Zoch
Zoch Verlag is a German author-focused board and card game publisher under the Simba Dickie Group, producing award-winning physical games (children's, family, dice, skill, and outdoor Crossboule) sold via its trilingual D2C shop and distributors across 20+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersFürth, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Zoch does
Zoch Verlag is a German author-focused board and card game publisher founded in 1987 (first commercial title "Bausack" in 1988) by Klaus Zoch and headquartered at Werkstraße 1, Fürth, Bavaria. The company designs and produces physical games — children's games, family games, card games, dice games, skill/dexterity games, and the innovative 3D outdoor throwing game Crossboule — built around proprietary mechanical concepts including magnetic threads (Spinderella), tilting balance systems (Bamboleo, Villa Paletti, Menara), and overlapping tile dynamics (Flitze Flatze Bärentatze). Production is centralized in Fürth under TÜV Rheinland certification and carries the "spiel gut" quality seal on multiple titles; products are certified in-house and externally before shipment.
Zoch operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Simba Dickie Group, consolidated under Simba Toys GmbH & Co. KG following its acquisition by NORIS-SPIELE. The company sells through its own trilingual (DE/EN/FR) online shop with 14 region-specific payment integrations, supplemented by international distribution partners in 20+ countries and physical retail channels. The shop hosts 9,000+ items across 14 brands, with unit-priced games ranging from €5.99 to €63.99 (most SKUs €13–€35) and bundle discounts of 20–25%. The customer base is fragmented: families with children aged 4+, adult game enthusiasts, gift buyers, and senior memory-training users, served via D2C, retailer/distributor partnerships, event presence at the Nuremberg Spielwarenmesse, video marketing, and partnerships with the kiddo! parent-reviewer platform.
The portfolio includes 22+ award-winning titles, notably Spiel des Jahres wins for Villa Paletti (2002) and Niagara (2005), Kinderspiel des Jahres for Da ist der Wurm drin (2011) and Spinderella (2015), and As d'Or for Riff Raff (2014); Villa Paletti alone sold 300,000+ copies. Zoch maintains an active release cadence (13+ new SKUs in 2025, with the "New Play Adventures" line announced for 2026) and is extending the Beasty Bar franchise through multiple cross-compatible expansions (New Beasts in Town, Born to be wild, Down Under). Management is held by the Simba-DICKIE-Vertriebs-GmbH & Co. KG leadership team (Florian Sieber, Moritz Duschl, Uwe Weiler, Andreas Schmitt); Zoch's direct headcount is reported as 1-10 employees.
Zoch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zoch
- Legal name
- SIMBA-DICKIE-Vertriebs-GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://zoch-verlag.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Zoch Verlag is a German author-focused board and card game publisher under the Simba Dickie Group, producing award-winning physical games (children's, family, dice, skill, and outdoor Crossboule) sold via its trilingual D2C shop and distributors across 20+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zoch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Board Games and Toys
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers (CRALALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Family/Party Board Games Retail (CRALALAB), Educational/Children’s Learning Games & Puzzles Retail (CRALALAN)
Keywords
Where Zoch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fürth
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Zoch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct physical product sales: Direct sales of board games, card games, dice games, and outdoor games through the official Zoch online shop and retail channels to end consumers. Products are sold as one-time purchases with various price points from €5.99 to €63.99.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual game products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bundle packages |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Zoch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zoch Verlag designs, manufactures, and sells physical board games, card games, dice games, and outdoor games for families, children, and adult players. Its flagship product line is built around Bausack, a wooden block stacking game launched in 1988, alongside other family and creative games. The company sells its products directly to consumers through its own multilingual online shop and to retailers/distributors in more than 20 countries.
Product overview
Zoch is an author publishing house specializing in creative and original board games, card games, dice games, and outdoor games for children and adults. The product portfolio includes award-winning games across multiple categories: children's games (such as Da ist der Wurm drin, Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke, Spinderella, Beethupferl), family games (Niagara, Villa Paletti, Menara, Beasty Bar series, Geistesblitz, Sushi Go), dice games (Heckmeck am Bratwurmeck, Gigi Gacker am Würfelacker), skill/dexterity games (Bamboleo, Hamsterrolle, Riff Raff), card games (various Beasty Bar expansions), and the innovative 3D outdoor throwing game Crossboule with multiple themed variants. Zoch offers over 9,000 items across 14 brands, with production primarily in Germany (Fürth). Many games have won prestigious awards including Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year), Kinderspiel des Jahres (Children's Game of the Year), and spiel gut quality seals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Crossboule: 3D throwing game where soft balls are thrown onto surfaces like stairs, benches, and shelves to get closest to the target ball.
