More… Bold, unexpected brand mash-ups that genuinely delight and surprise consumers. The best collaborations tap into shared qualities between brands while creating something fresh – driving cultural conversation and connecting with fans of either or both in new ways.

Less… Risk aversion and more experimentation. If we’re not testing new ideas, formats and IP at retail, we risk falling behind. Even small-scale tests can unlock meaningful insights and validate consumer demand, helping shape stronger, more impactful launches.

—–

Gabriela Arenas,
SVP, Global Licensing, Sesame Workshop

More… Purpose‑driven collaborations that support children’s growth and well‑being, especially as kids come of age in an increasingly AI‑powered, media‑rich environment. That means partnerships that go beyond entertainment to promote healthier digital habits, more intentional media engagement, and experiences that truly earn the trust families place in our brands.

Less… Noise, more meaning. The licensing industry doesn’t need more product, it needs more intention. The brands that endure are the ones that choose partners and categories with care, not urgency. In a crowded marketplace, intention is what turns products into relationships.

—–

Ilana Wilensky,
President, Jewel

More… Of the convergence of art and fashion. We’ve really seen how art and design have become more accessible and moved into the mainstream, particularly with the cultural institutions and global artists we represent. I hope that momentum continues to grow.

Less… Retail consolidation and market instability. Maybe that’s wishful thinking but a girl can dream!

—–

Simta Sawhney,
Head of Licensing, Pophouse

More… Of a move beyond traditional licensing. Take risks and be brave. The most exciting opportunities come about when brands use storytelling and authenticity to drive decisions. If we can blur the lines between licensing, content and fan experiences, we unlock so much more value for everyone.

Less… Playing it safe. The industry can sometimes default to proven formulas, but the consumer is always looking for something new. Taking considered risks is when real growth can happen.

—–

Sophie Bloomfield,
Creative Director & Founder, SBC

More… Investment in hand-drawn, illustrative creative work. We’re already seeing this emerge within the luxury sector, from Hermès’ recent animated campaigns to Loewe’s hand-drawn packaging. In a period of uncertainty around AI – what it may bring and what it may take away – there is a growing desire among both creatives and consumers for handmade products and authentic artistry. My biggest trend forecast for this year through to 2027 and beyond is whimsy becoming a staple consumer desire, with hand-drawn illustration perfectly aligned to this shift. It would be fantastic to see major brands within the licensing industry actively investing in artists and championing this more human, expressive creative approach.

Less… Purposeless projects. By this, I mean products and projects developed purely for the sake of a deal, without clear strategy or intent. These situations often arise when a licensor is offered a large MG from a licensee that just wants to work with the brand, rather than building something meaningful, considered and long-term. We all see them, and I know when I do it makes my heart sink a bit because these are not the products that we do this fun job for… We do it for the products that bring people joy!

—–

Rafa Macias,
Global Commercial Officer, Consumer Products, Games & Digital, Universal Products & Experiences

More… Listening to fans. The industry needs to listen, adapt and move faster. Social media has accelerated everything from shopping habits to trend cycles, and the real-time insight fans provide is invaluable. We see this firsthand across franchises like Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, and Minions, where listening closely to fan behavior shapes everything from product design to how – and when – we show up in culture.

Less… Short-term transactions. Some of our most successful franchises – from Wicked and Fast & Furious to Gabby’s Dollhouse – prove that when you prioritise understanding distinct fandoms, depth consistently outperforms scale. When you truly know who you’re serving – across ages, cultures, and passion points – you can meet fans with relevance and intention. That’s how you build long-term loyalty, not just short-term transactions. The future of licensing isn’t one size fits all; it’s about thoughtful, tailored engagement that earns trust, evolves with fans, and keeps them coming back across worlds, categories, and experiences.

—–

Kristeen Tibbits,
VP, Global Brand Marketing, Cloudco Entertainment

More… Brands building worlds rather than just products. The licensing moments that truly stay with fans are the ones where a universe feels fully realised across every physical, digital and experiential touchpoint. When someone can step into a brand’s world in a pop-up café, continue it in a Roblox game, and find it again on their shelf at home – that’s when licensing becomes something genuinely powerful. We’re investing heavily in that thinking at Care Bears and the fan response has shown just how much it matters.

Less… Treating meaning as an afterthought. The brands that resonate most deeply are the ones that genuinely stand for something. Care Bears have been built around care for nearly 45 years and it’s in everything we do. When that kind of authentic foundation is there, fans feel it, and that’s what we’d love to see more of across the industry.

—–

James Hinton,
Head of Creative & Marketing, STUDIOCANAL Kids & Family

More… Thinking beyond traditional audience segments. Well-developed IP can reach further than expected, especially when its enduring appeal is carefully nurtured. The continued success of Paddington across different spaces shows how varied that reach can be. Exploring these opportunities could unlock further growth.

Less… Caution and a bit more willingness to take considered risks. While the economic climate remains challenging, there are still meaningful opportunities ahead. Both individually and collectively, the industry is well placed to continue making progress.

“More investment in hand-drawn illustrative creative work.”

—–

Ian Downes,
Director, Start Licensing

More… Of a renewed collective commitment to ‘adding value’ to products, experiences and retailing. In economically challenging times it is tempting to cut corners, under invest and scale back on NPD. I don’t think this is the best way for the industry to respond to economic challenges. I think it is essential we focus on the in built value licensing brings with it, while making sure we ensure the consumer experience is a positive one. One aspect of this is taking time to ensure products reflect brand DNA and the fan experience as much as possible. Authenticity and attention to detail are ever more important.

Less… Complacency. I think it is important that we all take stock of the marketplace and look to re-double our efforts to drive new business particularly in regards to opening new accounts and channels to stock licensed products. Dynamic areas of licensing like live events have helped unlock new distribution for licensed products. This should encourage us that there are new places to sell licensed products and new ways of selling product.

“Less risk-aversion, more experimentation.”

—–

Stephanie Griggs,
CEO & Creative Director, Studio Griggs

More… Honouring the process! In a world pushing towards rewarding speed and cutting creative corners, the instinct to slow down and do the work properly is getting harder to protect. But the creative process, artwork, iterations, craft and relationships built across teams is the back-and-forth that nobody sees in the end result – but to me is pure magic. I think the value of human craft will only grow, and behind-the-scenes insight will add a premium feel to a project.

Less… Head-in-the-sand thinking around sustainability, particularly in toys. The toy industry has the highest plastic intensity of any consumer goods sector on the planet. And 45% of parents under 40 are already factoring environmental impact into their purchasing decisions. Lots of businesses are doing brilliant work to move things forward, but we need to address the volume of plastic and short-life toys more quickly to meet consumer demands.

—–

Kerry Fox-Long,
Global Head of Licensing (Consumer Products), LW Entertainment

More… Of a focus on musical theatre as it represents a significant opportunity within entertainment licensing. LW Entertainment is leading the way, transforming iconic global productions like The Phantom of the Opera – which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026 – beyond the stage. We’re expanding these much‑loved shows and their huge fan bases into global franchises, which can rival with the world’s biggest studio properties.

Less… Of an over‑reliance on the familiar at the expense of the new. Entertainment licensing has moved far beyond traditional film and TV, and that shift should be embraced. There is a real opportunity to break new ground, tapping into other interests and fandoms.

—–

Lisa Streff,
SVP of Licensing & Brand Development, North America, Global Merchandising Services

More… Connection and collaboration among executives across the industry, with more open, ongoing dialogue that will help create fresh thinking. There’s also a real opportunity to embrace AI and how it could better our industry in a more productive and strategic way. Beyond that, I’d encourage manufacturers and retailers to take more risks by moving beyond safe bets and established brands to explore more new, opportunistic IP. Greater curiosity and a willingness to back emerging ideas could unlock exciting growth and differentiation.

Less… Instability brought on by tariffs and other economic uncertainties. These factors are having a real impact on retailers and licensees, ultimately influencing the types of deals they’re able to pursue or orders they can commit to. With more collaboration across the industry, it could possibly help reduce these challenges by working together to find solutions.

