What Japanime Games does

Japanime Games, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a private tabletop game publisher that self-identifies as the only North American company dedicated exclusively to anime-themed tabletop games. Its catalog spans deck-building games (Heart of Crown, Tanto Cuore, Kamigami Battles, Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade), tactical and board games (Naruto Ninja Arena, Attack on Titan: The Last Stand, Tokyo Ghoul: Bloody Masquerade), roleplaying systems (BESM, Anime 5E, Cowboy Bebop RPG, Nobi Nobi RPG, Queerz!, Glitter Hearts, Cloudbreaker Alliance), the Oshi Push trading card game featuring VTuber characters, and the Player's Choice line of card sleeves and playmats. Sub-brands include Player's Choice for accessories and Japanime Rocketeering, an unrelated model rocketry hobby division launched in 2020.

The company operates a multi-channel go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through japanimegames.com with free shipping over $75, wholesale distribution to local game stores via the Partner Account program, crowdfunding on Kickstarter for new title launches, and convention presence at Anime Expo and Gen Con. Revenue mechanics combine one-time game sales at $34.99–$174.50 price points, recurring Japanimaniac fanclub subscriptions, accessory sales, and select digital distribution on Steam. Manufacturing occurs in China with US-based fulfillment.

Japanime Games' position is anchored by a broad officially licensed anime IP portfolio covering Cowboy Bebop, Naruto, Attack on Titan, Sailor Moon, Sword Art Online, Black Clover, Tokyo Ghoul, Persona 3 Reload, Evangelion, Lupin III, and Bananya, alongside strategic partnerships with Crunchyroll and ZU Studios for co-developed titles (ZU Tiles, Fruits Basket), Farside Games for Epic 7 Arise, Kamikaze Games for Heiki Strike Alternative, and Domina Games for the Domina Anthology series. The company is led by President Eric Price, who has been with the business for over a decade and is publicly active on industry issues including tariffs.

Name

Japanime Games

Legal name

Japanime Games

Website

https://japanimegames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Japanime Games, founded in 2009 in Portland, Oregon, is a private North American tabletop game publisher dedicated exclusively to anime-themed games and accessories, serving anime enthusiasts, TCG players, and RPG hobbyists through D2C e-commerce, wholesale, Kickstarter, and licensing partnerships with Crunchyroll and major anime IP holders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tabletop Games

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Wargames & Historical Board Games Retail (CRALALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Miniatures Games & Tabletop Skirmish Games Retail (CRALALAH)

Keywords

• Anime tabletop games
• Deck building games
• Trading card games
• Tabletop roleplaying games
• Gaming accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Physical Game Sales: Direct sales of anime-themed board games, card games, and RPGs through their e-commerce platform and retail distribution
2. Gaming Accessories: Sales of Player's Choice branded card sleeves, playmats, deck boxes, binders and other gaming accessories
3. Kickstarter/Crowdfunding: Campaigns for new game titles and expansions, offering early bird pricing and exclusive stretch goals
4. Fanclub Membership: Japanimaniac subscription program offering 10% off purchases, free shipping over $50, exclusive variant covers and promo packs
5. Wholesale Distribution: Bulk sales to local game stores and distributors through their partner store program

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Japanime Games is a North American publisher that designs, publishes, and distributes anime-themed tabletop games and gaming accessories. Its catalog spans deck-building games, tactical card games, board games, and tabletop roleplaying games built around officially licensed anime IP (Cowboy Bebop, Naruto, Black Clover, Attack on Titan, Sailor Moon, Sword Art Online, Persona, etc.), alongside its own original titles. The company also produces the Player's Choice line of officially licensed card sleeves, playmats, deck boxes, and binders.

