Plan B Games
Plan B Games is a Canadian tabletop board game publisher operating as Next Move Games under Asmodee Group, publishing strategy and family games including the Azul franchise for global hobbyist and family consumer markets via retail and digital distribution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersRigaud, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Plan B Games does
Plan B Games is a private tabletop board game publisher founded in 2016 and headquartered in Rigaud, Canada, operating as Next Move Games under the Asmodee Group distribution umbrella. The company publishes a portfolio of strategy, family, and hobby board games under the Azul, Challengers!, Century, Tree Society, and other brands, with Azul — designed by Michael Kiesling — serving as the flagship "modern classic" anchor and generating multiple sequels, spin-offs, mini editions, and special editions.
The underlying product technology consists of physical game components (tiles, cards, boards) with novel mechanics such as Azul's tile-drafting system, Challengers!' character card drafting with 70+ unique characters, and All-In Predictions' prophet-power hand prediction mechanic. Distribution is hybrid: physical retail through Asmodee's global store locator network, digital online play through Board Game Arena, and digital downloads via Asmodee's Print & Play platform. The company website (nextmove-games.com) operates in French, English, and German, supported by social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Revenue is generated through one-time perpetual license sales of physical board games at retail price points varying by title, edition, and region; specific pricing, financials, ownership details, and management roster are not publicly disclosed. Customer segments are horizontal hobbyist and family tabletop gaming consumers, with secondary exposure to commercial venues such as game cafes. Plan B Games' GTM motion is product-led: each title is designed for broad consumer accessibility and distributed through Asmodee's infrastructure rather than through direct enterprise sales or SaaS contracts.
Plan B Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Plan B Games
- Website
- https://planbgames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Plan B Games is a Canadian tabletop board game publisher operating as Next Move Games under Asmodee Group, publishing strategy and family games including the Azul franchise for global hobbyist and family consumer markets via retail and digital distribution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Plan B Games industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tabletop Games
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers (CRALALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Strategy/Euro Board Games Retail (CRALALAC)
Keywords
Where Plan B Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rigaud
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Plan B Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Physical Board Game Sales: Sale of physical tabletop games through retail distribution channels. Games include Azul (original, Duel, Summer Pavilion, Stained Glass of Sintra, Garden Queen), Challengers! series, Century series, Tree Society, Pingouins, Cartagena.
- Digital Gaming Platforms: Digital adaptations of games on platforms like Board Game Arena, enabling online play of physical board game titles.
- Print & Play Digital Downloads: Print-and-play versions of games available through Asmodee's digital platform, allowing customers to purchase and download game components for self-printing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Physical board games sold at retail price points |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Plan B Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Plan B Games is a tabletop board game publisher that designs, produces, and distributes physical board and card games under multiple brands, including the flagship Azul series and Challengers!. Operating under the Asmodee Group, the company publishes strategy, family, and hobby games with distinctive art and unique mechanics (tile-drafting, character card drafting, prediction games) for global retail and digital distribution channels.
Product overview
Next Move Games is a tabletop game publisher under Asmodee operating a multi-brand portfolio strategy. The company publishes multiple distinct game franchises alongside individual titles. The flagship brand is the Azul series, which includes the original Azul, Azul Duel, Azul les Vitraux de Sintra, Azul Pavillon d'été, Azul Le Jardin de la Reine, plus mini versions and special edition releases. The Challengers! franchise features the core game and beach variant. Other portfolio games include All-In Predictions (new 2026 release), Pingouins, Cartagena, Tree Society, Century, and Melodies. Games are available through physical retail and digital platforms including Board Game Arena for online play and Print & Play for digital access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Azul Award-winning strategy tile-drafting board game where players become tile painters for King Manuel I's palace, selecting colored tiles to create intricate mosaic patterns on personal boards. Designed by renowned game designer Michael Kiesling and considered a modern classic in tabletop gaming.
- Azul Duel Two-player competitive version of the Azul franchise featuring direct tile-drafting competition with strategic duel mechanics, themed around Portuguese palace tiles.
- Azul les Vitraux de Sintra Standalone game in the Azul series featuring stained glass tile mechanics with new drafting rules and visual themes inspired by Sintra's palaces.
- Azul Pavillon d'été (Summer Pavilion) Azul series installment featuring a summer pavilion theme with new tile-drafting mechanics and scoring patterns.
- Azul Le Jardin de la Reine (Garden Queen) Azul franchise game centered on a garden design theme with floral tile patterns and queen-inspired aesthetics.
- Challengers! Competitive card game featuring over 70 eccentric characters from diverse settings (Hollywood, space, ocean depths, bathtubs) with unique abilities. Players draw character cards and must make strategic choices each round about which cards to add or eliminate.
- Challengers! Beach Cup Summer-themed variant of the Challengers! card game with beach vacation setting and a seasonal character roster.
- All-In Predictions Card-based prediction game where players use prophet powers to predict winning hands, guess opponents' strongest hands, and win through mental abilities and strategic attention to other players' actions.