“More thinking beyond traditional audience segments.”

—–

Katie Edmundson,
Senior Designer, Studio Noel

More… Licensing that evolves over time – living systems that grow with audience engagement. Thinking about how Hello Kitty has spanned decades but remained relevant. Collaborations have been able to flex and adapt to different design languages while staying true to a consistent core character identity. Or the ongoing LEGO Star Wars collaboration, which appeals to adults and children and is ever evolving. It expands with new films and characters, and the products evolve alongside the franchise. I’d like to see deeper, more meaningful IP creations which build relationships with people over time.

Less… Short-term, low-effort partnerships which over saturate the market. In the last few years, I think we’ve seen a lot of collaborations which are born out of a desire to jump on a trend. It’s caused multiple brands to arrive at similar ideas at the same time, creating overlapping, indistinguishable products. This happened with the Wuthering Heights wave, which resulted in a lot of surface-level products which didn’t feel particularly special or ownable. It also created a feeling of overexposure. Merchandise that comes from these collaborations risks just being aesthetically aligned to a trend, and not actually meaningfully tied to or related to the source material. I’d like to see more selective, intentional collaborations which result in products that feel right for the IP – considered in their design, aligned with the original story or brand, and created with a clear purpose rather than simply responding to a trend.

—–

Robyn Cowling,
Head of Licensing, Aykroyds

More… Collaboration!

Less… BS!

—–

Deirdre Cross,
Co-Founder & CEO, The Office of Tiffany Birdsong

More… “Generous networking” and more door-opening.

Less… Gatekeeping. There is no harm to me in helping you; success isn’t pie where my piece gets smaller because you have some too!

“Less of the ‘rush to react’ without fully thinking through the long-term strategy.”

—–

Diane Bolduc,
Director, North America, Licensed Consumer Products at Hasbro

More… Classic brands returning to the forefront of the licensing industry. What’s especially exciting is how this has evolved pairing legacy brands with newer properties to create something both nostalgic and fresh. It’s a trend that’s here to stay and one I’d like to see the industry continue to embrace. When done right, it allows us to leverage the strength of our portfolios while giving consumers a new reason to engage. It’s not just about bringing something back; it’s about evolving it in a way that feels relevant for today’s audience.

Less… Of the ‘rush to react’ without fully thinking through the long-term strategy. When we move too quickly to chase a trend, we risk losing sight of how it will evolve and how it fits within the broader brand. It’s not just about showing up in the moment; it’s about having a clear plan for where that trend can go and how we pivot as consumer behaviour shifts. A more thoughtful, strategic approach drives stronger, more sustainable results.

—–

Leila Loumi,
SVP Licensing Global Consumer Products, Banijay Rights

More… Innovation in adult‑focused licensing, as nostalgia, premiumisation and collectability continue to reshape demand. Key categories such as limited editions, designer collaborations, and elevated lifestyle goods deserve more industry attention. Stronger use of data and real consumer insight would also move the industry forwards, helping to identify white-space, tailor assortments and navigating an increasingly fragmented retail landscape.

Meanwhile, sustainability needs to become a genuine commercial driver – not just a compliance exercise – with more durable, responsible and transparently sourced products. Digital and gaming interactive formats should be treated as core, not peripheral. Fans are already living in digital ecosystems, and licensing needs to meet them there.

More experiential, hospitality, licensed real estate and lifestyle services thinking should start at concept stage, as fans increasingly want to step into the worlds they love, not just purchase them. Long‑term franchise building over short‑term spikes will create more stable, scalable licensing programmes for all partners.

And finally, more creative bravery. The licensing industry moves forward when it takes risks, not when it plays safe.

“It’s important that we all take stock of the marketplace and look to re-double our efforts to drive new business.”

Less… Over‑reliance on nostalgia as the only strategy. Nostalgia sells but it can’t be the entire playbook. The needs of fewer nostalgia‑only programmes and more future‑focused creativity that builds new emotional connections.

Less category overcrowding and more category reinvention The industry will benefit to move away from everyone chasing the same categories and retail doors. Oversaturation creates noise and leaves little room for genuine innovation. When every brand shows up in identical product lanes, consumers disengage and standout ideas struggle to break through. Many categories are overcrowded simply because no one is rethinking them; there is real opportunity in reimagined formats sustainable, multifunctional or tech‑enhanced rather than repeating the same old habits.

Less fear of creative risk. Playing safe leads to forgettable products. The industry would benefit from fewer predictable “safe bets” and more culturally relevant, creatively ambitious ideas that actually surprise consumers.

Less reliance on legacy categories that no longer grow… Some categories are structurally stagnant, yet licensing continues to pour into them out of habit. It might be time to step back from formats that no longer reflect how fans live, shop or spend and redirect energy toward emerging behaviours and new product spaces.

Less duplication across retailers. When every retailer carries near‑identical licensed products, differentiation disappears and consumer fatigue sets in. Retailers increasingly want exclusivity windows and unique propositions; licensing needs to support that with more tailored, retailer‑specific strategies.

And less chasing new peak‑season moments beyond the traditional retail calendar. Everyone piling into Black Friday, Christmas, Back‑to‑School, Halloween and Easter creates predictable clutter. The industry should also explore new cultural moments, micro‑seasons and niche communities where competition is lower and relevance is higher.

The post More or Less… appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Tim Collins

Hammer is still with us and there have been more recent movies of course… The Woman in Black with Daniel Radcliffe in 2012 and this year sees Dr Jekyll with Eddie Izzard released for – you guessed it – Halloween. Classic Hammer films include Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy and The Quatermass Xperiment, where actors such as Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt and Oliver Reed all found fame.

Rob Ames, Co-Founder, Triclops Studio
With falling autumn leaves comes spooky season – my favourite season. Out with back-to-school stationary and in with the blood-soaked Halloween merch!

As a lifelong horror movie fan – hooked after watching A Nightmare on Elm Street on VHS when I was way too young – 2023 has been a pretty decent year so far… From indie chiller Talk to Me to the killer robot doll M3GAN, French meta zombie comedy Final Cut to the time-traveling horror/sci-fi mash-up Totally Killer. Iconic horror franchises have also seen new blood, fresh innovation and social relevance injected into their stories. Look at Saw X, Scream 6, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (a modern take on Frankenstein), Evil Dead Rise, The Exorcist: Believer…

Now, I’m not really into the warped, gory, body horror stuff. For me, I’m drawn to those ‘killer’ character archetypes that command the screen, rack up the body count and make you think about your own fears, grief and death. I grew up on some of the all-time greats: Freddy Kreuger, Michael Myers, Hannibal Lector, Leatherface, Pinhead, Jason Voorhees, Chucky, Jigsaw and Ghostface to mention a few. Before these freakshows, I was schooling myself on more ‘horror lite’ movies as a kid: It, The Lost Boys, Arachnophobia, Gremlins, The People Under the Stairs, Beetlejuice, Tremors and even Robocop and Candyman – very much adult films that somehow wormed their way onto my telly! I guess it’s like today’s Stranger Things or Disney’s new – mildly frightening – Haunted Mansion movie.

One such film and IP that really appealed to me as a kid – and feels relatively untapped licensing-wise – is 1987’s The Monster Squad. It’s a ‘Goonies meets Universal Monsters’ mishmash where a young group of monster fanatics attempt to save their hometown from Count Dracula and his evil horde. It’s now a cult, if forgotten, classic, bombing when it launched at the cinema. It’s a great movie, a mix of scary and funny, and at the time I couldn’t understand why there wasn’t a kick-ass toy line and other merch to support it.

I think, some years later, Playmates tried to encapsulate its vibe when they launched Monster Force in 1997. Again, it didn’t do so well but given ‘kid horror’ is now a streaming staple as well as a steady, upward-trending genre at the box office, a new take on The Monster Squad could be cool, timely and drive the resurrection of retro movie merch and new opportunities.

If it was me at the helm, I’d switch out the now-dated monsters from the film and replace them with more commentary, made-up, internet-worth, Creepypasta characters. Hit me up Hollywood!