- Zicke Zacke
- Da ist der Wurm drin
- Heckmeck
- Geistesblitz
- Beasty Bar
- Spinderella
Products and services
- Bausack A wooden block stacking game designed for families, children, and adults; the flagship creative-game product of Zoch Verlag and the company's founding product.
- Hamsterrolle A physical game in Zoch's portfolio of family and creative games.
- Bärenschule A physical game in Zoch's portfolio of family and creative games.
- Zoch Online Shop Multilingual direct-to-consumer online shop selling Zoch's portfolio of physical games to consumers across multiple countries.
Quantifiable outcome
- Villa Paletti sold over 300,000 copies after winning Spiel des Jahres 2002
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Zoch
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Zoch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
Feature3 records
Zoch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Simba Dickie GroupcoreZoch Verlag is a subsidiary of Simba Dickie Group, operating under the Simba Toys GmbH & Co. KG umbrella. The partnership provides Zoch with access to distribution networks, shared services, and the resources of a major toy company.
- NORIS-SPIELEcoreNORIS-SPIELE acquired Zoch Verlag. This acquisition brought the international bestseller Geistesblitz to Zoch's portfolio and enabled further consolidation of expertise under the Simba Dickie Group.
- International Distribution PartnersmajorZoch products are available internationally through distribution partners in over 20 countries. This enables global availability of Zoch games beyond the direct online shop.
- kiddo! Spielwaren-Empfehlungenminorkiddo! is a family toy recommendation platform where parents test and recommend toys. Zoch products are featured and reviewed on the platform, providing marketing exposure to parent audiences.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Zoch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HABA: German maker of children's games, toys, and wooden play products with strong educational positioning. Directly comparable to Zoch in the children's games and developmental play category, with similar German-made quality positioning.
- Kosmos Verlag: Stuttgart-based publisher of board games, family games, and children's games with strong Spiel des Jahres pedigree (Catan, EXIT series). Directly comparable to Zoch in target audience, German design tradition, and award-driven strategy.
- Pegasus Spiele: German board game publisher with a strong family and hobbyist game catalog, distributing titles like Camel Up and Cottage Garden in German-speaking markets. Comparable to Zoch in audience overlap and Spiel des Jahres-oriented positioning.
- Schmidt Spiele: Long-standing German board game publisher behind classics such as Mensch ärgere Dich nicht and Dvonn. Comparable to Zoch in family/children's board games and traditional German publishing heritage.
- Amigo Spiel + Freizeit: German publisher specializing in card games and family games (Bohnanza, 6 nimmt!). Directly comparable to Zoch in card and family game category with similar size and German independent-publisher positioning.
- Noris-Spiele: Acquired Zoch and brought the Geistesblitz brand into Zoch's portfolio; sister brand within the Simba Dickie Group. Closely comparable in board game publishing and overlapping product lines.
Broad incumbents
- Asmodee: French global board game publisher (Catan, Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders). Comparable to Zoch in board game category and award-driven portfolio, but at much larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
- Ravensburger: Germany's largest board game and puzzle publisher, with a broad family/children's portfolio including award-winning titles. Closely comparable to Zoch in product category (board games, children's games, puzzles) and German manufacturing heritage, but at far greater scale and global reach.
Emerging players
- Repos Production: Belgian board game publisher behind Concept and 7 Wonders Duel, with strong Spiel des Jahres heritage. Comparable to Zoch in family/hobby strategy games and European design tradition.
- Stonemaier Games: US-based independent publisher of acclaimed hobby and family board games (Wingspan, Scythe). Comparable in award-winning family/hobby game focus, though operating primarily in English-language markets.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Zoch social profiles
Digital presenceZoch compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Zoch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zoch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Zoch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zoch 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 Zoch
What does Zoch do?
Zoch Verlag designs, manufactures, and sells physical board games, card games, dice games, and outdoor games for families, children, and adult players. Its flagship product line is built around Bausack, a wooden block stacking game launched in 1988, alongside other family and creative games. The company sells its products directly to consumers through its own multilingual online shop and to retailers/distributors in more than 20 countries.
Is Zoch a public or private company?
Zoch is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Zoch founded?
Zoch was founded in 1988. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Zoch based?
Zoch is headquartered in Fürth, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Zoch make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct physical product sales.
Who are Zoch's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HABA, Kosmos Verlag, Pegasus Spiele, Schmidt Spiele, Amigo Spiel + Freizeit and Noris-Spiele. Broad incumbents are Asmodee and Ravensburger. Emerging players are Repos Production and Stonemaier Games.
Does Zoch have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zoch.
What industry is Zoch in?
Zoch's product category is Board Games and Toys. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALALAA, Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers, with a secondary code of CRALALAB, Family/Party Board Games Retail. Its NAICS code is 459120 and its SIC code is 5945.