Inside the Box Board Games

Inside the Box Board Games, commonly abbreviated as ITB, was a British tabletop-game publisher established in 2015 by Matthew Usher and Peter Blenkharn while the founders were studying at Oxford University. The company operated from London and developed board games primarily through direct crowdfunding, using Kickstarter to validate projects and finance production. ITB's debut title was Molecular, a science-themed board game that raised more than £17,000 on Kickstarter. The game was released in a limited print run of fewer than 600 copies. After the first game, Matthew Usher left the company, while Peter Blenkharn continued to manage the business. ITB then expanded its publishing program with additional crowdfunding projects. The company's most prominent early success was Sub Terra, a cooperative underground-exploration game released through a 2017 Kickstarter campaign. The campaign raised more than £350,000, and the game later received the Best Euro Game award at the 2017 UK Games Expo. Sub Terra gave ITB a stronger profile within the hobby board-game market and helped establish the company as a publisher capable of financing comparatively ambitious tabletop productions through crowdfunding. In the following years, ITB used Kickstarter for several further projects, including Newspeak, CryptX, Sub Terra II, Aquanauts, and Alba. Collectively, these campaigns raised more than half a million pounds. However, the projects were affected by extensive delays and reported operational and management problems. Most of the later crowdfunded games did not ultimately materialize as originally intended. The company's difficulties became public in January 2023, when former employees took control of ITB's Kickstarter account and posted an announcement stating that they had been dismissed without pay and were owed wages and redundancy payments. The intervention brought attention to the publisher's unresolved obligations to staff and backers. ITB ceased operations shortly afterward. Its creative assets were subsequently purchased by Naylor Games, marking the end of the original company as an operating publisher. ITB's history illustrates both the opportunities and risks of crowdfunding in the tabletop-games sector. Kickstarter enabled the company to fund a commercially successful title and build a portfolio without relying solely on conventional publishing finance. At the same time, the later projects demonstrated how production complexity, fulfillment commitments, staffing problems, and weak operational controls can undermine a crowdfunded publishing model. The brand is now defunct, although some of its intellectual property and creative assets continued under new ownership.

Inside the Box Board Games LLP was a British tabletop-game publisher founded in 2015 by Matthew Usher and Peter Blenkharn while they were studying at Oxford University. The company traded under the ITB name and was based in London. Its business model centered on designing and publishing original board games, with Kickstarter serving as a principal source of development and production finance. The first ITB title was Molecular. Its Kickstarter campaign raised more than £17,000, after which the publisher produced a limited edition of fewer than 600 copies. Matthew Usher left the business after the first game, and Peter Blenkharn continued managing the company. ITB subsequently developed a broader slate of tabletop projects. The publisher's breakthrough came with Sub Terra in 2017. The cooperative game focused on exploration beneath the surface and achieved substantially greater crowdfunding support than the company's debut, raising more than £350,000 on Kickstarter. It was also recognized at the 2017 UK Games Expo, where it received the Best Euro Game award. The campaign and award increased ITB's visibility among hobby-game consumers and established Sub Terra as the company's best-known release. After Sub Terra, ITB launched further Kickstarter campaigns for Newspeak, CryptX, Sub Terra II, Aquanauts, and Alba. The campaigns collectively raised more than half a million pounds. Although the funding indicated strong interest from backers, the resulting projects encountered serious delays and management difficulties. Most of the later games failed to materialize, leaving unresolved expectations for customers, staff, and other stakeholders. The company's decline became publicly visible in January 2023. Former employees gained access to ITB's Kickstarter account and used it to state that they had been dismissed without pay and were owed wages and redundancy payments. The announcement raised concerns about the company's treatment of employees and its ability to fulfill obligations associated with its crowdfunded projects. ITB ceased operating soon afterward. Naylor Games acquired the company's creative assets, but this transaction did not preserve ITB as an independent operating publisher. ITB's trajectory moved from a small university-founded venture and successful debut crowdfunding campaign to a notable hobby-game release with Sub Terra, followed by an increasingly difficult portfolio of delayed or incomplete projects. Its story is frequently relevant to discussions of crowdfunding risk in tabletop publishing: campaigns can provide early capital and market validation, but they also create long-term production, communication, fulfillment, and employment responsibilities. The brand is defunct as of the company's 2023 shutdown.

1. 2023Employee allegations and company shutdown

   Former employees used the company's Kickstarter account to report unpaid wages and redundancy obligations. ITB then ceased operations, and Naylor Games acquired its creative assets.

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2. 2017Sub Terra becomes a major crowdfunding success

   Sub Terra raised more than £350,000 on Kickstarter and later won Best Euro Game at the 2017 UK Games Expo.