Stephanie Griggs, Founder & Creative Director, Studio Griggs
I have to say that I am fairly easily scared, so I’m not a hardcore horror fan – but what instantly came to mind for me on this one is David Lynch’s cult classic, Twin Peaks. Some would say it’s in the genre of psychological thriller – but undoubtedly horror is one of the main tropes of the series, along with surrealist drama, dark humour and incredible cinematography. Killer Bob is one of the greatest villains of all time, and his M.O is terrifying.

I do think Twin Peaks has licensing legs all year round, and over the years the brand has successfully expanded into merchandise and publishing, particularly to coincide with the show’s return in 2017. Merch that came out at this point mostly leant into the nostalgia of the Twin Peaks opening sequence and tropes of characters like Agent Cooper and Audrey Horne. It covered categories including health and beauty, skateboards, apparel, cosplay and gifting.

What seems to be relatively untapped though – especially for Halloween – would be the unleashing of the unnerving, creepy and downright psychologically twisted aspects of the series into merchandise… Maybe a focus on 90s nostalgia, in combination with the Black Lodge – the alternate plane of reality, accessible through the woods of Twin Peaks and filled with malevolent spirits. I can see slogans like ‘No-one is innocent in a town like Twin Peaks…’ or the cryptic ‘Fire walk with me’ on product, implying the pervasive sense of darkness and foreboding that hangs over the narrative and makes it so memorable.

Separately, the soundtrack is one of my all-time favourites for evoking an atmospheric mood. Transcending horror, it’s both soothing and deeply unsettling, creating a sense of unease and suspense. It would certainly make fans stop in their tracks whenever they heard it – and would be the perfect marketing audio, inside or outside of the Halloween period!

Twin Peaks helped pave the way for shows like Stranger Things, which has of course had major success in all year-round licensing. By focusing on mood over meaning and the journey over the destination, this genre has strong appeal – and the appetite from cult fans is surely there.

Thinking about it, I might use Twin Peaks as my Halloween theme this year. I’ll blast the soundtrack, invest in an excellent wig and perfect my manic Killer Bob face as I open the door to unsuspecting trick or treaters…

Sophie Bloomfield, Creative Director, SBC
The horror category is relatively untapped currently and there are so many great opportunities to be had! A big part of SBC is looking for great commercial trends and the correlating IP to match them. With the spread of Emo/Goth/Grunge and 2000s trends, it’s the perfect time to mine dormant or nostalgic brands.

Twilight – although not classically gruesome horror! – is perfect for licensing at the moment. It’s trending well on TikTok and the aesthetic fits all the horror/grunge trends.

Another great property to tap would be Emily the Strange. She originally appeared on the scene in the form of a comic book created by Rob Reger. This IP is already remerging into the US market via Dolls Kill, but this would be a great brand for Europe too, especially in the fashion specialist retailers.

My last choice would be the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Archie comics. I was lucky enough to work on this IP when I headed up Creative Services at WildBrain CPLG. Archie comics in general has a wealth of untapped IP and incredible artwork. Pretty much everything you see in their classic comic books is there to be mined. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic is much darker then the classic 90s TV version, which means it’s more in line with the trends we’re seeing now. Plus, the popularity of the Netflix live action version – and she has a cat, and cats always sell well! – means it’s a great IP for all year-round spooky times.

Deirdre Cross, General Manager of Emerging Brands, Funko Games & Mondo, Funko
At Prospero Hall, we’ve long been fans of horror films – and spooky licenses in general. In recent years, we’ve worked with the incredible Funko licensing team to secure several untapped licenses. In 2020, we released our Disney Haunted Mansion: Call of the Spirits game which is designed for families to play. We have been pleased to see that this property is a 365 opportunity for consumers to purchase and play, not just during “spooky season”.

In May of this year, we released our new Scream Game. This product is complex from a licensing perspective, as it required us to obtain rights from both Paramount, for the film, to use the name and the story, and from Fun World for use of the “Ghost Face” mask. We believe we’re experiencing the benefit of a lot of pent-up demand due to this complexity at retail as fans are coming out for our game in a major way!

Carl Rush, Creative Director, Crush Creative
Halloween all year? Hell yeah!

I’m not particularly fond of making sweeping trend forecasts, unless we focus on the specific brand or property, taking into account various factors like industry and market trends, the target audience, and the brand’s core values. Ensuring that style consistently aligns with the brand is paramount, right? Well, yes, typically, but when it comes to Halloween, horror, and all things gothic, maybe this is one trend that universally fits all…

So, I decided to put this theory to the test with some of our Crush clients. Let’s give it a shot, shall we?

• McDonald’s Black Meal: Swap out the golden arches for a gothic ornate gateway.
• Gothic Pokémon: An eerie and macabre collection of toys.
• SpongeBob Black SquarePants: Mission accomplished!
• F1 Fright Night: A night race amidst gothic architecture, complete with matching merchandise.
• Budweiser Goes Bump In The Night: It just clicks!

Honestly, I believe I could make gothism work for any brand, especially with the growing popularity of goth clothing across various fashion styles, from Techno Goths to Catwalk Goths and even Cowboy Goths. Shows like Wednesday, Stranger Things (with its Hellfire Club), and recent films like The Nun (for which we just finished some licensing assets) demonstrate that our appetite for all things gothic knows no bounds.

Brands like Killstar have partnered with numerous IPs, and even high fashion labels like Vampires Wife have collaborated with H&M. The consumer demand is there year-round, without a doubt.

Embrace your inner bat!

Charlie Day, President, The Sharpe Company
As a Brit-born licensing guy who’s lived and worked in California for decades, Halloween is one of those tentpole/anchor seasonal merch events – and horror has always been a massive part of the Halloween experience here.

For adults over many decades, a major part of Halloween fun has been going to The Rocky Horror Show, dressing up and participating in that event. The brand has huge pull for Americans – it’s a cultural force here and it’s so far been relatively untapped as a licensing opportunity.

Rocky Horror is an immersive event experience that is a convergence of Rock N Roll music, hugely memorable sing along songs, and cosplay – while at the same time having a really strong culturally appropriate message. When Rocky Horror launched 50 years ago, it was the first time a lot of people went to a theatre and felt they could express themselves freely – whether they were transgender, queer, straight or whatever… And they felt safe doing so.

Plus, it’s a generational thing that has rolled forward. We see as many college theatrical productions now as we did previously – literally hundreds – and the movie shows at hundreds of movie theatres every Halloween. It’s the longest running theatrical movie release ever. Those events – and the fact that the music is just so memorable – have kept the Rocky Horror Show embedded in public consciousness over the decades.

Now, the newest of platforms for social expression – TikTok – has been embraced by fans so they can express, share, and exhibit their Rocky Horror’ness with younger fans are using it to share their love of the brand. Last time I looked there were over 600 million views/searches for Rocky Horror on the platform – and the numbers are growing fast.

Rocky Horror has now caught the imagination of US licensees as it has so far been relatively untapped as a property. With its long history and devoted fandom, Rocky Horror sits comfortably as an evergreen property – and horror is hot here! So, although tongue-in-cheek, Rocky Horror Show’s horror credentials are also a key draw for licensees.

One major US retailer said to me at Licensing Expo: “Horror now is not just Halloween…. Horror is 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for us.”

To tap into that convergence, I’m keen to see how the comic book series currently being developed by Dark Horse is going to take the story of Rocky Horror into the next realm and on to the next adventure. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the fans respond to it. It will expand the universe of Rocky Horror through what is ostensibly a traditional medium – books and storytelling – that will keep and build the Rocky Horror Story year long.

It’s a truly timeless time warp!

Chris Taday, Director, Licensing Link
Halloween has become increasingly significant in the UK seasonal calendar over the last decade. Retailers and brands focus primarily on products that have a scare-fest theme. Popular themes include bats, mummies, and Dracula, with blood, eyeballs and pumpkins often overlaid. The target age group determines the extent of the interest in Halloween and horror. Halloween is still considered a seasonal program for families and children in the UK, starting shortly after the ‘back-to-school’ period.

