University Games Acquires Maranda Games

The mergers and acquisitions trend that’s been reshaping the toy and game industry continues.

San Francisco-based University Games acquired Wisconsin-based Maranda Games. The move brings award-winning outdoor recreation games such as Ladderball, and board games such as Sneaky Statues, into the growing assortment of games and puzzles offered by University Games.

“We are excited to add the summer range of recreational games — a new category for us — to our Front Porch Classics division,” says Bob Moog, co-founder, University Games.

The company plans to use its international reach to introduce Maranda Games products to families in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand this year. Additional expansion is planned for 2021.

“University Games is the perfect partner to bring our games to more people,” says Mark Fuchs, who founded Maranda Games with his wife Dawn in 1995. “The broad distribution University Games already has in the specialty, mass and online game & toy markets complements our distribution built on 16 years in the outdoor and sporting goods markets.”

Last fall, University Games expanded its AreYouGame.com business with a new warehouse in Kansas City. Amid the spread of COVID-19, the company recently shared a look at some recommended games to play during home quarantine.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.