The video game and tabletop industries are both weathering severe economic storms. Massive layoffs have gutted studios like Bungie, Epic Games, and Microsoft's Xbox division, while the tabletop sector is reeling from distributor bankruptcies, rising production tariffs, and high-profile crowdfunding cancellations.
But amidst this turbulence, industry veterans believe they have found a life raft: cross-medium adaptations. According to the minds behind massive hits like XCOM and Gloomhaven, translating board games into video games—and vice versa—offers a much-needed layer of financial security.
"The crossover between video game players and board game players is big, and people are looking for popular IPs," said XCOM creator Julian Gollop.
Gollop’s studio, Snapshot Games, is currently developing the digital adaptation of Isaac Childres’ massive tabletop RPG Frosthaven, slated for a full release on October 15. This follows the successful 2019 digital translation of its predecessor, Gloomhaven, by Flaming Fowl Studios.
For physical board game creators, these digital partnerships provide a vital secondary income stream. Childres noted that the royalties from these digital counterparts have been a lifeline against escalating physical manufacturing and shipping costs.
"The royalties we're receiving from both Gloomhaven Digital and Frosthaven Digital is certainly welcome in this time when we have to face those extra tariffs," Childres explained. "That's been nice and sort of keeping us steady and confident in our position to move forward with our other products."
Conversely, adapting established tabletop games offers video game developers a less risky endeavor in a famously volatile market. Hristo Petkov, the game director for the Frosthaven adaptation, pointed out that tabletop IPs come with ready-made audiences, preexisting art assets, and fully fleshed-out mechanics.
"It gives us a little bit of stability and predictability compared to starting a fresh project or fresh IP that would take a lot more creative work," Petkov said. "Of course, everybody wants to do creative projects, but the game industry is not that stable at the moment, so any stability you can get is welcome."
The strategy flows in both directions. Video game properties are increasingly finding a second life on the tabletop. Modiphius is currently crafting a tactical miniatures game based on XCOM, while Archon Studios and Czech Games are developing physical board games for StarCraft and Kingdom Come: Deliverance, respectively. Even unreleased titles are getting in on the action: Renegade Game Studios is preparing a tabletop RPG set in the universe of Exodus, an upcoming sci-fi video game scheduled for 2027.
By tapping into the nostalgia of older franchises and the massive established fanbases of modern hits, these collaborative projects are proving that when screens and cardboard combine, both industries stand a better chance of surviving the current economic downturn.