That said, one of the growing trends in the entertainment industry is the use of horror film franchises in year-round location-based entertainment. The SAW franchise has translated well into interactive experiences like escape rooms due to its intense and suspenseful nature. Other horror franchises like The Conjuring, Insidious and Squid Game have also been adapted into haunted house attractions and escape rooms that are now all-year-round activities instead of just seasonal ones.

The Conjuring is a well-known franchise in the US, with Warner Bros selling a comprehensive range of merchandise on its website compared to a much more limited range in the UK. The series of films created by James Wan includes not only the main Conjuring films, but also spin-offs like Annabelle and The Nun. These have garnered a large fan base and become a notable presence internationally.

The Conjuring franchise lends itself to consumer products such as figures, collectables, apparel, and games featuring creepy and iconic characters, such as the Warrens and other evil spirits. Foreign horror properties, especially those from Asian countries such as Japan and Korea, have recently gained significant popularity too.

It is essential to understand that the development of horror products depends on the target age group. It’s potentially challenging to market horror-themed items outside of the Halloween season for children and families. Parents are more cautious about purchasing these items. However, the interest in horror-themed items is increasing for adults visiting location-based entertainment, cosplay and other collectable merchandise.

The post Talking Brands: Which untapped horror brands deserve a bite at licensing? appeared first on Brands Untapped.

So, Star Trek: Cryptic… From what I’ve seen, I love it! It has all the beauty of a tabletop title, but the fun and accessibility of an escape-room style game… Not the most obvious choice for Star Trek, though, is it?
No, not the most obvious choice – but I think it’s a great one! And actually, this is the first time our studio has had the opportunity to work with Star Trek, which might be surprising considering how we’ve been making licensed board games for more than a decade.

That is surprising!
Even so, Star Trek was always a license on our list to make a game for. Once we started working, we quickly decided this should be an escape-room style game, and that we should release it under our Cryptic brand. It was so clear that Star Trek would be a great brand to port into that.

And why is that? Why is Cryptic ideal for – well! Do you prefer Trekkers? Or Trekkies?
I tend to say Trekkies!

Okay! So why is the Cryptic brand an ideal match for Trekkies?
I think Trekkies like a puzzle; they like something to solve… They like a riddle to unravel. We also thought it kind of played into the natural tendency of Star Trek as well. Star Trek has always attracted an intelligent fandom.

Right – a lot of Trek fans are characterised by a sense of the cerebral. And just so people can orientate themselves, in which Trek era is this set?
It’s set in the Next Generation era, which co-exists with Deep Space Nine and Voyager. The reason being that there’s so much content there… For a lot of fans, somewhere in there is their favourite show. Which is not to say that the new stuff that’s coming out now isn’t brilliant and awesome, because I think it is; wonderful content.

In terms of marrying that franchise to boardgame demographics, though, I think you’re probably hitting the sweet spot. So it’s set in that universe, but not – and I think this is an interesting choice – focusing on any of the established characters. Why not?
When we started talking with Paramount, we discussed what our options with characters were quite early on. They told us that we could create completely new characters if we wanted – and a totally new story. We were so delighted! We just had to make sure that the ships, the weapons, the equipment and the star-chartable path fell into the canon.

The star-chartable path?
The flight path that the ships take! That had to fit so fans could actually map where the ship would go; it needed to be accurate. Other than that, we could more or less explore our own space. I mean – we could boldly go…

Ha! Brilliant! Take the rest of the day off!
Ha! I’m done!

Perfect! And that’s very surefooted of Paramount, isn’t it? I mean, that’s quite a lot of freedom for a license of that size and complexity.
It’s amazing. But then, they were incredibly supportive throughout, which is fantastic because – and we’ve talked about this before – when you’re working with a license like Star Trek, that support is invaluable… The people that work on this brand know it better than anyone in the world. So as a Trekkie myself, it’s delightful to work with experts that want you to get things exactly right –
and it’s a delight to learn what IS right.

So… New ships, new characters, new adventures! Tell us a little about how they marry to the gameplay.
The story follows one particular person whom we’ve created. And the booklet here is their personal log. The character’s gender isn’t specified, so anyone is able to play the role of this ensign. Their log starts in their third week aboard the USS Euclid. The whole first story unfolds on that one ship, in that one appointment. But over the course of time, two other stories unfold…

Sealed in these envelopes here?
Right. After the USS Euclid, we go to the USS Dorsey, then to the USS Radiant. Because we’re moving up in rank and being re-assigned… And in real-world terms, that means it’s more than one game; effectively it’s three. So the second part starts on a new ship, with your first shift as a lieutenant. The third starts after another promotion when you’re captain of the USS Dorsey. And of course, your responsibilities increase as you progress – which changes how the story unfolds because having a different rank means making different sorts of decisions.

Great. I’m seeing some neat little details here, Deirdre: the ship’s name plaques, the uniform details… Your art team must be phenomenal. How many are there?
They are phenomenal! How many people work on the art depends on the project… The team expands and contracts to meet the needs of the project. So we have illustrators, artists, and graphic designers all over the world that contribute to projects to make sure we reach big shelf dates.

So is it a case of work surge, then nothing; work surge, then nothing?
No, it’s more work surge, then incredibly busy, then work surge again! Ha! But whereas our Funko Pop colleagues – or game companies that focus more on hobby – might release product every month, their work might more spread out. With a project like this, as you can see, we’re working on a lot. Even the guidebook on it’s own is a significant project! And in terms of playing, this is where you’d start out. The guidebook walks you through the story. Then, the first thing you encounter is an urgent transmission and a puzzle that we have to solve about that.

That’s this word puzzle?
Right. The book also tells you which components you need for each challenge. So, by way of example, this puzzle needs us to write in the book. Well, nobody’s going to want to spoil this book! So it comes with this little transparency – which means it’s reusable. Finally, once you’ve solved a puzzle, the book tells you how many merits you earn along the way… Merits are tokens, basically, with points on them. And if you don’t solve one of the puzzles, then you have to deduct some merits.

I’m very curious to understand, then, Deirdre, with puzzles like these… How do you know when an idea is right? Because your team is going to bring you stuff and say, “I’ve thought of this word puzzle. I’ve thought of a map puzzle…” How do you know when it’s right – not just as a puzzle but right for the feel of this brand?
Well, the team are experts in game making, art and design. I don’t say this lightly – I think our team is absolutely world class. So we’re starting out with a world-class team. And as head of the game studio, what I’m looking for is the entertainment experience… How does playing this make me feel? And how does it make other people feel; people in and out of the fandom?

Now as it happens, Star Trek in particular is a fandom that I love. So then I’m looking for the storytelling… Do I really feel like I’m an ensign on the USS Euclid? Do I have the right level of agency? Do these challenges call in enough of my intelligence? Is this puzzle too easy? Or too hard? Does it LOOK like it’ll be too hard? If so, then I’m disengaging before I start.

Yes. It’s easy to get intimidated or bored by a misjudged puzzle, and you do need people to… Engage.
You also have to consider – ha! Nice! You also have to consider whether there’s enough for everyone at the table to do… Because one person sitting there doing something on their own may not be that entertaining for everyone else! And this is an experience for one or more players… You could play it by yourself and have a great time, but what’s the sweet spot? How does it feel? What should it be like? So that’s more or less where I commit. You have to keep in mind, too, that some people playing the game are going to be huge fans of this franchise – and some people playing it might not be…

People outside the fandom; along for the ride?
Right. And those people outside the fandom might not have seen enough Star Trek or know enough Star Trek to enjoy every detail… So there’s got to be enough going on for somebody who’s only seen “That episode with the Tribbles” and wouldn’t know or care whether these characters use blasters or phasers! It needs to be accessible for someone who knows nothing at all about this universe.

Which is why I think this is so great. It has the authenticity of Trek, but the gameplay is very accessible – so if you don’t know those touch points, it’s still hugely engaging.
Absolutely right.

