Gunpowder Studios
Gunpowder Studios is an independent UK board game publisher designing and selling original tabletop games for families and tabletop enthusiasts, with the Bag of Dungeon franchise as its flagship. The company ships worldwide through its website, Amazon, Etsy, and wholesale.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersUpper Norwood, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Gunpowder Studios does
Gunpowder Studios Ltd is an independent UK board game publisher operating from Upper Norwood, London, founded in 1995. The company designs and sells original tabletop games for families and tabletop gaming enthusiasts, with a product portfolio that centers on the interconnected Bag of Dungeon franchise (original game, BoD 2: The Cursed Forest, Legends 1 & 2 expansions, and Book of Dungeon puzzle book) and extends to 7 Moons (open-world fantasy), Kastles (card game), Rabbito (wooden strategy), and Who Stole My Cheese? (social deduction). The core technology is a modular tile-laying dungeon system with random configuration generation, cooperative and competitive play, solo modes, and cross-compatible expansion architecture. Auxillary products include resin miniatures (fulfilled through Only Games), digital STL files for 3D printing, and a free-to-play online version called BOD3D.
The business model is direct-to-consumer and marketplace-driven, with all physical products sold at unit prices ranging from £14.99 to £44.99, plus miniatures at £29.99. Distribution spans the company's own website (with free UK delivery and worldwide shipping), Amazon storefronts in 10 countries, Etsy, and a wholesale program offering 15-40% discounts to retailers. The company maintains full product safety compliance (EN71, ASTM F963, CPSIA, GDPR) across US and EU markets. The company is bootstrapped and founder-operated, with a team of 1-10 employees including Paul Sharville (Lead Writer), Will Sharville (Writer), and Tim Sharville (Responsible Person). Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and no external funding has been raised.
Gunpowder Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gunpowder Studios
- Legal name
- Gunpowder Studios Ltd
- Website
- https://gunpowderstudios.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Gunpowder Studios is an independent UK board game publisher designing and selling original tabletop games for families and tabletop enthusiasts, with the Bag of Dungeon franchise as its flagship. The company ships worldwide through its website, Amazon, Etsy, and wholesale.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gunpowder Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tabletop Board Games
- NAICS
- Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993)
- SIC
- Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Miniatures Games & Tabletop Skirmish Games Retail (CRALALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wargaming Miniatures (Tabletop Armies) (CRALAKAC), Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming) (CRALAFAH), Strategy/Euro Board Games Retail (CRALALAC)
Keywords
Where Gunpowder Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Upper Norwood
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gunpowder Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Physical Board Game Sales: One-time purchase model for physical board games sold directly through company website, Amazon marketplaces, Etsy, and wholesale to retailers. Products include core games, expansion packs, and miniatures.
- Miniatures and Accessories: Sale of official resin miniatures and 3D printable STL digital files for Bag of Dungeon branded figures through Only Games (physical) and Etsy (digital downloads)
- Digital Products: Digital downloads including STL files for 3D printing at home, delivered electronically without shipping costs or customs fees
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Core Board Games - £14.99 to £44.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Expansion Packs - £19.99 to £29.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Miniatures - £29.99 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Wholesale Discount Bands - 15% to 40% off RRP |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Gunpowder Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gunpowder Studios is an independent UK publisher that designs, produces and sells original physical tabletop board games and accessories. The portfolio centers on the Bag of Dungeon fantasy dungeon-crawler franchise (core game, sequel, expansion packs, official miniatures), supplemented by 7 Moons (open-world fantasy adventure), Kastles (castle-defence card game), Rabbito (wooden strategy game), Who Stole My Cheese? (social deduction family game), Book of Dungeon (solo puzzle book), and digital STL files for 3D printing.
Product overview
Gunpowder Studios is an independent UK board game publisher creating original tabletop games for 1-4+ players ages 5+. Their portfolio centers on the Bag of Dungeon franchise, including the original Bag of Dungeon (dungeon crawler in a bag), Bag of Dungeon 2: The Cursed Forest (forest-themed expansion/stand-alone), and two LEGENDS expansion packs (adding characters, abilities, and solo missions). Secondary titles include 7 Moons (open-world fantasy adventure), Kastles (castle defence card game), Rabbito (wooden rabbit strategy game), and Who Stole My Cheese? (social deduction game). Supporting products include the Book of Dungeon (solo puzzle book), official resin miniatures, Bag of Dungeon 3D (free online version), and digital STL files for 3D printing. The company ships worldwide from the UK with wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bag of Dungeon: Pocket-sized fantasy dungeon-crawling board game series; includes original game, sequel, and expansion packs
- 7 Moons
- Kastles
- Rabbito
- Who Stole My Cheese?
- Book of Dungeon
Products and services
- Bag of Dungeon Fantasy Board Game A complete pocket dungeon crawler board game in a bag for 1-4 players ages 7 and up, featuring tile-laying fantasy adventuring, monster battles, and treasure collecting.
- Bag of Dungeon 2: The Cursed Forest A stand-alone forest-themed dungeon crawler and expansion for the original Bag of Dungeon, featuring 8 new characters, cursed forest exploration, and connectivity with the first game for expanded adventures.
- Bag of Dungeon LEGENDS Character Expansion Cards Character expansion pack introducing 4 new heroes (Umari, Firkin, Grakun, Esra), new encounter cards, instant power-ups, innate abilities, and 8 destiny cards for any Bag of Dungeon title.
- Bag of Dungeon LEGENDS 2: Relics 4-in-1 adventure expansion including Paths of the Ancients scenario, The Lost Dungeons solo missions, 4 new characters (Ash, Brumbleroot, Volos, Lady Sienna), and skills/destinies system for any Bag of Dungeon game.
