Awaken Realms
Awaken Realms is a Polish tabletop board game publisher that designs, produces, and distributes premium narrative-driven games with high-end miniatures, primarily sold through Gamefound crowdfunding campaigns to a global community of 250,000+ backers and hobbyist collectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersWroclaw, Poland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Awaken Realms does
Awaken Realms is a privately held Polish tabletop board game publisher founded in 2015 (per the legal-entity record) and operating out of Warsaw, with roots as a miniature painting studio. The company designs, produces, and distributes premium board games characterized by deep, narrative-driven mechanics and high-end miniature and component production (metal coins, double-layered player boards, detailed figures). Its portfolio of 25+ titles spans original IPs such as Nemesis, Tainted Grail, Etherfields, ISS Vanguard, and This War of Mine: The Board Game, alongside licensed adaptations (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) and premium reprints of strategy classics (Castles of Burgundy, Concordia, Puerto Rico, Agricola).
The company's go-to-market is community-led crowdfunding on the Gamefound platform, where it has cumulatively raised over $40 million from more than 250,000 backers since 2015 and shipped 500,000+ packages globally. Its primary customer segments are tabletop gaming hobbyists, board game collectors, and cooperative/solo gamers, served through a combination of initial campaign pledges, late-pledge and pledge-manager operations, and direct website sales. The company reports a workforce of approximately 300 people including Realms Distribution staff, contributors, and partners, and is led by CEO Marcin Swierkot. Sub-brands Questline and Awaken Realms Lite, along with ongoing legacy and sequel releases, indicate an expanding product surface beyond flagship miniature-heavy titles.
Awaken Realms firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Awaken Realms
- Legal name
- Awaken Realms
- Website
- https://awakenrealms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Awaken Realms is a Polish tabletop board game publisher that designs, produces, and distributes premium narrative-driven games with high-end miniatures, primarily sold through Gamefound crowdfunding campaigns to a global community of 250,000+ backers and hobbyist collectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Awaken Realms industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tabletop Board Games
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tabletop RPG Miniatures & Terrain (CRALAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wargaming Miniatures (Tabletop Armies) (CRALAKAC), Miniatures Games & Tabletop Skirmish Games Retail (CRALALAH)
Keywords
Where Awaken Realms is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wroclaw
- HQ country
- Poland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Awaken Realms business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Crowdfunding Campaign Sales: Revenue generated through initial crowdfunding campaigns on platforms like Gamefound. Backers pledge for games during campaign phases, with additional late pledge and pledge manager operations extending sales.
- Premium Game Sales: Direct sales of premium special editions and expansions featuring high-end components, metal coins, and enhanced artwork
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Awaken Realms product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Awaken Realms designs, publishes, and distributes premium tabletop board games featuring high-end miniature models and deep, involving game mechanics. The company sells its games primarily through crowdfunding campaigns on Gamefound, with pledge tiers and special editions emphasizing premium components such as metal coins, double-layered player boards, and large detailed miniatures. Flagship titles include This War of Mine: The Board Game, Nemesis, Etherfields, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, and ISS Vanguard.
Product overview
Awaken Realms is a Polish board game publisher that started as a miniature painting studio and has grown into a leading tabletop game company. The company specializes in deep, involving, and original game designs with high-quality miniatures. Their portfolio includes flagship crowdfunding hits such as This War of Mine: The Board Game, Etherfields, Nemesis, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, and ISS Vanguard. The company publishes over 25 distinct board game products across multiple themes including dark fantasy (Nemesis series, Tainted Grail), science fiction (ISS Vanguard), strategy classics (Castles of Burgundy, Concordia, Puerto Rico), and licensed adaptations (S.T.A.L.K.E.R., This War of Mine). Products are primarily distributed through crowdfunding platform Gamefound, with the company having collected over $40 million from more than 250,000 backers since 2015. Awaken Realms operates sub-brands including Questline and Awaken Realms Lite, and also owns distribution operations (Realms Distribution).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Awaken Realms Games: Brand line for Awaken Realms' game titles including Castles of Burgundy, Dragon Eclipse, Etherfields, Grimcoven, ISS Vanguard, Lords of Hellas, Nemesis, Tainted Grail, and more.