Let me ask you this: what was the biggest practical challenge with this game?
That’s a great question! I think one of the challenges with this style of game is that we’re trying to create an experience… And the experience has to be fully fleshed out in order to get the flavour of it. So, for example, this game comes with that beautiful book: it has 92 pages and – of course – that has to be exactly right for you to be able to play the game…

Right…
So that book takes months of writing, editing, and development. Now, in our studio, we like to rapidly iterate on things; we like to very quickly get to a straw-man stage; to quickly reach a prototype that we can beat up on. We very quickly want to be pulling it apart: does this work? Is that part fun? Do these things resonate?

You’re looking to rip it apart? Give it your own ‘one-star review’?
Yes – create something that gives us quick feedback against a rapid prototype; something that allows us to fail faster. So – to your question – the most challenging thing about developing the Cryptic product is that we can’t use that methodology! We have to invest a lot more time and resources in getting to each playtest point.

Because – presumably – it takes a long time to develop the individual puzzles, write them up and explain them?
Right. And then if we find something isn’t quite working, we’ve got to scrap all that. There’s another layer of complexity, too, because there are so many puzzles to solve in here, and they all fit together. So more often than not, I’d go into a meeting and – to get that feel right, to feel the story, we’d try six or seven elements that build up this whole experience.

Ah! Yes! You can’t properly playtest individual components out of context!
Exactly… Because that’s where I want to be; I want to be feeling the story from start to finish, and getting the experience – I don’t want to just be solving a puzzle; I want to be arriving at the next part of the game as Ensign Deirdre Cross, still in that universe.

Yes, yes, yes! In the same way that one doesn’t watch the scenes of a movie out order and out of context – then try to review it!
The project was led by game producer Fertessa Allyse. We could trust that she and the team were going to get there… That they were going to make it and and that it was going to be awesome; even if parts of it were played asynchronously and broken into all these different parts… But, as I say, the Funko Games team really is world class – and that meant we could come together and create this experience.

Great answer! And while we’re on this behind-the-scenes sort of insight, I meant to ask you earlier: what factors do you weigh up when you’re considering an IP partner?
There are a number of things. One of the them is the size of the fandom. Sometimes we do things that are more mainstream, other times more niche… Obviously, something like Star Trek has a huge following, and a multi-generational following. We love that! We also look at the competitive marketplace because some fandoms are huge – but already have more than enough games! So is there something special and unique that we can so? Is there a clear path for Funko?

And are there licenses where you look at the IP and think: “Well, we can do something special here. And there IS a fandom… It’s small, but its passionate! Let’s see…”?
Oh, yes. Everything has to pass a litmus test of sorts, but if we think there’s enough resonance around the brands that we’re into, we’ll take a really good look. As a result, there are things that are sometimes very surprising. We’ve made several games for Five Nights at Freddy’s, for example.

Well, that’s a terrific example… Five Nights at Freddy’s has a proper cult following.
A very niche audience, and not a massive generational fandom… But there are a lot of different paths to creating stuff for fans of niche IP. There’s not a set way to get there. So sometimes we’ll do a survey, across the US or Europe, to see if that fandom is interested in a game. We’ll do focus groups where we might put things up on a screen and have people write down how resonant it is.

Write down how resonant it is? They don’t discuss it with you?
No, and that’s interesting! Although, you know, years ago, as Prospero Hall, we made a game around the TV painter and artist Bob Ross. It was called Bob Ross: The Art of Chill. For that, we had a focus group with all these people gathered together. We’re ready to have them write down their thoughts; they were told not to speak… But the moment Bob Ross appeared on the screen, this one guy shouts out, “Shut up and take my money!”

Ha! One Bob Ross super fan!
So funny! It was a really strong reaction – and they’d specifically been told not to speak. He just couldn’t help himself. Now, that isn’t in and of itself enough to know if we want to make a game for it, obviously! Ha! But everybody else wrote down what they liked… It seemed to hit the spot; it resonated with the audience.

You didn’t just sell one copy to that guy?!
Imagine! “We sold one copy, immediately.” No, it’s a beautiful game. I don’t think this story is particularly germane to our Star Trek conversation, by the way, but it’s the example that came to mind.

Oh, I think it’s really helpful – fun example… Maybe I’ll find a connection between Bob Ross and Star Trek to wrap things up. Or maybe I’ll just say, “Deirdre Cross: live long and Prospero Hall.”
Ha! That’s brilliant.

I’ve been sitting on that all afternoon; I want to use it in the headline. Thanks, Deirdre!

The post What makes Star Trek a perfect license for Funko Games? General Manager Deirdre Cross tells all… appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Perfect! ’cos Vice President… I don’t even know what it means anymore; it’s a confusing title.
Right?! My kids were quite excited when I was VP. They were asking, “If the president of Funko dies, are you the president of Funko?”

Ha! And were they mixing potions as they said it?!
Ha! But I said, “No, there are a lot of VPs… It’ll be like Game of Thrones.”

Ha! Okay… So, you’ve just been showing me Star Wars: Rivals, described as an expandable card game with collectible figures. That scarcely does it justice; it’s a work of art, it really is… Absolutely beautiful.
Oh, thank you!

So in a minute, you’re going to walk me through a round of the game. For now, how would you describe it?
This is a fast-paced, two player, head-to-head card Star Wars card game. One of you plays as the Dark Side, the other as Light. Each of you builds a team of your favourite characters looking to outmaneuver your enemies. The Premier Set has everything you need to play, including four exclusive characters, 12 locations and an exclusive prism die. There are also Light side and Dark side ‘booster packs’ with new characters, hologram characters, locations, and abilities.

Super! How did this project come about, Deirdre?
We actually started this back in 2020. We were brainstorming around what would be our dream license to make an expandable, immersive game for. And really, working with Star Wars as a fandom was absolutely at the top of our list. So that’s the genesis of it…

And out of interest, why was Star Wars top of the list of licenses? What gives that an edge?
Gosh! Well, we’re all huge Star Wars fans in the studio – you know – lifetime fans. This franchise, this universe has been around for 45 years. It’s spanned all these generations, and there’s all this beautiful new content coming all the time from Lucasfilm. And we love that… A licensed property that has both the legacy and the newness. It also creates all this energy…

And when you refer to “this energy”, I should say that we’re talking today at London’s Star Wars Celebration where there’s a very palpable energy…
Right! There’s all this energy around something that’s alive and vibrant and beloved. That’s something that really connects to us. And I think, when you look across the fandoms, there are only a few shining bright points that really do that on this scale – and Star Wars is one.

Great answer. And you’re right, there are many franchises that have this degree of pedigree, loyalty and and energy. It’s off the chart! Now, one of the things I noticed about the figurines in this game is that they’re very… Well, actually, what’s the best word?
Stylised?

Stylised IS the best word! Thank you! And I’ll put a picture in here because these things are so beautiful… So the question, I suppose, is why ARE they so stylised? Why not do something less stylised?
Interesting question! The answer is that a lot of beautiful ‘miniatures games’ already exist for Star Wars… And we know them well; some of them are here at the show – really terrific. So if you want something that’s in-world; something humanoid – you’ve got that. It already exists!

Got it; there’d be nothing new…
So then the question becomes: how can we make it fun and special and uniquely Funko Games? And really, the answer is that stylisation. We probably spent six months just working on the stylisation of the characters and working on it with Lucasfilm, going back and forth… Sketching styles, then sculpting new styles and a range of the same character in these different approaches.

And it’s worth noting, too, that you didn’t use the existing Funko style either – which would have been an easy thing to do.
Sure! And we do make the Something Wild card games that use the Funko Pop characters. But we wanted something unique in the Star Wars games canon; a style of character that hadn’t existed before. And then once we developed that, we tried to imbue the figures themselves with as much of the characters’… What would you say there?

Ethos? Attitude?
Yeah! So when you look at the way that Boba Fett stands, he’s got a swagger… The way his weight’s balanced, the way his head’s tilted – it really is exciting. Or, look at Count Dooku: he’s standing there with all of his big energy, holding his lightsaber right in front of his face in this way. So the stylisation of them is important because we want to create all that attitude with it.

