Creators behind XCOM and Gloomhaven argue that collaborations between video games and tabletop games could offer both industries greater stability during a period of layoffs, cancelled projects and financial pressure. Digital adaptations give tabletop publishers additional royalty income, while board-game licences offer game studios established audiences, rulesets and visual material, reducing some of the risk of creating new intellectual property.

Flaming Fowl released Gloomhaven Digital in 2019, while Snapshot Games’ Frosthaven adaptation is in early access ahead of a full launch on 15 October. Cephalofair’s Isaac Childres said digital royalties have helped offset the impact of tariffs, and Frosthaven director Hristo Petkov said familiar projects offer predictability. Other examples include tabletop adaptations of XCOM, StarCraft and Kingdom Come: Deliverance, with companies also seeking to appeal to older players’ nostalgia for established franchises.