What Scorpion Masqué does

Scorpion Masqué is a privately held Canadian tabletop board game publisher headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 2006, the company designs, publishes, produces, and distributes physical board games for global audiences through direct-to-consumer e-commerce at shop.scorpionmasque.com and a network of regional wholesale distributors: Hachette Board Games (USA), Randolph (Canada), CoiledSpring (UK), and Let's Play Games (Australia). Operating with a lean team of 1-10 employees, the company has produced a portfolio of award-winning titles including Sky Team (Spiel des Jahres 2024 winner), Zombie Kidz Evolution (550,000+ copies sold), Decrypto (released in 48 countries), Flashback: Zombie Kidz (As d'Or 2023), and Mooki Island (As d'Or 2026).

The product portfolio spans party games (Decrypto series, Now!), cooperative two-player experiences (Sky Team), evolution-based children's games (Zombie Kidz franchise, Flashback series), deck-building auto-battlers (Tag Team), video game adaptations (Dead Cells via Motion Twin licensing), and tile-placement games (Panorama, Encyclopedia of Monsters). Notable design innovations include "evolution envelope" mechanics that physically transform gameplay over time, limited-communication cooperative mechanics (Sky Team), and hybrid auto-battler/deckbuilding systems (Tag Team). Catalog unit prices range from approximately $13 (Mooki Island) to $130 (Dead Cells Collector Edition). Digital support tools include a card generator for Decrypto and an online playable demo for Flashback: Zombie Kidz, plus video rule content on YouTube.

The business model is built on one-time physical game sales at fixed unit pricing with no subscription component. Customer segments include families with children (primary), party game enthusiasts, two-player couples, and hobby board gamers. Distribution across 48+ countries and 550,000+ unit sales of a single title indicate meaningful international consumer reach despite the small operational footprint. The company also operates complementary partnerships with Pure Arts (collectible figures) and WOGAMAT (playmats) to monetize flagship IPs in adjacent categories.

Name

Scorpion Masqué

Legal name

LE SCORPION MASQUE

Website

https://scorpionmasque.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Scorpion Masqué is a Montreal-based board game publisher that designs, publishes, and distributes award-winning tabletop games globally. The company serves families, party gamers, and hobbyists through direct e-commerce and regional distributors across 48+ countries, with notable titles including Sky Team (Spiel des Jahres 2024) and Zombie Kidz Evolution (550,000+ copies sold).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tabletop Board Games

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

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)

Keywords

• Board game publishing
• Tabletop game design
• Cooperative board games
• Family strategy games
• Party board games

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Board Game Sales: One-time purchase model for physical board games sold through own e-commerce store, retail distributors, and game stores globally. Revenue generated from base games, expansions, accessories, and collector editions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Scorpion Masqué designs, publishes, produces, and distributes tabletop board games for families, hobby gamers, and party-game audiences. The catalog spans cooperative family games (Zombie Kidz Evolution, Sky Team, Mooki Island), social deduction/party titles (Decrypto, Now!), deck-building hybrids (Tag Team), tile-placement games (Panorama, Festival), and licensed adaptations (Dead Cells). Products are sold globally through the company's own online store, regional wholesale distributors in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, and at gaming conventions.

Product overview

Scorpion Masqué is a Canadian board game publisher based in Montreal, Quebec specializing in tabletop games for all ages. The product portfolio includes multi-award-winning party games (Decrypto series, Now!), cooperative games (Sky Team - Spiel des Jahres 2024 winner, Zombie Kidz Evolution franchise), deckbuilding titles (Tag Team series), exploration/adventure games (Dead Cells, Encyclopedia of Monsters), children's games (Mooki Island - As d'Or 2026 winner), and party games. Many titles feature evolution mechanics, expandable content through standalone boxes, and family-friendly gameplay. The company operates through an online store with distributors in USA, Canada, UK, and Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Decrypto
• Sky Team
• Zombie Kidz Evolution
• Zombie Teenz Evolution
• Flashback: Zombie Kidz Evolution
• Flashback: Lucy
• Turbo Kidz
• Dead Cells: The Rogue-Lite Board Game (Retail Edition)
• Panorama
• Tag Team
• Mooki Island
• Mia London and the case of 625 Scoundrels
• Festival
• Now!
• Olé Guacamole
• Zéro à 1000
• C'est Pas Faux
• Encyclopedia of Monsters
• Tag Team: Arthur's Legacy