Great answer. I’m really curious then, because you’ve got all these designs and sketches and sculpts… I’m imagining now that you have a whole factory of people, an army of clones, working on these things…
Ha! I wish it was a whole army…

They’re all bringing you stuff and saying, “Is this right? How about this? This?”
We have a very talented team, obviously; our Funko Games team in Seattle is incredible and prolific. And yes, I’m involved in the final conversations and decisions. But our VP of Games Product and Creative is over that team, working with them on all the different iterations and the styles. And they’re also working, of course, hand in glove with Lucasfilm.

And in regard to Lucasfilm… What’s that relationship like?
Oh, they’re incredible. And you know, they’re the biggest fans of their brands; they start from the place of fandom. They’re deeply invested in these stories and these characters, and they know them so well. And because we’re also huge fans, we pour everything we have into the work and perfecting it, and making it beautiful – and
presenting it to them and hoping they like it… And they’re incredible partners in coming back with feedback.

And when that feedback comes, is that ever difficult?
No, no; not at all. It’s all part of the process. With licensor feedback, the attitude can’t ever be: “Do we want to hear it? Do we not want to hear it?” That’s not it at Funko; that’s not the mindset…

What IS the mindset?
The mindset is that we’re in collaboration, and we’re working together to make this the best product it can possibly be. And with Lucasfilm specifically, you know, they really know their fandom… They know their license. They know it better than anyone in the world. And so if they were to tell us something’s not right, then it’s NOT right!

That makes absolute sense. In terms of Funko’s attitude towards this license – or any other, come to think of it – your work is the antithesis of a label slap. So when Funko Games comes up with a new idea for a game, where do you actually start?
Right. First of all, we asked: how do we distil 45 years of storytelling into one game experience?! And the first thing we do – and with any game that we’re making – is think about what’s at its core. What’s the story? And in Star Wars: Rivals, it’s this push and pull; a head-to-head struggle. So it became very clear, very quickly – and stayed from when we were first working on the game all the way through to the finished product – that the game would be about the Dark Side versus the Light Side…

Right…
And having identified that as the key element, we looked across the whole galaxy of stories that exist. They characters are vying for influence in that way, at all these different planets and bases and locations; all these different spaces…

But is that something that’s come up in a formal meeting? Or a brainstorm? Or is that just a conversation between two or three people? Or is that a presentation where you say, we’ve decided that this IS the direction… Start thinking!
The collaborative process starts very much in a brainstorming sort of way. The game makers and the project producers come in, and – if you imagine a whiteboard – they’re saying: “What are the key themes in Star Wars? What are we looking for?” After that, you very quickly get to who is in the game… Which of these characters MUST be there?

Got it. So it’s actually very much a case of applying some limitations early on; giving the project some edges. And with this project, specifically, I imagine narrowing down the characters really helped…
Yes – because there’s so many characters in the universe! We can’t have them all, which means we need to decide which characters are essential to the storytelling.

Great stuff! That’s fascinating to me; the creativity of those limitations…
And then, of course, there’re the mechanics of the gameplay. They’re so important. We wanted to make sure that the mechanics ‘feel right’, if that makes sense…

It does, yes, because – from what I see – the authenticity of the brand is on every character card, isn’t it? The playing pieces change the outcome of the game by doing things that’re entirely congruent with their characters.
Exactly right. It feels authentic.

Absolutely. And actually I’d dare to suggest that’s where some boardgame brand extensions really fall down… In order to make the mechanics work, they compromise the characters. Oh, perhaps, in order to preserve the characters, they compromise on the mechanics.
Right. Here, though, the quotes are authentic, and you use the characters’ influence in a way that ties into the mechanics of the game. And that helps tell a person who’s playing for the first time how to play… It’s shortcut to understanding what you’re trying to do to win.

And actually, that’s something I’m curious about… If super-fans play this, they’ll – presumably – read out the lines in the voices of the characters; a Yoda voice or whatever… So the experience becomes bigger and livelier the more you’re into it – but not at the expense of people that haven’t seen content from the entire franchise.
Yes, yes. Exactly.

Fantastic. And we need to start wrapping this up, but you’ve chosen to launch the game at the most visceral brand experience this license could possibly have! Super fans of every kind have gathered to celebrate Star Wars over the course of four days… How’s the game gone down?!
Oh, it’s been so beautifully received. These projects are very close to our hearts… And when you announce it, and you’re like, “Okay, we’re gonna let this little bird out into the world, will it fly?” And to bring it here and to have the game’s first big launch into the world, be here with this fandom that is so just passionate about everything Star Wars. It’s been incredible to get the games into their hands, to see and hear them play it, and even come by the next day.

And in terms of the Booster Packs, you were saying earlier, I think, that people that’ve bought and played the Premier Set have come back the next day to buy the Booster… The Booster Packs are selling out?
Yes. Because we were limiting the number of Booster Packs people could buy to two per person… So they were coming back the next day and buying more – they’re so excited; searching for certain characters.

Fantastic. I’ll wrap this up by saying thank you for your time and energy, Deirdre. You seem so passionate about the licenses you hold and the games you make… Surely you can’t have this same energy level for every game?! You’d be exhausted!
I think maybe I DO feel this way about every game! Ha! Because while not every game is as big as Star Wars: Rivals, we still put the same amount of care and passion into all of them. And they’re really meaningful to us because of what they represent.

The rest of the team is the same?
Yes! I’ll give you an example… Earlier today, one of our associate producers and one of our artists – Arnel Baluyot – the lead artist who did the character card art for Rivals –
were both here at the stand.

Working?
No, they both happen to be on vacation here. Even so, they each got a ticket to come the show. And the artist looked at the crowds and said, in effect, “I can’t believe my game’s gonna be played by hundreds of thousands of people…” Because at this event you can really see how the game resonates; how it fits into people’s lives and how it connects with people. That’s why we’re doing it; why it is so meaningful.

Just out of interest then – I know I’m putting you on the spot – does Funko Games have a mission statement?
Well, yes. I mean… What we’re doing was said best by one of our founding partners. Alan Pruzan, one of the co-founders of Forrest-Pruzan Creative…
That’s our studio that Funko aquired in 2019. Alan used to say that we are looking for the intersection of beauty, commerce and meaning.

The intersection of beauty, commerce and meaning! Blimey; that’s good… I’m glad I asked! That’s brilliant.
So that’s what we’re looking for and that’s what we’re doing here, and – I think – what we’re seeing here at this show with this audience. We may have connected the meaning for these fans.

Brilliant! Thanks Deirdre! As always, you’ve been a fantastic ambassador for the brands Funko represents as well as for Funko itself.

The post Deirdre Cross – General Manager, Head of Funko Games – on why Star Wars is a dream licence appeared first on Brands Untapped.

“Collaborating with Lucasfilm on Indiana Jones has been a dream, with the whole Funko Games team flexing their creative muscles as we designed a truly original slate of games,” said Deirdre Cross, Head of Funko Games.

“Our new product line captures the excitement and adventure of the Indiana Jones franchise while also providing a broad range of fun and challenging gameplay experiences for players of all levels.”

Indiana Jones: Throw Me the Idol is a frenetic party game that sees teams battle it out across 12 ‘out-of-your-seat’ challenges before grabbing the Golden Idol to win.

On the strategy front, Indiana Jones: Sands of Adventure sees players step into the shoes of Indiana Jones, Sallah, Marion Ravenwood and Marcus Brody in a timed battle to save the Ark of the Covenant. If the sand timer suddenly swings over, it triggers a race to survive.

Elsewhere, Indiana Jones Cryptic is the first in a new interactive mystery game line of “Puzzles and Pathways Adventures” from Funko Games. In Indiana Jones Cryptic, players follow clues from Dr. Jones’ journal to solve a wide variety of intricate challenges across three separate adventures based on the first three films.

Finally, Funko is bolstering its Something Wild card game brand with an Indiana Jones edition featuring a collectible Indiana Jones Pocket Pop! figure.