- Questline
- Awaken Realms Lite
Products and services
- Castles of Burgundy Special Edition A strategy and territory-building board game created by Stefan Feld, featuring a complete re-design with high-end components and a Vineyards Expansion Pack; for 1-4 players playing in 70-120 minutes.
- Dragon Eclipse An adventure board game for 1-2 players where players enter a magical world of mythical beasts and ancient dragons, taming, growing and riding colossal drakes in a dark fantasy world; 60-120 minute playtime.
- Etherfields A surreal adventure, exploration, and deck-building board game featuring Dreamers, escape-room-like riddles, Memory Chests, Living World mechanics, and co-op/solo gameplay; for 1-4 players, 60-180 minute playtime.
- Grimcoven A board game published by Awaken Realms as part of its premium tabletop portfolio.
- ISS Vanguard A flagship Awaken Realms science fiction themed board game described as a crowdfunding sensation, featuring immersive miniatures.
- Lands of Evershade A board game in Awaken Realms' premium tabletop portfolio.
- Lords of Hellas A strategy board game published by Awaken Realms featuring ancient Greek mythology themes.
- Lords of Ragnarok A strategy board game published by Awaken Realms featuring Norse mythology themes.
- Nemesis A flagship Awaken Realms survival horror themed board game with immersive miniatures, described as a crowdfunding sensation.
- Nemesis Lockdown A spin-off title in the Nemesis series featuring lockdown/alien survival scenarios.
- Nemesis Retaliation A continuation or expansion title in the Nemesis series.
- Puerto Rico Classic strategy board game re-published by Awaken Realms with premium components.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Board game adaptation based on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game franchise, featuring survival and exploration in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
- Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon A flagship Awaken Realms dark fantasy Arthurian-themed adventure board game described as a crowdfunding sensation.
- Tainted Grail: Kings Of Ruin A sequel continuation of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, continuing the dark fantasy Arthurian narrative.
- The Edge Dawnfall A competitive strategy board game published by Awaken Realms.
- The Great Wall A board game published by Awaken Realms featuring Asian historical themes.
- This War of Mine: The Board Game A flagship Awaken Realms board game adapting the survival video game depicting civilians in wartime, described as a crowdfunding sensation.
- Agricola Special Edition A re-implementation of Uwe Rosenberg's classic Agricola farming game featuring premium components.
- Siege Storm A board game published by Awaken Realms as part of its premium tabletop portfolio.
- Dragon Eclipse: The Grand Quest An extended campaign-mode edition of Dragon Eclipse, launched via the Gamefound crowdfunding platform.
- Labyrinth Chronicles A board game launched via the Gamefound crowdfunding platform.
- Agricola Dead Harvest A standalone/expansion game for Agricola launched via the Gamefound crowdfunding platform.
- Scoundrels A board game launched via the Gamefound crowdfunding platform.
- Nemesis Legacy A legacy edition of the Nemesis board game launched via the Gamefound crowdfunding platform.
- Concordia Special Edition A special edition re-release of the classic Concordia strategy board game launched via the Gamefound crowdfunding platform.
- Tamashii: The Final Amendment A strategic board game launched via the Gamefound crowdfunding platform.
Companies that use Awaken Realms
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Awaken Realms technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Awaken Realms partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GamefoundcoreGamefound is the primary crowdfunding platform where Awaken Realms launches their board game campaigns. The platform hosts their campaigns and processes pledges from backers globally.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Awaken Realms competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Asmodee: Asmodee is the largest global board game publisher (Catan, Ticket to Ride, Star Wars: Legion) with broad retail distribution. Comparable as a major board game publisher but operates at much broader scale and through traditional retail channels.