Quantifiable outcome

• 550,000+ copies sold for Zombie Kidz Evolution, nominated best children's game of all time
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hachette Board GamescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor partner handling physical retail distribution, after-sale support, and pre-order fulfillment including GenCon 2026 pickup for Tag Team: Arthur's Legacy.
• RandolphcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian distributor (randolphpro.ca) handling physical retail distribution and after-sale support for Canadian market.
• CoiledSpringcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK distributor handling physical retail distribution for UK market through coiledspring.co.uk.
• Let's Play GamescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distributor handling physical retail distribution for Australian market through letsplaygames.com.au.
• Pure ArtsminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPartnership with Pure Arts, a leading collectible figurine creator, for Dead Cells 'Poisoned Beheaded' limited edition 20cm hand-painted figure. Figurine designed by Thomas Choux, inspired by Naïade's illustration and Motion Twin's video game character.
• Motion TwincoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership with Motion Twin for Dead Cells board game adaptation. Motion Twin developed the original Dead Cells video game (Rogue-lite Metroidvania) which won 'Best Action Game' at The Game Awards 2018 with 97% Steam rating.
• WOGAMATminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerTag Team Playmats are official licensed products by WOGAMAT. Neoprene playmats (40x30cm) designed for Tag Team gameplay ergonomics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Repos Production: Belgian publisher behind 7 Wonders, Just One, and The Crew. Highly comparable profile: small team, Spiel des Jahres winners, international distributor network, focus on accessible yet strategic games.
• Czech Games Edition: Publisher of Codenames, Galaxy Trucker, and Through the Ages. Comparable mid-sized European-origin publisher with strong party/family game lines and similar international distribution approach.
• Stonemaier Games: US indie publisher of Wingspan, Scythe, and Tapestry. Comparable in being a small-team publisher that has achieved both critical acclaim and global hobby market penetration via direct sales and distributor partnerships.
• Space Cowboys: French hobby publisher (Splendor, Sheriff of Nottingham relaunch). Comparable peer from the same French/European publishing ecosystem with similar emphasis on mechanism-driven, accessible hobby titles.
• Pandasaurus Games: US-based hobby publisher (Dinosaur Island, Nemesis, The Mind). Comparable as a small-team, design-led publisher with a portfolio of well-regarded hobby games sold through specialty retail and online channels.
• IELLO: French/European mid-size board game publisher of King of Tokyo, Dice Forge, and similar party/family titles. Comparable as a similarly-sized independent publisher focused on accessible, design-forward hobby games distributed internationally.

Broad incumbents

• Z-Man Games: US hobby game publisher (Pandemic, Carcassonne, Love Letter). Comparable as a long-established publisher selling through the same hobby retail channel, but operating with broader scale and parent ownership.
• Asmodee: Global hobby game publisher and distributor (Catan, Ticket to Ride, Star Wars: Unlimited). Comparable as the dominant incumbent in the same specialty retail channel, though vastly larger and broader in portfolio.
• CMON (Cool Mini Or Not): Global hobby/miniatures publisher (Zombicide, Marvel United, Bloodborne). Comparable in publishing hobby board games with collectible/expansion economics, though significantly larger and more focused on miniatures.

Regional players

• Devir Games: Spanish/Latin American publisher with strong regional distribution (and growing global reach). Comparable as a similarly-sized design-led publisher operating across a different primary geography, with shared distributor model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LeScorpionmasque
• Facebookfacebook.com/scorpionmasque
• Instagraminstagram.com/scorpionmasque
• Xx.com/scorpionmasque
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-scorpion-masqu-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Scorpion Masqué