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Arriving late spring 2023, Star Wars Rivals will span a Premier Set and Character Booster Packs, allowing players to create a squadron of iconic characters in an attempt to collect the most location cards and win against their opponent.

“The latest collaboration with Lucasfilm for the Star Wars Rivals Game has continued to elevate Funko Games’ collectible offerings through its all-new art style, including awesome hologram variants,” said Deirdre Cross, Head of Funko Games.

“We’re excited to introduce fans to new immersive gameplay, allowing them to experience unforgettable Star Wars locations as they join the light or dark side of the Force and battle it out with their favourite characters from every era.”

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Featuring the Funko Pop! style, the first three puzzles in the collection feature Elf, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

“The Funko Pop! is legendary – with millions of fans and millions of Pop! figures sold worldwide,” said said Deirdre Cross, General Manager of Funko Games.

“Over the years, more than 16,000 Pop! figures have been created based on entertainment, sports, music and more. We believe that reimagining the iconic fun and recognisable Pop! imagery into a new line of puzzles will delight fans as they piece together their favourite pop-culture stories and characters.

“The debut of the new Pop! Puzzles during holiday comes at a time when families naturally gather around the table to slow down and create a moment of connection while doing a puzzle.”

Funko Games plans expand the Pop! Puzzle line in 2023.

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“The idea of how you feel when you’re on the ride came up a lot.”

For many, many years, we’ve been talking with Disney Consumer Products about how to bring these attractions to the tabletop. When we became Funko Games, we really doubled down on that conversation because they were already working with Funko to launch collectibles based on these attractions. We had an opportunity in early 2020, just before everything shut down, to take a large portion of the team to Disneyland. We had a little field trip!

We went on all of the attractions that we were interested in making games for, but to be honest, we all know the rides really well anyway! It feels like there’s always at least one person from our studio at Walt Disney World. Matt, you’re actually going later on today, right?

Matt Christianson, Producer & Game Developer, Funko Games: Yes, I’m flying out tonight!

Perfect timing!
DC: Exactly! We really are big fans!

Let’s dive into the range. There’s plenty of strings you could pull at for It’s a Small World, so what helped shape that game?
Nicole Jekich, Producer & Game Developer, Funko Games: It was a big project in the sense that so many people are familiar with this attraction, and it’s been around for so long. I’ve been on it plenty of times in the past!

Yes, we have a lovely shot of you as a kid there!
Yes! That’s me! When you go on the ride, it’s very calming and happy, so it was important for us to replicate that atmosphere in the game. In fact, that’s something I really remember about going on the ride as a kid – my grandma could go on it… It really was an attraction we could all enjoy together, and we wanted that to also be the case with the game.

Knowing that we wanted something calming that families could play together, we opted to create a game that had great table presence and accessible gameplay. The 3D structure really immerses players in the ride and the gameplay is centred around seeing and recognising different aspects of the attraction, like the children and the animals.

Our team did a great job bringing the iconic elements – the boats, the clocktower – to life; there’s lots of detail and depth, while still being a very accessible game. It was important that the representation of the ride was in the game, but also the happiness and colourfulness too.

DC: That idea of how you feel when you’re on the ride came up a lot, which led to the question: How competitive should this game be? Should it be competitive at all?! In the rules, we even added a section ‘for an even gentler game…’ that includes modifications to make the game even lighter and more accessible than it already is.

It does capture the vibe of the ride brilliantly. Moving onto a slightly less gentle attraction – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The game has rolling marbles, deckbuilding and an impressive recreation of the mountain itself. Talk us through the development process.
MC: Well, the name alone – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! The mountain had to be there as the centrepiece of the game. That was the first step – we’ve got the mountain, now let’s build a game around the mountain.

The game is based on the ride in Magic Kingdom, Florida. It’s heavily inspired by Monument Valley, so we drew inspiration from that and the history around that. We wanted to tell the story of this cursed flooded town at the base of the mountain, as players take on the role of miners looking for gold.

As you move around, there’s dynamite, earthquakes, dinosaur bones, and that’s all in here. In fact, if you put your ear up close, as the marbles roll down the mountain, it does sound like a train!

“We are connected to these parks on a very deep, soulful level; we love these places.”

Sold! The marbles roll down the sculpted mountain and randomly land at different parts of the board. How tricky was it to get that element right?
MC: We worked with our production team and our 3D designers to make the mountain, and it went through tonnes of iterations to make sure it slopes correctly. It was the biggest testing point of this game – we had to make it random, but seamless. It was a mountain of a task!

Love a pun, Matt! I have to say, one side-effect of playing these games is that they help you appreciate the craft that’s gone into the original attractions, because there are so many nods to specific details here…
DC: Well, the attractions are stories in themselves. The Imagineers are exhaustive in their work. With Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, there’s a backstory about what happened to this town and the miners. We have a little bit of that story in our instructions, to connect people to it who might not know that story. It’s also a nice wink and a nod to those who do know the lore. The game references mining magnate Barnabas T. Bullion. He has a whole backstory!

Let’s move onto Haunted Mansion: Call of the Spirits. Haunted Mansion is an iconic attraction – what made it ripe for a board game adaptation?
DC: Well, Haunted Mansion: Call of the Spirits, It’s a Small World and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad are all original stories – these attractions aren’t based on a film or TV show. We love those too, and some of our games are inspired by those kinds of attractions – like our Mad Tea Party game – but we like to focus on these big, charismatic standalone stories that are unique to the Disney parks.

We also have a game coming out this year called Happiest Day, centred around having the happiest day at the Magic Kingdom Park. You can explore the park and go to the Mad Tea Party or Mr Toad’s Wild Ride, or anywhere on that magical map.

Amazing. Before I let you guys go, since we last spoke you launched the Rear Window board game. It happens to be one my favourite films, so a few quick questions on that! For some, this will seem like quite a left field move to bring that movie into board games. Talk us through the thought process behind it.
MC: Our design team – Prospero Hall – likes to do things out of the ordinary. This is a property that’s dear to a lot of people’s hearts, so it was a good opportunity to create a love letter to the movie in the form of a game. I’m also a huge fan of Rear Window, and of Hitchcock in general, so I was really excited to get to work on this.

The game is all about how players interpret the goings on in each apartment, with one player crafting clues as the Director. Why go in this direction, as opposed to a more ‘obvious’ mystery game format?
MC: We didn’t want to go in an obvious direction, but when you play it, it still feels very Rear Window. We wanted to inject as much mystery in the game, and interactive too. A lot of detective games are quite solitary experiences, but we wanted to have a very collaborative, talkative atmosphere.

There’s also the wrinkle that you don’t actually know if there’s been a murder or not. That gives the game a suspense element, as it throws up the question of whether the Director is working with me or against me.

Absolutely. Guys, a huge thanks again for taking the time – and congrats again on the launch of your Disney games.

The post Funko Games’ Deirdre Cross, Nicole Jekich and Matt Christianson on designing games based on classic Disney attractions appeared first on Brands Untapped.

It’s also a big year for Funko Games, and the firm has both bases covered – with E.T.: Light Years From Home bringing the classic Spielberg film to the tabletop, while Jurassic World gets the legacy game treatment in Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar.

We spoke with Deirdre Cross, VP at Funko Games, and Josh Manderville, Art Director at Funko Games, to find out more about the design process behind these two new titles.

Guys, it’s always great to connect. Let’s dive straight into some of your new games… E.T.: Light Years from Home.
Deirdre Cross, VP, Funko Games: Yes, we’re very excited to be partnering with Universal again, this time celebrating E.T. The Extra-terrestrial and the 40th anniversary of a film that we all grew up with. It really holds a special place in our heart, and we were excited to get the opportunity to bring it to the tabletop so that fans and their families can immerse themselves in this great story.

Had an E.T. game been on the bucket list for a while?
DC: Yeah! We make a lot of licensed games and we have a soft spot for Eighties cinematic adventures. E.T. had been on my list for a very long time, I don’t know about you Josh?