- Book of Dungeon Solo dungeon-crawling puzzle book containing 100 randomly generated dungeons to draw-and-play using only a pencil and dice, based on the Bag of Dungeon board game.
- 7 Moons: Heroes of Dragon Reach Open-world fantasy adventure board game for 1-4 players featuring trading, questing, journeying, building and combat mechanics in the Dragon Reach kingdom.
- Kastles Card Game Castle defence card game for 2-4 players ages 7 and up, featuring 64 cards for strategic attacks using gunpowder, flaming arrows, catapults, saboteurs and a dragon to destroy opponents' strongholds.
- Rabbito All-wooden strategy board game for 2-4 players ages 5 and up, where pushy rabbits race to collect and steal carrots using special rakes in a light tactical family game.
- Who Stole My Cheese? Social deduction family board game for 4-8 players ages 5 and up, styled as a 'Traitors' game for kids where players determine if someone is the cheese thief or an innocent mouse.
- Bag of Dungeon Miniatures Official high-detail resin miniatures for Bag of Dungeon including 8 character figures plus a Special Edition Transparent Red Dragon, branded on base and ready for tabletop play.
- Bag of Dungeon 3D
Quantifiable outcome
- 100 unique dungeon configurations in Book of Dungeon
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Gunpowder Studios
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Gunpowder Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Gunpowder Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Only GamesminorMiniatures partner for official Bag of Dungeon resin figures. Orders processed and dispatched directly through Only Games system with fulfillment from US and UK warehouses.
- Kev DallimoreminorFeatured artist who painted display miniatures shown on product pages. Painted figures displayed with credit to Kev Dallimore.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gunpowder Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CMON: Public miniatures board game publisher (Zombicide, Bloodborne, Marvel United). Comparable product category (premium miniatures dungeon/boss-crawlers) but at much larger scale, including retail and Kickstarter channels that overlap with indie publishers' target buyers.
- Asmodee: World's largest hobby game publisher and distributor, controlling retail distribution and shelf space in EU and US game shops. Indirect incumbent that controls access to the wholesale channel Gunpowder Studios depends on.
- Games Workshop: The dominant global wargaming miniatures publisher (Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar). Far larger, but the reference point for tabletop miniatures retail, hobby community, and resin figure pricing that shapes Gunpowder Studios' market.
Direct peers
- Awaken Realms: Polish indie publisher of premium miniatures board games and dungeon-crawlers (e.g. Tainted Grail, ISS Vanguard, Lords of Hellas). Directly comparable premium-miniatures dungeon-crawler positioning with Kickstarter-funded and retail expansion models.
- Steamforged Games: UK-based indie publisher of miniatures-driven board games and tabletop adaptations (e.g. Dark Souls, Monster Hunter, Resident Evil). Closely comparable in size, scope (miniatures dungeon/boss-crawlers), UK origin and target audience to Gunpowder Studios.
- Modiphius Entertainment: Independent tabletop publisher of miniatures games, RPGs and dungeon-crawlers (e.g. A Song of Ice & Fire, Star Trek Adventures, Conan). Comparable as a UK-rooted indie miniatures/hobby publisher with cross-compatible product lines and international distribution.
- Chip Theory Games: Indie US publisher of high-end miniatures board games with modular, expandable systems (Too Many Bones, Hexpansion). Highly comparable modular/expandable design philosophy and premium-component positioning.
- Plaid Hat Games: US indie publisher of hobby board games including dungeon-crawlers and family titles (Mice & Mystics, Summoner Wars, Stuffed Fables). Comparable small-publisher mix of family-friendly and hobby dungeon-crawler titles sold through retail and DTC.
- Cubicle 7: UK indie publisher of tabletop RPGs and hobby board games (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Age of Sigmar: Soulbound, Forbidden Sky). Comparable UK indie hobby publisher serving fantasy tabletop audiences via DTC and retail.
- Brotherwise Games: US indie publisher of cooperative fantasy dungeon-crawlers (Call to Adventure, Boss Monster). Comparable small-team indie publisher of accessible fantasy tabletop games with retail distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gunpowder Studios social profiles
Digital presenceGunpowder Studios compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Gunpowder Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gunpowder Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Gunpowder Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gunpowder Studios 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 Gunpowder Studios
What does Gunpowder Studios do?
Gunpowder Studios is an independent UK publisher that designs, produces and sells original physical tabletop board games and accessories. The portfolio centers on the Bag of Dungeon fantasy dungeon-crawler franchise (core game, sequel, expansion packs, official miniatures), supplemented by 7 Moons (open-world fantasy adventure), Kastles (castle-defence card game), Rabbito (wooden strategy game), Who Stole My Cheese? (social deduction family game), Book of Dungeon (solo puzzle book), and digital STL files for 3D printing.
Is Gunpowder Studios a public or private company?
Gunpowder Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Gunpowder Studios founded?
Gunpowder Studios was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Gunpowder Studios based?
Gunpowder Studios is headquartered in Upper Norwood, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Gunpowder Studios make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Board Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are miniatures and Accessories and digital Products.
Who are Gunpowder Studios's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CMON, Asmodee and Games Workshop. Direct peers are Awaken Realms, Steamforged Games, Modiphius Entertainment, Chip Theory Games, Plaid Hat Games, Cubicle 7 and Brotherwise Games.
Does Gunpowder Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gunpowder Studios.
What industry is Gunpowder Studios in?
Gunpowder Studios's product category is Tabletop Board Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALALAH, Miniatures Games & Tabletop Skirmish Games Retail, with a secondary code of CRALAKAC, Wargaming Miniatures (Tabletop Armies). Its NAICS code is 33993 and its SIC code is 3944.