Busy week for industry news, even if the actual new-releases shelf was fairly quiet. The big stories were about who owns what and who’s leaving whom — consolidation season continues. Meanwhile Dice Tower East kicked off in Orlando, the BGG Hotness is showing some interesting movement, and there’s a notable crowdfunding launch landing next week that euro gamers should pay attention to.
Spirit Island is looking for a new home. R. Eric Reuss posted a detailed update on June 26th confirming he’s opted not to renew with Flat River Group. The licence will terminate and he’ll find a new publisher “within the next year or so.” He’s also planning a complete art overhaul — not just tweaks, entirely new takes on the Spirits — though the game will keep its name and its vibrant visual style. The Dahan-centric expansion is still his main design focus. This is one of the most important co-op games of the last decade and it’s been through a rough ride since Greater Than Games collapsed in 2025. Reuss is clearly being careful about who picks it up next. No word on suitors yet, but every mid-size publisher in the hobby will be circling. BoardGameWire covered it here.
Awaken Realms bought Thundergryph Games. This one dropped via BoardGameWire on June 24th and it’s AR’s first M&A move. Thundergryph make beautiful, lighter-to-medium euro games — Darwin’s Journey, Tang Garden — and Awaken Realms CEO Marcin Świerkot said the buy is specifically because TG’s portfolio is so different from AR’s usual dark-and-gritty stuff. Thundergryph will handle design while AR takes care of logistics and distribution. The first project under the new arrangement is Galileo’s Truth by Virginio Gigli and Flaminia Brasini (the designers behind Grand Austria Hotel and Lorenzo il Magnifico), launching on Gamefound on July 7th. That’s Monday. If you’re a euro gamer, that’s the crowdfunding launch of the week, possibly the month. Tabletop Sentinel has a good write-up.
Dice Tower East is happening right now. Running July 1–5 in Orlando. Not much in the way of major announcements filtering through yet — it’s more of a play-focused convention than a news-breaking one — but expect Tom and crew to surface new content over the weekend. dicetower.com/dice-tower-east if you want to follow along. Gen Con is still four weeks out (July 30–Aug 2) and that’s where the real announcement avalanche will land.
The Osprey Games situation continues to develop. Bloomsbury announced back in May that it’s selling off Osprey’s board and card game line to focus on books. Wargamer covered it well. Osprey will still publish wargames and RPGs, but Undaunted, Cryptid, and the rest of the board game catalogue are looking for a new owner. Osprey is currently running a July flash sale with up to 70% off — worth checking if there’s anything you’ve been eyeing. Still no word on who might buy the line.
On the BGG Hotness, Regicide Legacy continues to sit at #1 and deservedly so — SUSD loved it, the campaign is excellent, and the eternal mode after you finish is genuinely great. Yotei is at #2. Brass: Pittsburgh (the $9.1m Gamefound monster from Roxley) is at #3 despite not shipping until 2027. Nippon: Zaibatsu holds #4 — it’s one of the standout heavy euros of 2026. And the original Regicide is back at #5, presumably dragged up by Legacy hype. Worth noting that Goa — the 2004 classic — is randomly at #8, which usually means a reprint or new edition is in the works. Keep an eye on that.
On the retail side, July releases worth knowing about include Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game – Missions ($19.99, adds purple influence dice and new corporations), Scotland Yard (new edition), and Babylonia (Knizia reprint). None of these are world-shaking but the TM Dice Game expansion is solid value if you’re already into that system. ICv2 had the details.
Ireland corner. The Irish Gaming Market runs July 11–12 at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire — it’s a gaming and pop culture market with cosplay, vendors, and tabletop stuff. Tickets are live at irishgamingmarket.ie. That’s next weekend and it’s worth the trip if you’re anywhere near Dublin. CéilíCon is listed on Eventbrite for August 22nd at the Lucan Spa Hotel — looks like a newer board gaming event, details are thin but it’s on the radar. Gaelcon 38 in Dublin is confirmed for October 23–26 at the Crowne Plaza Airport, same venue as last year. iga.ie/gaelcon for tickets.
For the Knavecon community specifically: Galileo’s Truth launching Monday on Gamefound is the one to watch. Gigli and Brasini are an elite design partnership, the theme is cracking (scholars in 1610 risking their freedom to pursue scientific truth), and the AR/Thundergryph merger means it’ll actually get produced and delivered properly. If it plays anything like Darwin’s Journey this will be on tables at the next Knavecon.
One for the socials: “Spirit Island is looking for a new publisher, Osprey’s board game line is up for sale, and Awaken Realms just bought Thundergryph. The board game industry right now is basically a transfer deadline day that never ends. If your favourite game’s publisher is still the same one it had six months ago, count yourself lucky.”
Victor Gannon Games 
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