Josh Manderville, Art Director, Funko Games: Yes, I’m a huge Amblin fan in general. Working on games for The Goonies, Back to the Future and this have been dream projects for me. And E.T. is interesting because it is very much a Spielberg film, but it also feels like quite a personal piece for both him and fans. There’s a lot of heart in the film, and capturing that in the game was a challenge, but I’m very proud of what we’ve created.

The art style for this game feels inspired by those classic Eighties movie posters. Was that the inspiration?
JM: The automatic ‘go to’ for inspiration is the movie posters – and the Amblin art, especially the work of Drew Struzan. Universal shared a lot of his watercolour art with us and it was beautiful. So it was about trying to find artists who work in that kind of traditional style, which is tough because most artists work digitally these days.

Also, we look at the era in which these movies were created. With the Eighties, people think of neon and VHS tapes, but that stuff came in towards the end of the Eighties. In the early Eighties, there was still a lot of bleed over from the Seventies, so you had a lot of watercolour and warm, earthy palettes.

I actually looked at a lot of Atari boxes and Atari artists like Cliff Spohn and Rick Guidice. E.T. is also one of the most notorious video games of the Eighties, so it made sense to glean something artistically from it! We ultimately wanted to create a look that was true to the film and true to the era.

And Deirdre, this is another example of you guys taking a mainstream beloved IP and incorporating tabletop game mechanics. How do you walk that tightrope between creating something that pleases E.T. fans and tabletop fans, without alienating those new to these kinds of games?
DC: ‘Alienating’ – I see what you did there!

Ha! Finally, I’m appreciated!
DC: Ha! Well, anytime we’re translating a film to the tabletop – especially if it has this kind of legacy – we think about people who maybe haven’t played anything new since they learned Clue 30 years ago. We want to make sure the rules are very straightforward – and that includes the incredible work that Josh does on the layout and design of the rules.

We try to make the process around getting started very simple. In our set-up for the game, it goes through the set-up of the components and then it says ‘now watch this video on how to play.’ You can read the rest of the rulebook, or you can consult it after you watch the short video. We look for ways to get people in as fast as possible.

We also have a leg up when it comes to teaching people a new game mechanic they may have never played before by closely tying the mechanic to the story. Our game is based around the scene when the kids are dashing to get E.T. to the clearing to get him home.

By basing our game on this beloved scene, you understand your motivation and why you’re doing what you’re doing in the game. As long as we’re true to that, and we make the right decisions for each story, it helps make it easier for new people to play the game, especially if they’re coming to this just because they love E.T.

You guys make everything from light card games to big box games. What dictates where you go with a brand? Why go down this route for an E.T. game versus a party game, for example?
DC: In this case, Universal specifically wanted a Prospero Hall-style game. They thought we did a beautiful job with Back to the Future so they wanted another game where fans could really sink into the world and the story of the movie.

With E.T., where there any tough nuts during the development process that you’re especially proud to have cracked?
DC: E.T. is the original ‘kids on bikes’ film, so we knew we needed to include that in some way, but we needed to make the bikes consequential. So in the game, there’s an E.T. piece that fits into the kids’ baskets. He can fit into any bike’s basket, and the bases of the bike pieces actually fit together.

We thought: ‘If they have E.T. with them, they should be able to fly, right?’ So in the game, if you have E.T. with you – either solo or together as a group – you can fly around the board. It wasn’t enough to have a cardboard mover – we wanted a 3D piece that could carry E.T. and bring the story viscerally to life.

And Josh, were there any tricky problems to solve on the art side of things?
JM: The bike sequence in the movie starts at dusk and ends at night, with the spaceship landing in the forest. So, in our game, we couldn’t have the spaceship land in daylight, and we couldn’t have kid riding their bikes at night… That was a problem to solve!

And what was the solution?
JM: With the watercolour art being a transitional colour palette, we were able to start players in daylight and end the game at night in the forest. You get that transition as you play. We had to make it feel immersive, organic and game-y.

Of course! That’s a very smart, stylish solution. It looks great. Now, while I’ve got you, I also wanted to ask about your upcoming legacy game, Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar. For anyone that hasn’t seen this yet, what do they need to know?
DC: Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar is coming to Kickstarter on March 22nd. This game is a legacy game that starts before the first Jurassic Park film. You get to build the park how you would like, before playing through the entire Jurassic World franchise. You’ll find out if you’d make better decisions than the people in the films!

It takes place over 12 legacy adventures, and the grand finale is endlessly replayable. Oh, and each story takes around two hours to play, so you get between 24 and 30 hours of legacy adventures to play through.

Amazing. Why opt for Kickstarter?
DC: Well, we’ve worked on Jurassic Park games in the past, with games like Funkoverse: Jurassic Park, so this is a sandbox we can’t stay away from! When we had the opportunity to talk with Universal about making a legacy game, we knew we wanted to make it big – but we had no idea how big it would become!

Once it started to reach a certain scale, we realised we needed to go to Kickstarter to have that conversation with the consumer about what’s in this game and how awesome it’s going to be.

Josh, the art of this game doesn’t look like any sort of movie poster. What direction did you opt to go down for this?
JM: I should start by saying I’m not the art direction lead for this game, but I had plenty of input. We started by tapping into old issues of Scientific American, adventure magazines, and certainly movie posters too. The result was a game that has a distinct 1950s pulp fiction vibe but is also uniquely its own.

DC: In addition to the inspiration from fictional materials, the game’s board is inspired by Hawaiian tourism pamphlets and maps from the same era. As our designer Jordan Christianson likes to say — we wanted the game to feel like you just unearthed a dead stock game from the mid-century, found buried in your grandparents’ attic. It’s an unopened treasure and a time capsule of sorts.

Designing a legacy game sounds like a bit of a mind-melting experience, with all the different decisions and directions you have to map out. How was the development process?
DC: We started work on this well before the pandemic, and it’s been a very interesting process. There’s lots of playable characters that come in and out, and the duration of the project ensured we could really explore all the threads we wanted to include. Then we played it and played it and played it.

With something like our E.T. game, you play it, make a change and then play it again. With this game, you change something and it’s just like Ian Malcolm says in the film: “A butterfly can flap its wings in Peking and in Central Park you get rain instead of sunshine.” We’d flap our wings in chapter one of the game and chapter 12 would go crazy!

It was an exhaustive, exhausting design process and the design team left it all on the field; it’s fantastic.

Was another benefit of the legacy format that you could give all the iconic moments from across the entire franchise movies their time in the sun?
DC: Yes, that’s very true. The way the game is engineered, there are key events that come out in every chapter. Some are things you’d expect: problems with the fences, an escaped T-Rex… So yes, we can shine a spotlight on those things, but you’re making different decisions than what they make in the film.

So when the power goes out, your T-Rex might not escape because you might’ve reinforced the fence! Your story may play out very differently.

So there’s a chance that, through certain decisions, I could play the game and Jeff Goldblum keeps his shirt on?
JM: Well once its off, it’s off for the entire game! It’s a legacy game!

He’s going to be absolutely freezing!
DC: Ha! Look, it’s a legacy game, I’m not going to spoil anything!

Yes, don’t ruin anything! Guys, as always, this has been fun. Good luck with the Kickstarter campaign, and with the launch of E.T.: Light Years From Home. Let’s catch up again soon!

The post Funko Games’ Deirdre Cross and Josh Manderville talk Jurassic World, E.T. and designing legacy games appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Invented by the Prospero Hall team at Funko Games, Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar launches on Kickstarter on March 22nd, 2022, and takes players through storylines found in all five films in the Jurassic World franchise.

Over the course of 12 adventures, players will transform Isla Nublar, build their own theme parks and breed new dinosaurs. Being a legacy game, each decision made during play will uniquely and permanently affect the course of the game.

“We always aim to create games we want to play around stories and characters we love most,” said Deirdre Cross, Vice President of Prospero Hall.

“This project has been in development for years, which has allowed us to experiment and innovate. We believe we are redefining the legacy game genre in a way that will surprise and delight tabletop and Jurassic World fans.”

Check out a first look at the game in the video below:

The post Funko Games looks to “redefine the legacy game genre” with Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar appeared first on Brands Untapped.