There’s been no shortage of startups aiming to offer something new to the world of board games. Today I’ll be looking at some of the ones I’ve learned about, and focus on what they’re offering.
One important note: everything was current as of the post’s publishing date (April 2025). Services change offerings and prices, and may go out of business or transform in some way. Check out what sounds interesting for yourself and to see their current offerings.
Boardssey – For organizing your game’s data and giving your game an online home
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably put together an organizational system where different services are combined to keep you… organized enough. Boardssey’s main pitch is “a seamless journey from initial idea to a market‑ready board game”, complete with plenty of ways to organize your ideas and give them an online home for people to discover.
It’s hard to go through each and every feature, since it’s trying to present itself as a one-stop, fully-fledged solution to virtually everything a game designer needs. A Game Center, Dashboard, and Playtest Hub all serve as interconnected elements, so data you add in one section can help in the other sections.
A Swiss Army Knife’s worth of little tools (from a coin flipper to dice roller to time tracking and score tracking) rounds out the offering. A Sell Sheet Designer will be part of the middle and expensive plan’s offering, but that wasn’t available as of publication date.
Boardssey’s plans start at 5 Euros a month, and the 15 Euros/month plan includes the aforementioned sell sheet designer. Beyond a couple of tools, the main limitations are the number of games and projects you can have on the platform. A 14-day trial is available without needing to give a credit card.
Nestifyz – a platform to connect designers and publishers
Inserting itself as a filtering middleman between designers and publishers, Nestifyz (pronounced Nest-eh-fize) aims to create a platform with some automated screening and structure to it. While there would be no problem getting designers to sign up to a thing, I was more impressed by the initial roster of publishers that was claimed.
The parts I can access as a designer work as intended, and even as an early access tool it looks and feels quite stable. There is a sizable barrier in getting your game to a state where it will be discoverable by publishers, meaning as a designer you’ll need to come correct. (As of publication, you’ll need a rulebook, 5 different pictures of your game, a video, and a filled-out project profile, with additional elements to check off for additional points on the game’s ‘progress meter’.) There’s also some unclear / unusual wordings, but they’re very responsive to feedback and are collecting notes from the early adopters.
As of publication, designers can sign up and add their games, with publishers able to join soon. The revenue model looks to charge publishers, not designers, so it’s worth trying if you’re willing to add all the data necessary to get it ready.
Big Table – professional trade body for the United Kingdom and Ireland
To be sure, the Spiele-Autoren-Zunft (the German Game Designers Association) and the American-based Tabletop Game Designers Association are already in place, but Big Table aims to work with people in the tabletop gaming industry in the UK or the Republic of Ireland. The website mentions it’s desire to be a trade body (as opposed to an advocacy group, like the other two aforementioned groups), but the things it aims to provide promise a professionalization of the industry I’ve definitely been looking for. As of publication this is not yet live – if you’re based in the UK or Ireland, feel free to fill out the website’s survey or join the mailing list to stay up-to-date.
Meepletron: An AI chatbot that helps with rules
Since most game designers are also players, Meepletron gets a mention. There’s no obvious way to submit your game / game’s rules, but looking at the current list suggests they’re working with well-established titles with easily parseable rulebooks. (You can ‘request a board game’ using their contact form – I suspect the more popular your published games are, the more likely they are to be added.) It’s in beta testing as of publication, with an official launch in Q3 2025.
Boardible – board games easily played on your mobile device
Whether you want to use your TV or your smartphone, Boardible is here to bring games to your preferred device. Complete with games you’ve heard of (Secret Hitler, Sushi Go, Hanabi), and plenty you haven’t, it’s a chance to play board games online without a Board Games Arena subscription. The team is open to getting your game on their platform (full disclosure: I have a game on their platform), and it’s a potential way to get your game online to be played by players.
Ludio – make friends and play games with a group from anywhere, anytime
Ludio’s focus is similar to Boardible’s, but with a greater focus on socializing and interacting. A lot of the games available to play here have a higher player count, and your webcam / video camera may be used while playing. If you enjoy board games to make friends, you’re in the right place. (Full disclosure: I have games on their platform.) Much like Boardible, there are opportunities to work with the team to get your game on their platform – learn more and reach out.
Pitch2Table: an all-in-one way to organize your board games, from prototypes to royalty tracking
A lot to like here, including an app you can beta test through Apple TestFlight if you’re curious. This won’t win any style awards, but I actually appreciate the rather spartan design. I’m here to do a job, not be wowed or distracted by a gorgeous color scheme. There’s a lot to take in, and at first blush the power available here might not be obvious. Allow yourself the space to click the buttons and go down the rabbit hole and I think you’ll be impressed. Did I mention it’s free for designers?
Tabletop Publishers: sort, search, and filter your way through 500+ publishers
OK, so this might be a bit cheeky, adding in a thing that’s both A: developed by me, and B: not particularly new. It’s here to help designers of all types sort, search, and filter their way through over 500+ publishers. This was a ‘scratch my own itch’ sort of project, and I’m proud of it. It’s the same data I use when pitching my own games, and I aim to review each and every listing at least twice a year, updating them as necessary.
Learn more about Tabletop Publishers
Over to you
Have you come across any new offerings / startups in the board game space? Share in the comments.
