CMON

What CMON does

CMON is a tabletop board game publisher founded in 2001 and headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia. The company designs and produces miniature-heavy themed board games targeted at hobbyist gamers, distributing them through a hybrid model that combines crowdfunding pre-orders with post-campaign retail sales. Historically, CMON ran large-scale campaigns on Kickstarter, raising approximately $4.6M across three disclosed rounds (2017, 2019, and 2023), and in 2024 shifted to an exclusivity agreement with Gamefound, a Poland-based crowdfunding platform focused on professional tabletop publishers.

The company's portfolio has historically been anchored by branded IPs such as Cthulhu: Death May Die, Hel & Anastyr, and the Japanese-market titles (Kikkasai, Yaochu, Suzume-Jong) acquired via its 2024 purchase of Japon Brand. Distribution runs through self-published crowdfunding campaigns and traditional retail channels reaching individual consumers globally. The go-to-market model is consumer-direct during the campaign phase and retail-mediated thereafter.

CMON is currently in a financially distressed state: it has experienced significant losses, executed a share sale to raise capital, and divested two flagship IPs — Cthulhu: Death May Die to Asmodee (2025-10) and Hel & Anastyr (with Asmodee Kids taking on related projects, 2025-09). Leadership comprises Chern Ann Ng (CEO) and David Doust (Founder, CEO and Head of Asia). The company employs 11–50 people and remains operational, with licensing arrangements (e.g., Mahjong Pros deal for mahjong strategy games) providing a modest secondary revenue stream.

Name

CMON

Website

https://cmon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CMON is a tabletop board game publisher founded in 2001 serving hobbyist gamers globally, distributing miniature-themed games through crowdfunding (Gamefound) and retail channels while undergoing financial restructuring marked by multiple IP divestitures.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tabletop Board Games

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Miniatures Games & Tabletop Skirmish Games Retail (CRALALAH)

Keywords

• Tabletop board games
• Miniature gaming
• Crowdfunding campaigns
• Board game publisher
• Hobby board games

Headquarters

HQ city

Alpharetta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels2 records

Core offering

CMON designs, manufactures, and distributes tabletop board games featuring proprietary miniature figures and themed gameplay experiences. The company funds production through crowdfunding campaigns (primarily on Gamefound following a shift from Kickstarter in 2024) and subsequently sells games through traditional retail channels. CMON's portfolio centers on hobby-grade, high-component titles aimed at the tabletop gaming enthusiast community.

Product overview

CMON is a board game publisher that specializes in tabletop gaming products. The company has undergone significant restructuring, selling off key intellectual properties including the Cthulhu: Death May Die franchise to Asmodee and the Hel & Anastyr IPs. CMON acquired Japon Brand in 2024 and maintains partnerships with crowdfunding platforms like Gamefound for campaign distribution. The company's portfolio strategy has shifted toward divesting non-core assets while continuing to publish and develop board game content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cthulhu: Death May Die A Lovecraftian horror-themed board game franchise featuring Cthulhu mythology, originally developed and owned by CMON before the IP was sold to Asmodee in 2025 as part of CMON's financial restructuring.
• Japon Brand board game IPs (Kikkasai, Yaochu)
• Hel & Anastyr IPs

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AsmodeecoreOthers · 20 October 2025Asmodee acquired the Cthulhu: Death May Die franchise IP from CMON. This acquisition followed CMON's financial struggles including significant losses, sale of key IPs, and share sale to raise capital. The deal represents a major IP divestment by CMON.
• Asmodee KidsminorOthers · 1 September 2025CMON sold additional intellectual properties including Hel & Anastyr. Asmodee Kids is involved in upcoming game projects related to these sold IPs.
• GamefoundcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Gamefound, a Poland-based tabletop crowdfunding platform, signed an exclusivity agreement with CMON bringing two campaigns to the platform that might have otherwise launched on Kickstarter. This partnership highlights Gamefound's strategy of targeting professional publishers seeking stability and reliable partnerships.
• Japon BrandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CMON acquired Japon Brand in 2024, a Japanese board game company. Through this acquisition, CMON gained access to Japanese market IPs including Kikkasai and Yaochu, which were subsequently licensed to Mahjong Pros for mahjong strategy game adaptations.

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Asmodee: Global tabletop games publisher and distributor that owns Fantasy Flight Games, Days of Wonder, and Z-Man Games, and recently acquired the Cthulhu: Death May Die IP from CMON. Directly comparable to CMON in miniatures and themed board game publishing but operates at vastly greater scale across retail and digital distribution.

Direct peers

• Steamforged Games: UK-based tabletop publisher specializing in miniatures-heavy board games funded primarily through Kickstarter, with titles such as Dark Souls: The Board Game and Guild Ball. Highly comparable to CMON in product type (premium miniatures games), crowdfunding-first go-to-market, and hobbyist target customer.
• Awaken Realms: Polish tabletop publisher known for crowdfunded miniatures-heavy games such as Tainted Grail and This War of Mine. Closely comparable to CMON in business model, premium miniatures production, and reliance on crowdfunding pre-orders before broader retail distribution.
• Chip Theory Games: US-based publisher of premium, miniatures-heavy board games (Too Many Bones, Hoplomachus) sold predominantly through crowdfunding and direct-to-consumer channels. Directly comparable to CMON in targeting hobbyist buyers with high price-point, component-rich miniatures games.
• Stonemaier Games: US tabletop publisher of Kickstarter-funded hits such as Scythe, Wingspan, and Viticulture. Comparable to CMON in Kickstarter-driven launch model and hobbyist board game focus, though with a broader range of Euro/strategy titles beyond miniatures combat.
• Greater Than Games: Publisher of Scythe and the Spirit Island franchise, with deep Kickstarter roots and a focus on hobbyist strategy games. Comparable to CMON in crowdfunding-led publishing and serving the enthusiast tabletop gaming community.
• Plaid Hat Games: Tabletop publisher of Mice and Mystics, Summoner Wars, and Stuffed Fables, with a mix of retail and crowdfunding distribution. Comparable to CMON in publishing hobbyist board games featuring strong thematic and component-driven design.

Others

• CMYK (previously Cool Mini Or Not community site): The original Cool Mini Or Not community rating site (the namesake of CMON) was a peer-to-peer miniature painting platform—adjacent ecosystem participant that historically drove community engagement for CMON's miniatures product line.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CMONGames

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CMON