SORRY WE ARE FRENCH

What SORRY WE ARE FRENCH does

Sorry We Are French (SWAF) is an independent French board game publishing studio headquartered in Bourg la Reine, France, with a team of 8 employees. The company develops and publishes original board games across multiple genres including strategic 2-player card games (Gosu X, LEDA, Epic Melee), family games (Sur les Traces de Darwin, Sur les Traces de Marie Curie), expert Eurogames (Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon, Greylune, Zhanguo: The First Empire), worker placement (Iki, Greylune), deduction/party games (Mind Map, CODO Berlin 63), and a distinctive calendar-based solo adventure line (365 Aventures — Le Donjon, Cthulhu 1926). The studio works with both internal designers (Studio SWAF) and external designers (Fabio Lopiano, Nestore Mangone, Grégory Grard, William Attia, the Libralesso brothers), with illustration unified across most titles by David Sitbon. Products are sold primarily as one-time physical purchases through specialty game stores, with the 365 Aventures line priced under €15 as an accessible seasonal gift product.

The company monetizes through three revenue streams: physical board game sales (one-time), Board Game Arena digital licensing royalties for Gosu X, and extensions/expansions sold as add-ons and tournament promotional cards. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging conventions (Festival des Jeux de Cannes, Essen Spiel), a structured tournament circuit (Gosu X Championship running annually since 2023), the Espace Joueur player platform, Discord community, and social media. Distribution is handled primarily through Gigamic (French distributor with after-sales support) and Blackrock Games (retail chain), with digital reach via Board Game Arena and direct sales through sorryweare.fr. International presence spans EMEA with English-language site availability.

SWAF operates as a privately-held, independent publisher with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or subsidiary relationships. The portfolio has grown steadily from 2022 (Gosu X launch) through 2026 (planned LEDA, Greylune releases), with the company publishing 100+ titles or catalog entries across multiple game lines.

Name

SORRY WE ARE FRENCH

Legal name

Sorry We Are French

Website

https://sorryweare.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sorry We Are French is an independent French board game publisher (8 employees, Bourg la Reine) that develops and distributes original games across card, Euro, family, and solo calendar genres, sold through Gigamic, Blackrock Games, and Board Game Arena to hobbyist and family consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tabletop Board Game Publishing

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)

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

Strategy/Euro Board Games Retail (CRALALAC), Family/Party Board Games Retail (CRALALAB), Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming) (CRALAFAH)

Keywords

• Board game publishing
• Tabletop strategy games
• Eurogame design
• Family board games
• Calendar adventure games

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Board Game Sales: SWAF develops and publishes physical board games sold through retail distribution channels. Games are sold as one-time purchases through game stores, online retailers, and direct from publisher. The 365 Aventures line retails for under 15 euros per calendar.
2. Board Game Arena Digital Platform: Gosu X has been ported to Board Game Arena (BGA), enabling digital play. While the primary revenue is from physical sales, BGA provides community engagement and tournament qualification pathways.
3. Game Extensions and Expansions: Revenue generated through additional content including game expansions (Iki Akebono, Gosu X Abunakkashii, Darwin Correspondences), new clan packs, and promotional cards sold as boosters during tournaments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sorry We Are French designs, develops, and publishes original physical board games across multiple genres — strategic two-player card games, family/educational games, expert Eurogames, and the 365 Aventures line of calendar-based solo adventure games priced under €15. The studio's portfolio is distributed in France through Gigamic and Blackrock Games, internationally via specialty retailers, and digitally on Board Game Arena (Gosu X).

Product overview

Sorry We Are French is a French board game publisher developing and distributing games across multiple genres including strategic card games, family games, expert Eurogames, and calendar-based solo adventures. The portfolio includes flagship titles like Gosu X (2-player card battle), Sur les Traces de Darwin (family collection game), and Shackleton Base (expert Eurogame), alongside innovative products like the 365 Aventures calendar series (Le Donjon, Cthulhu) that combine calendar mechanics with adventure gameplay. The company also publishes worker placement games (Greylune), deduction games (Mind Map), and historical Eurogames (Zhanguo). Distribution partners include Gigamic and Blackrock Games.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 365 Aventures: A line of calendar-based adventure games combining a daily calendar with a solo adventure game, priced under €15. Includes titles like 365 Aventures - Le Donjon and 365 Aventures - Cthulhu.
• SWAF

