Stonemaier Games is set to release a small-box, quick-playing addition to its Wingspan line this year, as part of a 2026 slate heavily focused on expansions and new editions of existing titles.

The publisher’s year will kick off with fresh add-ons for Wingspan and Viticulture in Q1, followed by an ‘Essential Edition’ of 2013 release Euphoria and the first Finspan expansion in Q2.

The third quarter will see a new two-player duelling game which expands, and is expanded by, both Scythe and Expeditions, and the release of the lighter Wingspan title which the company says is playable in about 30 minutes.

Stonemaier plans to finish up the year with a new release from an unnamed debut designer, set in the Smoking Bones world created by artist Andrew Bosley, and the company’s version of Namiji following its purchase of the IP and the Tokaido line from FunForge last year.

That release slate was unveiled in a YouTube and Facebook livecast from company co-founder and CEO Jamey Stegmaier, in a break from the publisher’s usual strategy of trailing each new release shortly before it becomes available to buy.

He said he was inspired by Nintendo Direct, Marvel Studios and Garphill Games in experimenting with the full 2026 slate reveal, which has so far been viewed more than 24,000 times on YouTube.

Stegmaier told BoardGameWire the prevalence of smaller box releases, expansions and re-releases in its 2026 plan was not a response to US tariff concerns or other economic factors, saying instead: “This is simply when these products were ready. We always have a mix of expansions and new games in the works; when they’re ready, they go to print, then they typically release around six to eight months later.”

Significant numbers of board game publishers have been shifting their attention to smaller box releases amid a push to keep down costs, following a hugely turbulent 2025 beset by volatile US tariff changes and concerns over the cost of living affecting gamers’ appetite – and ability – to shell out on new games.

But Stegmaier told BoardGameWire a push for smaller products had not been a factor in the company’s 2026 slate, saying, “The size of the box is determined by the size of the components within (ideally with room for sleeved cards and expansions, when applicable/possible). The components are the result of creating a product that’s most likely to bring joy to people.

“As for Wingspan game, the intent was to see if we could distill the Wingspan experience into a shorter, streamlined game. The size of the box was symptomatic of the design process rather than the goal itself.

“When we shared the concept with partners around the world, they were really excited about it (and perhaps more focused on the size of the game than we were). We’re actually still testing the exact size and shape of the box – we’re not yet into full production on this game.”

He added that the decision to schedule the company’s currently unnamed new game and the bigger-box release of Namiji for Q4 was again just down to the timing of when they will be ready, rather than part of a ‘wait-and-see’ strategy based on how tariffs and the economy shake out across 2026.

He said, “No, Q4 is just when those products were ready for release. Perhaps I could have worked on Namiji a bit earlier, but I had a busy year, as did our graphic designers.

“However, we were glad that the Smoking Bones game’s schedule aligned roughly with Essen Spiel, as we think that’s a good time for a medium/heavy euro game to make a splashy debut.”

Looking forwards, looking back

Stegmaier described his company’s 2025 as “overcrowded” thanks to the addition of the Tokaido brand and the publisher having brought on an extra graphic designer in 2024 – leading to more products being ready than previously usual.

He said, “This led to us reconsidering our 2026 schedule and ultimately bumping a product from late 2026 to early 2027. However, it was also a very fulfilling year for me creatively, particularly with Vantage (an eight-year project for me) and Origin Story.

“The biggest unfortunate story from 2025 were the tariff taxes, which cut off about half a million US dollars from our bottom line (we did not raise consumer prices).

“‘Number go up’ isn’t the slightest motivation for me when looking at our annual revenue, but we already pay millions in taxes to the US government, so it was tough to pay even more than usual.”

Stonemaier joined a lawsuit last April challenging President Trump’s assertion that he can issue tariffs without oversight or accountability from lawmakers in the US Congress.

That lawsuit was paused in June to await the outcome of other, similar legal challenges targeting the tariffs.

When asked during the announcement video unveiling the 2026 release slate whether he was confident about the state of tabletop games this year, Stegmaier said, “Tariffs still scare me so much because at any time the president, given his current power, could change the tariffs to something that would be devastating for the entire industry.

“I am excited to share joy with your tabletop and to serve you in 2026, hopefully just as well or better as we did in 2025. So that’s my overall goal.

“I wouldn’t say it’s confidence. I wouldn’t even say it’s optimism, but it is a relentless desire to bring joy to your tabletop.”

Speaking to BoardGameWire about challenges and opportunities likely to be faced by the board game industry in 2026, Stegmaier said, “In many cases, the challenges are the same as they’ve been since I co-founded Stonemaier Games in 2012.

“Are we making the right quantity of each product at a value that appeals to consumers, retailers, and distributors, and are we getting the products to the variety of places from which consumers want to buy games?

“How do we give amazing new games a legitimate chance at reaching their full potential audience in a world where thousands of great games are published each year?

“I think the ‘green shoot’ for this year is actively engaging people who already have the games they want rather than always asking them to buy more. In fact, I hope you already have a Stonemaier game that you’re having so much fun with that you are happy to keep playing it and talking about it rather than buying another Stonemaier game.”

Stegmaier added that one of the biggest things that emerged from the company’s annual demographic survey last month was that a significant number of respondents (33%) said they were looking to shop more at local game stores rather than online or picking up games via crowdfunding.

He said, “I think this is a great opportunity for local stores, and Stonemaier Games is here to support them to make this happen.”

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