- Fantasy Flight Games: Fantasy Flight Games publishes premium board and miniature games (Star Wars: Legion, X-Wing, Arkham Horror). As a subsidiary of Asmodee, it overlaps with Awaken Realms on miniature-heavy tabletop games but serves a broader IP-licensed portfolio.
Direct peers
- Greater Than Games: Greater Than Games publishes narrative board games (Spirit Island, Fate of the Elder Gods) with premium components. Comparable on premium narrative board game publishing and tabletop enthusiast focus.
- Steamforged Games: Steamforged publishes premium miniature board games (Dark Souls: The Board Game, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil) with high-end components, typically launched via Kickstarter. Closely mirrors Awaken Realms' premium miniature + crowdfunding model.
- CMON: CMON is a leading publisher of miniature-heavy board games (Zombicide, Blood Rage, Rising Sun) frequently launched via crowdfunding with premium components. Direct comparable to Awaken Realms on premium miniature game design and crowdfunding-first GTM.
- Chip Theory Games: Chip Theory Games produces ultra-premium board games with metal miniatures, neoprene mats, and high-quality components (Too Many Bones, Oathsworn), launched via Kickstarter. Comparable to Awaken Realms on premium components positioning and crowdfunding channel.
- Plaid Hat Games: Plaid Hat Games is a board game publisher known for narrative-driven titles (Summoner Wars, Mice and Mystics) with miniature components and crowdfunding launches. Comparable on narrative + miniature game design approach.
- Stonemaier Games: Stonemaier Games publishes acclaimed strategy board games (Wingspan, Scythe, Tapestry) with strong crowdfunding roots and premium editions. Comparable on premium component strategy and crowdfunding-to-retail GTM evolution.
Emerging players
- Restoration Games: Restoration Games specializes in premium reissues of classic board games (Stop Thief, Return to Dark Tower), similar to Awaken Realms' premium editions of Castles of Burgundy, Concordia, and Puerto Rico. Comparable on the premium-reissue niche within the tabletop market.
Regional players
- Horrible Guild: Horrible Guild is an Italian board game publisher offering premium titles to the European market (Nemesis Lockdown Italian editions, etc.). Comparable on premium board game publishing with overlap in distribution to European tabletop enthusiasts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Awaken Realms social profiles
Digital presenceAwaken Realms financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Awaken Realms leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Awaken Realms funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Awaken Realms M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Awaken Realms
What does Awaken Realms do?
Awaken Realms designs, publishes, and distributes premium tabletop board games featuring high-end miniature models and deep, involving game mechanics. The company sells its games primarily through crowdfunding campaigns on Gamefound, with pledge tiers and special editions emphasizing premium components such as metal coins, double-layered player boards, and large detailed miniatures. Flagship titles include This War of Mine: The Board Game, Nemesis, Etherfields, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, and ISS Vanguard.
Is Awaken Realms a public or private company?
Awaken Realms is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Awaken Realms founded?
Awaken Realms was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Awaken Realms based?
Awaken Realms is headquartered in Wroclaw, Poland, in the Europe region.
How does Awaken Realms make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Crowdfunding Campaign Sales are the primary driver. The others are premium Game Sales.
Who are Awaken Realms's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Asmodee and Fantasy Flight Games. Direct peers are Greater Than Games, Steamforged Games, CMON, Chip Theory Games, Plaid Hat Games and Stonemaier Games. Restoration Games is listed as an emerging player. Horrible Guild is listed as a regional player.
Does Awaken Realms have an API?
No public API is recorded for Awaken Realms.
What industry is Awaken Realms in?
Awaken Realms's product category is Tabletop Board Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAKAD, Tabletop RPG Miniatures & Terrain, with a secondary code of CRALAKAC, Wargaming Miniatures (Tabletop Armies). Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 3944.