Australian Design Group

Recorded answer text · Google AI Overviews · 8 November 2026

Australia has a dedicated and creative tabletop scene featuring local publishers, indie studios, and major international distributors operating down under.

### Prominent Australian Board Game Publishers

- Good Games Publishing: Widely recognized as a premier Australian tabletop publisher. They specialize in bringing local designer talent to both domestic and international markets with titles like Unfair, Land vs Sea, Cytress, and 12 Rivers. - Joey Games: Founded in 2022 by prominent Australian game designer Phil Walker-Harding and Meredith Walker-Harding, focusing on charming, family-friendly, and distinctly Australian-themed board games. - Australian Design Group (ADG): Long-running publisher famous for massive, deep-strategy historical and wargaming titles such as World in Flames. - Ghostfire Gaming: Based out of Melbourne, known globally for large-scale tabletop RPG books, miniatures, and board game publishing campaigns. - Grail Games: Sydney-based publisher known for clean, strategic Euro-style board games and re-implementations of classic tabletop designs. - Archona Games: Melbourne-based publisher behind mid-to-heavy strategy games with a strong international footprint.

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### Major Distributors and Industry Hubs in Australia

- Let's Play Games: One of the country's largest specialist distributors handling board games, role-playing games, and accessories for local hobby stores. - Asmodee Australia: Operating for over 30 years, they manage major international evergreen lines (like Catan, Ticket to Ride, and 7 Wonders ) across Australia and New Zealand. - Tabletop Game Designers Australia (TGDA): The primary advocacy and networking group supporting local game designers, artists, and independent publishers through events like DevCon and local pitch showcases.

Are you looking for a publisher to pitch an original game design to, or are you trying to buy specific Australian-made board games for your collection?

Recorded answer text · ChatGPT · 8 November 2026

If you're looking for genuinely Australian-made board games \(not just games designed by Australians but manufactured overseas), there are some excellent independent Australian publishers worth supporting.

I'd start with these. I've prioritised companies that explicitly mention Australian manufacturing.

## Best Australian-made board games

![Busy Beaks

- Museums Victoria Store](

1\. Busy Beaks

(Made in Australia range)

- Publisher: Joey Games - Family-friendly, playful Australian-themed gaming. - A good choice for family game nights.

Also look at Scribbly Gum and Pass the Party Food.

Shop Joey Games

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!Shop Wiz Biz Card Game by BLAT Games at POP Local

2\. Wiz Biz

(Printed in Australia)

- Publisher: BLAT Games - Australian-designed, with local artwork. - Printing is proudly done in Australia.

BLAT Games official website

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!ROO GAMES Kaboom Blocks - Fast-Paced Matching and Building Game - for Ages 7+ - Board Game for Kids - Match and Build The Pattern Before The Board Pops! - Walmart.com

3\. KABOOM Blocks

- Publisher: Roo Games - Australian company that says it designs and manufactures games. - Worth considering for family and group play.

Roo Games official website

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!Eichlers

4\. Blitz!

- Publisher: Australian Design Group. - A more serious strategic wargame. - An established Australian strategy-game publisher, operating since 1983.

Australian Design Group

## Other Australian game makers worth exploring

- Australian Design Group - Particularly interesting for enthusiasts of complex historical strategy games. Australian publishing doesn't necessarily mean Australian manufacturing. www.a-d-g.com.au - Goanna Games - Sydney-based independent publisher using print-on-demand production. www.goannagames.com

## My recommendations

| What you're after | My pick | |--------|--------| | Family games | Joey Games | | Supporting local printing | BLAT Games | | Australian game manufacturer | Roo Games | | Serious strategy games | Australian Design Group |

One important distinction: Australian-owned, Australian-designed and Australian-manufactured are three different things. I'd verify the manufacturing origin of each individual game before buying.

## Let me narrow down the best ones

Are you mainly interested in\:

1\. What sort of games?

Strategy and hobby board games

Family and party games

Educational and children's games

All types

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2\. Who will play?

Adults

Families with children

All ages

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3\. How strict is Australian-made?

Must be physically manufactured in Australia

Australian designed and published is also acceptable

Prefer Australian-made, but include local designers

[Find my best Australian games]

Recorded answer text · Perplexity · 18 October 2026

Here are some of the best board games designed in Australia, spanning strategy, social deduction, family, and abstract games:

- Blood on the Clocktower - Steven Medway A standout social-deduction game from Sydney. Players debate, bluff, investigate, and eliminate suspects in a highly interactive experience that still works when players are “dead.” Best for large groups and experienced players. It is widely regarded as one of Australia's most acclaimed modern games.

- World in Flames - Australian Design Group A very deep strategic simulation of World War II, covering military operations, production, diplomacy, and research. It is exceptionally long and complex, but a landmark Australian-designed game with major international recognition.

- Pax Renaissance - Phil Eklund and Matt Eklund A historically dense card-driven strategy game about banking dynasties, empires, religion, and political change during the Renaissance. Best for players who enjoy difficult, unconventional historical games.

- Dingo's Dreams - L. P. Dall'Ava A charming tile-placement and pattern-matching game inspired by Australian animals and landscapes. It is approachable, visually distinctive, and suitable for families.

- Drop Bears - Graeme Jahn A light, humorous Australian-themed card game built around the famously fictional koala predators. A good choice for casual groups looking for something quick and silly.

- Survival of the Fattest - Australian designers A playful competitive game with a strong local identity, recommended by Australian board-game players alongside titles such as Timber Town and Octocube.

- Timber Town - Matthew Wolfe A compact worker-placement and resource-management game about developing a timber town. It offers meaningful strategy without the length or complexity of a large economic game.

- Octocube - Australian designers A clever abstract puzzle game involving spatial reasoning and geometric construction. It is a good fit for players who prefer concise, brain-burning games.

- The Mind - Wolfgang Warsch, published by Australian company? Often associated with Australian board-game recommendations, but it was not designed in Australia, so it should not be counted as an Australian-designed title.

### Best picks by situation

| Situation | Recommendation | |---|---| | Large party or game night | Blood on the Clocktower | | Serious historical strategy | World in Flames | | Family game | Dingo's Dreams | | Short and casual | Drop Bears | | Compact strategic game | Timber Town | | Challenging abstract puzzle | Octocube |

For a single recommendation, choose Blood on the Clocktower for a large group, Dingo's Dreams for family play, or World in Flames for an ambitious strategy experience.