Product overview

Japanime Games is a North American publisher specializing in anime-themed tabletop games. The portfolio includes deck-building games (Oshi Push, Heart of Crown, Tanto Cuore, Kamigami Battles, Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade), tactical games (Japanime Tactics, Naruto Ninja Arena), roleplaying games (BESM, Anime 5E, Nobi Nobi RPG, Queerz!, Glitter Hearts, Cloudbreaker Alliance, Cowboy Bebop RPG), licensed anime games (Black Clover, Tokyo Ghoul, Attack on Titan, Sailor Moon, Sword Art Online, Evangelion, Persona 3 Reload, Epic 7, Cowboy Bebop), party/social games (Sailor Moon Crystal: Imposterous, Mangaka, Love Formula), and accessories (Player's Choice Sleeves and Playmats). The company publishes both original titles and officially licensed adaptations, with many games available digitally on Steam in addition to physical formats. Products are distributed through retail, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer channels, with crowdfunding via Kickstarter for select launches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Player's Choice: TCG game accessories brand including sleeves, playmats, and card protection products.
• Japanime Rocketeering

Products and services

• Heart of Crown Second Edition Base Game Multiplayer deck-building game for 2-4 players in which players compete to claim the throne by nominating a princess and earning Succession Points; originally published by Japanime Games and also available digitally on Steam. Priced at $59.99 USD.
• Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade Officially licensed deck-building game set in the Cowboy Bebop anime universe where players take on roles of Bebop crew members hunting criminals across the solar system and earning Renown points. Priced at $59.95 USD.
• Naruto Ninja Arena Officially licensed board game based on the Naruto series using a Roll & Clash dice system where players compete to become the strongest ninja. Priced at $34.95 USD.
• Black Clover Star Festival Officially licensed card game based on the Black Clover anime series. Priced at $49.95 USD.
• AEGIS Combining Robots: Second Ignition Strategic game featuring combining robots with anime-inspired action and lore. Priced at $65.00 USD.
• Blade Rondo Legendary Edition Card game featuring anime-inspired gameplay and artwork. Priced at $174.50 USD.
• Lupin III: The Italian Adventure Officially licensed dice and deduction game featuring characters from the Lupin III anime series. Priced at $44.95 USD.
• Perfect Draw! Card game using the Powered by the Apocalypse system that combines deck-building mechanics with story-driven anime card battles. Priced at $34.99 USD.
• Nobi Nobi RPG Anime-themed tabletop roleplaying game with simple rules focused on shared storytelling and unexpected adventures, designed for families and new players. Sold as a collection of boxed titles.
• Oshi Push Trading Card Game Trading card game featuring VTuber characters, including multiple sets such as Phase Origins, Hidden Links, and Phase Alias, with starter decks, booster boxes, playmats, sleeves, and accessories.
• Queerz! RPG RPG powered by the Mist Engine (from City of Mist) focused on empathy, emotional depth, and transformation mechanics.
• Glitter Hearts RPG Powered by the Apocalypse RPG featuring magical girls, secret identities, and emotional character arcs.
• Cloudbreaker Alliance RPG Post-apocalyptic tabletop RPG using a custom 2d6 system focused on world restoration and diplomacy.
• BESM - Big Eyes, Small Mouth 4th Edition RPG Anime and manga-themed tabletop roleplaying game (4th edition) with over 100 illustrations across 352 full-color pages.
• Cowboy Bebop RPG Officially licensed tabletop roleplaying game using a custom system designed for episodic storytelling and character-driven drama set in the Cowboy Bebop anime universe.
• Attack on Titan: The Last Stand Officially licensed board game where players take on roles of Scouts defending Trost from Titans using vertical positioning and tactical combinations.
• Tokyo Ghoul: Bloody Masquerade Officially licensed board game set in post-apocalyptic Tokyo where players act as ghouls balancing hunger and avoiding CCG hunters.
• Tanto Cuore Deck-Building Game Competitive 2-4 player deck-building game where players act as Lords of a mansion hiring maids to earn Victory Points.
• Kamigami Battles: Rise of the Old Ones Deck-building game for 2-6 players where players take on roles of Great Old Ones recruiting Warriors and Disciples to battle rival gods.
• Japanime Tactics Tactical skirmish game using a card-matching system with modular terrain, featuring anime-style characters with unique stats and action cards.
• Epic Seven Arise - The Board Game Officially licensed board game based on the Epic Seven mobile game franchise, developed in partnership with Farside Games.
• Bananya: The Card Game Officially licensed card game featuring cute kittens, with a full line of accessories and expansion packs.
• Persona 3 Reload Collection Officially licensed accessory collection including playmats, deck boxes, and bundles featuring Persona 3 Reload characters such as the Protagonist, Yukari, Junpei, Aigis, Mitsuru, and Akihiko.
• Evangelion Collection Officially licensed games and accessories based on the Evangelion anime series.
• Player's Choice Card Sleeves High-quality officially licensed card sleeves in Standard and Yu-Gi-Oh! sizes with Japanese-level quality and superior shuffle feel. Available in solid colors, art designs, and foil variants. Endorsed by 3x Yu-Gi-Oh! YCS/UDS Champion Jeff Jones and YCS Finalist Max Reynolds.
• Player's Choice Playmats High-quality officially licensed playmats featuring anime characters, available in standard and oversized formats.
• Player's Choice Art Sleeves Officially licensed anime and game-related art card sleeves in Standard and Yu-Gi-Oh! sizes.
• Japanimaniac Fanclub Subscription Recurring fanclub membership offering a monthly gift card for 10% off all purchases, free shipping on orders over $50, one-of-a-kind variant covers, promo packs, and access to private Discord channels.
• Player's Choice Deck Boxes and Binders Officially licensed deck boxes and binders under the Player's Choice brand, used alongside Player's Choice sleeves and playmats for TCG players.

