All month long we are highlighting Gigamic, our Publisher Spotlight for August. Gigamic is a French company started by three brothers in 1991. Their game lineup includes some excellent abstract strategy games like Quoridor, Katamino, and Quarto. More recent games that we love include Hellapagos and Yogi. These games are perfect for the whole family and as quick pick up games to get the game night started.

Adrien Crochette is the US Sales Manager at Gigamic and kindly took some time out to answer our burning questions about what’s new and exciting at Gigamic.

(Mox) Gigamic has been around for almost 30 years! What was the brand focus when you began and how has that changed over time?

(Adrien Crochette) Our first game was Quarto (which is miraculously still going strong after 30 years!). So in the beginning we focused on games like Quarto: wooden, abstract strategy games with simple rules but deep strategy. We wanted accessible games that would appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike. Hence our slogan “board games for all”. Our Katamino line, which is centered on wooden puzzle games, was the next addition, followed eventually by party games and family games. Although our abstract strategy line is still very strong, we also have a much wider variety of games. Throughout the past 30 years we’ve tried to stay true to our commitment to accessibility in gaming.

(Mox) What makes Gigamic unique in the industry?

(AC) When people think of Gigamic, we want them to think of high-quality games with easy to understand rules and high replayability. Whether Quoridor is your first board game or you regularly play it in between hour-long campaign games, we want you to feel like this is a game you can keep coming back to.

(Mox) What theme would you love to see in toys and games that you haven’t seen or that you have seen but would like to be more prominent?

(AC) I’m a fan of tycoon games, and I would love to see more single-player tycoon games represented in the board game industry as opposed to mainly being a digital gaming experience.

(Mox) Speaking of which, with technology and games blending more and more do you see Gigamic doing more with digital integration?

(AC) We currently offer apps that compliment some of our games. For example, we have a great companion app for Katamino that allows you to keep track of the puzzles you’ve completed as well as look up challenge solutions. Although digital integration can certainly enhance some gaming experiences, we also want to focus on the physical experience of our games and emphasize mindful time away from screens.

(Mox) With Gigamic having been founded by 3 brothers, do you find a “family dynamic” represented in the workplace?

(AC) Definitely. When you put 30 people who are passionate about board games in the same office, it doesn’t take long for them to build deep connections (regular game nights help too).

(Mox) What is your favorite food to eat while playing games?

(AC) A few months ago I would have said bread and cheese, but lately, I’ve been opting for a dairy-free diet. So now I’d probably say my wife’s banana-blueberry muffins.

(Mox) Yummy, those sound delicious. Thank you Adrien for this excellent interview!

Win a copy of Comic Factory!

We will be using our local Discord servers (Seattle/Bellevue/Portland) and Mox Twitter account to run giveaways for copies of Comic Factory all month. Get all the details about the Cosmic Factory Giveaway here. Don’t forget to stop by Mox before the end of the month because all month long we are offering 10% off any Gigamic titles. You can play your new game in the restaurant and relax with delicious food and a cold beer.

-See you at Mox

Win a copy of Cosmic Factory by Gigamic on our Discord!