Fantasy Flight Games
| File:Fantasy Flight Games.png | |
| File:Fantasy Flight Games.jpg Front entrance of Fantasy Flight Games headquarters located in Roseville, Minnesota | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tabletop games |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Christian T. Petersen |
| Headquarters | Roseville, Minnesota, United States |
Key people |
|
| Products | Role-playing games, board games, card games, dice games |
| Parent | Asmodee North America (2014–present) |
| Website | fantasyflightgames |
Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is a game development company headquartered in Roseville, Minnesota, United States. It focuses on creating role-playing, board, card, and dice games. Since 2014, FFG has functioned as a division within Asmodee North America.
History
Established in 1995 by CEO Christian T. Petersen, Fantasy Flight Games released its inaugural title, Twilight Imperium, in 1997. Over time, the company has emerged as a prominent figure in the hobby gaming sector, holding a substantial share of the board game market and maintaining influential roles in card, roleplaying, and miniature gaming categories.
During the period from 2000 to 2008, FFG produced supplements for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons under the Open Gaming License, branded as Legends & Lairs. In 2008, it entered into a collaboration with Games Workshop to create games inspired by Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000, a partnership that concluded in 2016.
In August 2011, FFG secured licenses to develop Star Wars card games, miniature games, and role-playing games. The company has also delivered products based on well-known franchises such as Game of Thrones, Battlestar Galactica, and The Lord of the Rings. Additionally, FFG has designed board games adapted from video games including Doom: The Boardgame, StarCraft: The Board Game, and World of Warcraft: The Board Game. The company is recognized for updating cult favorites like Cosmic Encounter, Arkham Horror, Talisman, and Netrunner.
Between 2010 and 2013, FFG collaborated with Dust Studio to publish the miniature wargame Dust Tactics. CEO Petersen highlighted this move as a strategic decision to align with a partner specializing in miniatures.
FFG developed the Midnight series and produced an associated film through its Landroval Studios; however, support for this product line ended around 2012.
On November 17, 2014, Fantasy Flight Games merged with the French publisher Asmodée Éditions, expanding its international reach. Following the merger, Asmodee supported digital versions of FFG’s board games and introduced Fantasy Flight Interactive in 2017 to broaden digital offerings. This division was shuttered in January 2020 as part of broader workforce reductions.
By early 2020, Asmodee redirected FFG’s focus toward its primary boardgame-, dice-, and card-based lines; tabletop role-playing games such as Star Wars and Genesys were transferred to Edge Entertainment, while miniatures titles like X-wing moved under Atomic Mass.
Living Card Games
Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) coined the term "Living Card Game" (LCG) to describe its distinct approach to collectible card games that utilize fixed-content expansions instead of randomized booster packs. LCGs typically offer starter kits containing pre-built decks alongside regular expansion packs with predetermined card assortments aimed at constructed gameplay. Occasionally, larger deluxe expansions are released, introducing new gameplay elements at a slower pace.
While other companies have adopted similar formats, the "Living Card Game" trademark is exclusively held by FFG. For instance, Upper Deck Entertainment promotes its analogous VS System under the label "Two-Player Card Game" (2PCG).
Examples of current LCG titles include:
- The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game (2011)
- Arkham Horror: The Card Game (2016)
- Marvel Champions: The Card Game (2019)
Former LCGs published by FFG are:
- Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game (2008–2015)
- A Game of Thrones: The Card Game first edition (2008–2015) and second edition (2015–2020)
- Warhammer: Invasion (2009–2013)
- Android: Netrunner (2012–2018)
- Star Wars: The Card Game (2012–2018)
- Warhammer 40,000: Conquest (2014–2017)
- Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game (2017–2021)
In addition, FFG released Blue Moon Legends, a comprehensive fixed-set compilation resembling an LCG but not officially part of the Living Card Game brand.
KeyForge
Launched in 2018 by Fantasy Flight Games and designed by Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering, KeyForge introduced a novel "unique deck game" concept. Each deck is algorithmically generated featuring a one-of-a-kind character known as an Archon. Unlike conventional collectible card games that depend on booster packs or pre-constructed decks, KeyForge provides billions of individually unique decks, minimizing dependence on rare cards.
IGN commended the game’s groundbreaking design while highlighting possible difficulties related to consumer purchasing behavior due to the randomness in acquiring decks. In June 2022, ownership of KeyForge was transferred from Fantasy Flight Games to Ghost Galaxy.
2016 Origins Awards
- Board Game – Star Wars: Imperial Assault, designed by Justin Kemppainen, Corey Konieczka, and Jonathan Ying
- Miniatures Game – Star Wars Armada, designed by James Kniffen and Christian T. Petersen
- Role-Playing Game – Star Wars: Force and Destiny, designed by Jay Little