Quantifiable outcome

• For over a decade, Japanime Games has been the only North American publisher dedicated exclusively to anime tabletop games

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CrunchyrollcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Crunchyroll and ZU Studios to co-produce ZU Tiles and Fruits Basket anime tabletop games. Crunchyroll provides anime IP licensing while Japanime Games handles game development and publishing.
• ZU StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with Crunchyroll and Japanime Games for ZU Tiles and Fruits Basket game products. ZU Studios contributes to game development and design.
• Kamikaze GamesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project for Heiki Strike Alternative tactical card game - the first collaboration between Japanime Games and Kamikaze Games.
• Farside GamescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Epic Seven Arise: The Board Game, bringing the popular video game franchise to tabletop format.
• Local Game Stores (LGS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of local game stores selling Japanime Games products. Stores like The Booster Box in VA actively retail Player's Choice accessories and games.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WizKids: Publisher of HeroClix, Dice Masters, and other licensed-IP tabletop games. Comparable licensed-IP board and miniatures game publishing model.
• Ultra PRO: Major manufacturer of TCG accessories including sleeves, playmats, deck boxes, and binders. Directly competes with Japanime's Player's Choice accessories line.
• Steve Jackson Games: Long-running independent tabletop publisher with a focused catalog and dedicated fan community. Comparable size, scope, and founder-driven indie publishing profile.
• Bushiroad: Japanese publisher of anime-themed trading card games including Cardfight!! Vanguard and Weiss Schwarz. Most direct comparable to Japanime's anime TCG and licensed card game business model.
• Cryptozoic Entertainment: US-based tabletop publisher specializing in games built around licensed pop culture IP. Comparable to Japanime's licensed anime board games and accessories strategy.
• Pinnacle Entertainment Group: Independent publisher of tabletop RPGs and card games including Savage Worlds. Comparable as a small, founder-led indie publisher in the anime-adjacent tabletop RPG space.
• CMON: Tabletop publisher known for licensed and thematically driven board games with strong Kickstarter distribution. Comparable crowdfunding-led and IP-anchored publishing model.

Broad incumbents

• Upper Deck: Trading card and entertainment company with strong licensed sports and gaming IP. Adjacent comparable as a licensed-IP trading card and accessory business with retail distribution muscle.
• Konami: Owner of Yu-Gi-Oh!, one of the dominant anime-licensed TCGs whose player base overlaps heavily with Japanime's Player's Choice accessory customers.
• Asmodee: World's largest hobby game publisher controlling many hobby brands. Most significant incumbent in Japanime's LGS distribution channel and broader tabletop category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JapanimeGames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/japanime-games

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Japanime Games