Good Games Publishing

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 · 25 October 2026

Australia has produced some excellent modern board games, from clever family card games to deeper strategy games that have found international audiences. If you're looking for board games designed by Australians, rather than simply games with an Australian theme, these are some great places to start.

A useful distinction: the Australian Best Australian Game award recognises games with Australian creative contributions, including design, development or illustration. boardgamegeek.comwww.boardgameoracle.comthekanga.com.au

## Best Australian-designed board games to try

!Sushi GO! Card Game - Toyworld Australia

1\. Sushi Go!

(Best for beginners)

Designer: Phil Walker-Harding

A fast, charming card-drafting game where you collect sushi combinations for points. Easy to teach, quick to play and excellent for families or casual game nights.

Players: 2-5 · Around 15 minutes

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!Funfair and Unfair compared - Good Games Publishing

2\. Unfair

Australian-designed theme-park strategy

Build an amusement park full of rides and attractions, while competing against other players and dealing with disruptive events. Great if you enjoy strategic planning, interaction and a little take-that.

Players: 2-5 · Around 60-90 minutes

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!Archaeology: The New Expedition

3\. Archaeology: The Card Game

Designer: Phil Walker-Harding

Dig for artefacts, collect matching treasures and decide when to sell them. Its push-your-luck decisions make it a nice lightweight game for people who want more than a basic party game.

Players: 2-4 · Around 20 minutes

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!Matthew Dunstan

4\. Relic Runners

Designer: Matthew Dunstan

An exploration game about navigating a jungle, discovering ruins and collecting valuable relics. A good pick for players who enjoy planning routes and optimising their turns.

Players: 2-5 · Around 40-60 minutes

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!Rule & Make Burger Up Board Game | SuperOffice

5\. Burger Up

Build burgers by stacking ingredient cards to fulfil orders and score points. A fun food-themed option with more tactical depth than its playful appearance suggests.

Players: 2-4 · Around 20-30 minutes

These titles include games associated with Australian designers and the Australian-designed-game award ecosystem. For further discovery, the community-maintained Games by Australian Designers list is a particularly useful catalogue. boardgamegeek.comboardgamegeek.comwww.matthewdunstan.com

## More Australian-designed games worth exploring

!Настільна гра Imhotep (Імхотеп) купити недорого з доставкою по Україні | інтернет магазин Geekach Shop

Imhotep

Move stone blocks by boat to construct Egyptian monuments. A satisfying, accessible strategy game with plenty of player interaction.

!Brettspiel Gizmos 2nd Edition für 2-4 Spieler 14+ Jahre CMNGIZ002 (EN) Cool Mini Or Not | Skroutz Germany

Gizmos

Build a clever chain of inventions that trigger more actions and generate points. Best for players who love combos and efficiency.

![VILLAGE PILLAGE - Pierre Belvédère](

Village Pillage

A quick, mischievous card game about farming, stealing and outsmarting your opponents. Ideal for groups who want something light and interactive.

!Red Genie Games - The Damsel's Tale Board Game Book Style Presentation | Award Winning Artwork | Kickstarter Edition | Adventure Game | Fantasy Game | Ages 13+ for sale | North Las Vegas, NV | Nellis Auction

The Damsel's Tale

A more unusual title to investigate if you want to explore independent Australian tabletop design beyond internationally popular family games.

The award records include Imhotep, Gizmos and Village Pillage among games recognised in the Australian tabletop scene. www.boardgameoracle.comthekanga.com.au

## Where to discover more

- BoardGameGeek - Australian designers\: a broad catalogue of Australian-created games. - The Kanga Awards\: awards celebrating Australian involvement in tabletop gaming. - Board Game Oracle Australia\: useful for comparing Australian retailers and prices.

My top three recommendations\: Sushi Go\! for an easy family game, Unfair for a more involved game night, and Gizmos for satisfying strategic gameplay.

One question to narrow the list: are you looking for Australian-designed games to buy and play, or games that specifically feature Australian themes, wildlife, history or landscapes?

Recorded answer text · Perplexity · 18 October 2026

Australian toy brands compete strongly with overseas brands, especially in magnetic construction, imaginative play, educational toys and infant development. The best choice depends more on the toy's purpose, safety, durability and openness of play than on its country of origin.

| Australian brand | Best known for | Compared with overseas alternatives | |---|---|---| | Connetix | Premium magnetic tiles | A strong alternative to Magna-Tiles and PicassoTiles, with powerful magnets, clear tiles and excellent open-ended building. Usually positioned at the premium end. | | Moose Toys | Magic Mixies, Little Live Pets, Bluey-related toys and games | More trend- and character-driven than brands such as LEGO or Playmobil. Excellent for novelty and interactive play, though some products may have less long-term open-ended value. Moose is Australian-owned and headquartered in Melbourne. | | QToys | Wooden Montessori-style toys, puzzles and play equipment | Comparable to Hape, PlanToys and Melissa & Doug. It is particularly strong for simple, screen-free, open-ended play, although its range is generally smaller and less widely available internationally. | | Tiger Tribe | Creative kits, drawing sets and travel activities | A good Australian alternative to Djeco, Klutz and Crayola. It tends to offer compact, giftable activities designed for independent play and travel. | | Playgro | Infant developmental toys | Competes with international baby-toy brands such as Lamaze and Bright Starts. Its strengths are accessibility, bright sensory products and early developmental play. | | Jellystone Designs | Silicone teethers, bath toys and sensory play products | A more specialised alternative to international silicone and sensory brands. It is strongest for babies, toddlers and reusable sensory play rather than traditional toys. | | Good Games Publishing | Family board games and tabletop games | Competes with publishers such as Ravensburger, Asmodee and Hasbro. It is worth considering for Australian-designed or locally published games, though overseas publishers generally have broader global catalogues. |

## Best picks by category

- Best overall magnetic tiles: Connetix. It is one of Australia's strongest global toy success stories and is widely compared with Magna-Tiles. - Best wooden educational toys: QToys for open-ended Montessori-inspired play; PlanToys or Hape may offer broader ranges and international availability. - Best creative activity kits: Tiger Tribe for travel, drawing and craft activities; Djeco often has a wider art-and-craft range. - Best interactive novelty toys: Moose Toys, especially Magic Mixies and Little Live Pets; LEGO and Playmobil generally offer more construction-focused or longer-lasting play systems. - Best infant toys: Playgro for accessible developmental products; Lamaze may offer stronger character-based sensory designs. - Best Australian-themed gifts: Bluey toys, Australian animal products and locally designed wooden toys. Moose Toys has helped make Australian properties and toy concepts internationally visible.

## Australian versus overseas brands

Australian brands often have an advantage in:

- Products reflecting Australian culture, animals and children's media - Compact creative kits suited to travel and gifting - Magnetic tiles and open-ended construction - Smaller, design-led brands with distinctive product ranges - Local availability, customer support and retailer distribution

Overseas brands often have an advantage in:

- Very large product ecosystems, particularly LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Playmobil - Interchangeable systems and replacement parts - Global licensing and character recognition - Extensive testing, long-established product lines and international availability - Board games and educational products with broad age coverage

## Bottom line

Choose Connetix over overseas magnetic-tile brands if premium construction quality and open-ended building are priorities. Choose QToys or Tiger Tribe for quieter educational and creative play, and Moose Toys for interactive, character-led toys. Overseas brands such as LEGO, Playmobil, Ravensburger, Hape and PlanToys remain stronger when a broad, established product ecosystem is more important.