impressed. 
• WELL, looking at the reviews on the Mattel website for it, seems some customers are not happy either. Frequently cited is inability to scan pictures properly, ads in the associated app, and the AI not being able to guess properly, which is even mentioned in the positive reviews (it could also be the drawing skills of the players but that is not anyone at Brainwaves speaking up for Mattel)
• That this doesn’t include potato painting is a reason to riot 

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