- Pingouins Family-friendly strategy game featuring penguin-themed gameplay with puzzle and tile-placement mechanics.
- Cartagena Classic board game with a pirate theme featuring strategic movement and resource management gameplay.
- Tree Society Collaborative strategy game where players assume roles as writers, architects, bankers, merchants, botanists, and explorers building a new society near the treetops.
- Century Spice trading series of games featuring market economics, resource conversion mechanics, and strategic trade route building.
- Melodies Music-themed game featuring melody creation or music-based gameplay mechanics.
Quantifiable outcome
- Azul has achieved modern classic status in tabletop gaming
Companies that use Plan B Games
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Plan B Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Plan B Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Asmodee GroupcorePlan B Games operates as Next Move Games under the Asmodee Group. Asmodee handles global distribution, marketing support, and retail network access. The company website is hosted on Asmodee infrastructure and uses Asmodee's store locator and e-commerce platforms for product distribution. Financière Amuse BidCo (parent entity) manages data and marketing communications on behalf of the Asmodee Group companies.
- Board Game ArenacoreBoard Game Arena hosts digital adaptations of Next Move Games titles, enabling online multiplayer gameplay. Players can access and play games like Azul digitally through the platform.
- Michael KieslingcoreMichael Kiesling is the creator of Azul, Plan B Games' flagship game. As a renowned board game designer, his creative partnership has resulted in multiple Azul titles and variants, establishing the game as a modern classic in the tabletop gaming industry.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Plan B Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IELLO: French hobby game publisher of Kingsburg, Welcome To..., and Bunny Kingdom. Comparable as a European publisher of family and strategy games distributed through international hobby channels, similar in scale and product mix.
- CMON: Publisher of Zombicide, Blood Rage, and Rising Sun — title-driven tabletop miniatures and strategy games. Comparable product scope (strategy/family hobby games) and channel exposure (hobby retail and international distribution).
- Repos Production: Belgian hobby game publisher behind 7 Wonders, Just One, and Dune: Imperium. Closely comparable to Plan B Games as a publisher of high-profile strategy and family board games sold through hobby channels and Asmodee distribution.
- Days of Wonder: Asmodee-owned tabletop board game publisher of Ticket to Ride, Memoir '44, and smallbox titles. Sister studio to Plan B Games within Asmodee, competing for the same hobby-game shelf space and distributor attention with similarly small in-house teams.
- Stonemaier Games: Independent publisher of Wingspan, Scythe, and Viticulture — award-winning strategy and family titles. Directly comparable to Plan B Games for product category (tile/strategy hobby games), target buyer (hobby enthusiasts), and design-led publishing model.
- Czech Games Edition: Publisher of Codenames, Through the Ages, and Tzolk'in. Comparable mid-sized strategy board game publisher with multiple flagship franchises and broad international hobby distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Z-Man Games: Asmodee-owned publisher of Pandemic, Love Letter, and Carcassonne. Comparable as an Asmodee sibling publisher with a wider, more established hobby and family game portfolio.
- Fantasy Flight Games: Asmodee-owned publisher of larger/established franchises including Star Wars, Arkham Horror, and Cosmic Encounter. Comparable as an Asmodee sibling publisher but with a much broader portfolio and stronger tabletop RPG and minis categories.
Emerging players
- Pandasaurus Games: US-based hobby game publisher of Dinosaur Island, The Mind, and Trails of Tucana. Comparable as an independently positioned designer-friendly publisher with multi-brand strategy titles targeting the hobby community.
- Leder Games: Independent publisher of Root and Frosthaven. Comparable as a smaller, design-led hobby publisher focused on flagship strategy titles targeting the same enthusiast customer segments as Plan B Games' Azul and Challengers! lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Plan B Games social profiles
Digital presencePlan B Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Plan B Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Plan B Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Plan B Games 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 Plan B Games
What does Plan B Games do?
Plan B Games is a tabletop board game publisher that designs, produces, and distributes physical board and card games under multiple brands, including the flagship Azul series and Challengers!. Operating under the Asmodee Group, the company publishes strategy, family, and hobby games with distinctive art and unique mechanics (tile-drafting, character card drafting, prediction games) for global retail and digital distribution channels.
When was Plan B Games founded?
Plan B Games was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Plan B Games based?
Plan B Games is headquartered in Rigaud, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Plan B Games make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Board Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Gaming Platforms and print & Play Digital Downloads.
Who are Plan B Games's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IELLO, CMON, Repos Production, Days of Wonder, Stonemaier Games and Czech Games Edition. Broad incumbents are Z-Man Games and Fantasy Flight Games. Emerging players are Pandasaurus Games and Leder Games.
Does Plan B Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Plan B Games.
What industry is Plan B Games in?
Plan B Games's product category is Tabletop Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALALAA, Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers, with a secondary code of CRALALAC, Strategy/Euro Board Games Retail. Its NAICS code is 459120 and its SIC code is 5945.