Products and services

• Gosu X Strategic 2-player card battle game where players draft 3 clans from 8 Immortals and deploy troops, heroes, and immortals to win the Great Battle through force or trickery. Aimed at competitive card game hobbyists and supports an organized French Championship circuit.
• Sur les Traces de Darwin (In the Footsteps of Darwin) Family game for 2-5 players where naturalists complete notebooks by collecting animal and character tiles, developing theories, and writing publications. Targets families and educational gaming households with mixed-age play (8+).
• Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon Eurogame sandbox set on the Moon where players build a lunar base, construct habitation domes, manage projects for corporations, and exploit resources in an ultra-modular system. Targeted at Eurogame enthusiasts.
• Epic Melee Fast-paced card game for 3-6 players where champions battle in an arena. Players choose 2 cards but only one remains when the initiative torch passes, creating bluff and tactical decisions with ~20 minute play time.
• LEDA Asymmetric card and tableau-building game for 2 players featuring animal clans with unique rules and victory conditions. Food is the primary resource to manage; designed as a competitive two-player duel experience.
• Greylune Worker placement and retrieval game where players place villagers in city streets to obtain objects, recruit companions, activate bonuses, and undertake adventures. Features seasonal timing mechanics and strong player interaction.
• 365 Aventures – Le Donjon (The Dungeon) Calendar-based solo adventure game combining a daily calendar with dungeon-crawling mechanics. Players face monsters daily, collect magical items, and unlock new rules monthly. Priced under €15 and accompanied by the 365 Aventures Player App.
• 365 Aventures – Cthulhu 1926 Calendar-based solo adventure game in Lovecraftian setting. Investigator John Miller explores Arkham, battles creatures, and preserves mental health against cultists. Priced under €15 with companion Player App.
• Zhanguo: The First Empire Historical Eurogame for 1-4 players set in 221 BC China. Players assist Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi with unification projects including Great Wall, governors, palaces, and Terracotta Army.
• Iki Eurogame set in historical Nihonbashi where players collect resources, build shops, and interact with characters in the floating market district.
• Mind Map Deduction and communication game for 4-14 players where participants recreate a mind map by positioning tokens based on secret words and reference terms. Co-published with Funnyfox.
• CODO Berlin 63 Cold War espionage duel game where players secretly compose agent teams with superpowers to protect their leader and defeat the opponent. Uses bluff and deduction mechanics.
• Kingdom Crossing Eurogame combining engine-building and programming mechanics where players help a queen build bridges by recruiting artisans, gathering resources, and decorating. Includes solo mode with Automa.
• Sur les Traces de Marie Curie Family game following Marie Curie's discoveries. Players conduct experiments, improve laboratory, and achieve breakthroughs to win the Nobel Prize.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Board Game ArenacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Digital platform partner for Gosu X, enabling online play and tournament organization. The platform hosts championship qualification tournaments and provides Alpha/Beta testing community.
• Game Store Partners (France)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of partner game stores across France hosting Gosu X tournament qualifiers, including locations in Paris, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, and other cities. Partners include Bal des Jeux, Ludiworld, Philibert, and many others.
• FunnyfoxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publishing partner for Mind Map, developed in collaboration with Yohan Goh, Hope S. Hwang, and Gary Kim.
• Studio SWAFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal studio credited as the designer/developer of Gosu X. SWAF publishes games from both internal studios and external designers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Repos Production: Belgian publisher of 7 Wonders, Just One, and Concept, now part of Asmodee. A larger incumbent in the same European Eurogame and party game space, with broader distribution, larger marketing budget, and global reach that dwarfs SWAF's footprint.

Direct peers

• IELLO: French board game publisher known for titles like King of Tokyo, Ghost Stories, and Little Town. Directly comparable as an independent French hobby game publisher distributing through specialty retail and conventions, targeting similar Eurogame and family game audiences.
• Gigamic: French board game publisher and distributor. Comparable both as a publisher (Quarto, Blanc-Manger Coco) and as SWAF's primary distribution partner, sharing the French hobby games market and similar retail/convention channels.
• Pearl Games: Belgian board game publisher of titles like Troyes and Orleans. Comparable as a small European specialist in Eurogames with deep hobbyist appeal and similar distribution through French/Belgian specialty retail.
• Sit Down! Games: Belgian board game publisher of Catan: Cities & Knights refresh and other hobby titles. Comparable as a small European publisher with a similar product mix in Eurogames and family games distributed through specialty channels.
• Ludonaute: French board game publisher of titles like Colosseum and Tokaido. Comparable as a similarly sized French independent publisher focused on accessible Eurogames distributed through French specialty channels and international conventions.
• La Boîte de Jeu: French board game publisher producing titles like Kiwara and Monster Match. A comparable small-to-mid French publisher in the hobby game space with international distribution at conventions like Essen.
• Catch Up Games: French board game publisher of Photosynthesis and Arboretum. A comparable small French independent publisher in the Eurogame/family game space, with similar distribution through French specialty retail and international convention presence.
• Bombyx (Studio): French board game publisher known for Magic Maze and Discworld: Ankh-Morpork, now part of Hachette Boardgames. A former peer in the same independent French publisher tier, illustrating both comparable operating model and acquisition-as-exit pathway relevant to SWAF.
• Funforge: French board game publisher known for Tokaido and Samurai Spirit. Similar in scale, French origin, distribution model through French specialty retail, and focus on Eurogames and accessible family/strategy titles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SorryWeAreFR
• Instagraminstagram.com/sorrywearefrench
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sorry-we-are-french

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SORRY WE ARE FRENCH