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3. 2015Company founded

   Matthew Usher and Peter Blenkharn founded Inside the Box Board Games while studying at Oxford University.

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4. 2015Molecular crowdfunding campaign

   The publisher's first game, Molecular, raised more than £17,000 on Kickstarter and was released in a print run of fewer than 600 copies.

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An independent, crowdfunding-led tabletop publisher focused on original hobby board games, including cooperative, strategic, science-fiction, and puzzle-oriented designs.

• MolecularBoard game2015

  Molecular was Inside the Box Board Games' debut title. Its Kickstarter campaign raised more than £17,000, and the publisher released the game in a limited run of fewer than 600 copies. The title established ITB's crowdfunding-led approach and provided the initial production experience from which the company developed its later portfolio.

• Sub TerraCooperative board game2017

  Sub Terra was ITB's breakthrough game and its most prominent release. It is a cooperative underground-exploration game in which players work together in a hazardous subterranean environment. The 2017 Kickstarter campaign raised more than £350,000, and the game received the Best Euro Game award at the 2017 UK Games Expo.

• NewspeakTabletop game

  Newspeak was one of several later projects funded through ITB's Kickstarter program. It formed part of the publisher's expanded post-Sub Terra slate, although the broader group of later projects was affected by delays and operational problems.

• CryptXPuzzle-oriented tabletop game

  CryptX was included among ITB's later Kickstarter-funded projects. It was intended to extend the company's range beyond its earlier releases, but the project was among the slate affected by delays and reported management difficulties.

• Sub Terra IICooperative board game

  Sub Terra II was a follow-up project connected to ITB's best-known game. It was part of the publisher's later crowdfunding program, which raised substantial backing overall but subsequently became associated with delays and incomplete fulfillment.

• AquanautsTabletop game

  Aquanauts was one of the projects included in ITB's later Kickstarter portfolio. Publicly available reference material identifies it as part of the group of projects affected by the publisher's later delays and operational problems.

• AlbaTabletop game

  Alba was among ITB's later Kickstarter-funded projects. Like several other titles in the post-Sub Terra slate, it was associated with the publisher's deteriorating production and management situation and did not materialize as originally expected.

• 2017Sub Terra Kickstarter campaign

  International crowdfunding

  The crowdfunding campaign for Sub Terra raised more than £350,000 and became ITB's largest early commercial success.

  Outcome. Sub Terra was released and later won Best Euro Game at the 2017 UK Games Expo.

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• Molecular Kickstarter campaign

  International crowdfunding

  ITB used Kickstarter to finance its debut game, Molecular. The campaign raised more than £17,000 and was followed by a limited release of fewer than 600 copies.

  Outcome. The game was released in a limited run.

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• Later Kickstarter portfolio

  International crowdfunding

  ITB subsequently crowdfunded Newspeak, CryptX, Sub Terra II, Aquanauts, and Alba. These campaigns collectively raised more than half a million pounds.

  Outcome. The projects were affected by delays and management problems, and most did not materialize.

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• 2023Creative assets transferred to Naylor GamesM&A

  ITB ceased operations after delays, management difficulties, and public allegations concerning unpaid employee compensation.

  What changed. Naylor Games purchased ITB's creative assets.

  Aftermath. The original ITB operating business ended, while its creative assets moved to a new owner.

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• 2017Launch and crowdfunding of Sub TerraProduct launch

  Following the limited release of Molecular, ITB pursued a larger and more ambitious cooperative board-game project.

  What changed. The company launched Sub Terra through Kickstarter and proceeded with publication after raising more than £350,000.

  Aftermath. Sub Terra became ITB's breakthrough title and received the Best Euro Game award at the 2017 UK Games Expo.

  Sub Terra Kickstarter funds raised. more than £350,000 (2017)

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• 2015Adopt crowdfunding as a core publishing modelStrategy

  As a newly founded independent tabletop publisher, ITB needed a way to finance original game development and production.

  What changed. The company used Kickstarter campaigns to fund Molecular and subsequent board-game projects.

  Aftermath. The approach produced an early success with Molecular and a much larger breakthrough with Sub Terra, but later projects experienced delays and incomplete delivery.

  Molecular Kickstarter funds raised. more than £17,000 (2015)

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• 2023Former employees report unpaid wagesControversy

  Former employees took control of ITB's Kickstarter account and announced that they had been dismissed without pay and were owed wages and redundancy payments. The disclosure occurred shortly before the company ceased operations.

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• 2023Inside the Box Board Games ceases operations after asset sale

  The publisher officially stopped operating shortly after the employee announcement. Its creative assets were purchased by Naylor Games.

  BankruptcyM&AOther
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1. Inside the Box Board Games