Fireside Games is, for lack of a better phrase, on fire.
The board game company has made a name for itself as the publisher behind Castle Panic, the fantasy-themed game where players work together to save their castle. After sixteen years in the industry, the company is continuing to release new ways to play its popular game, whether that be expanding its terrain or opening its gates to younger heroes.
The Toy Book caught up with Fireside Games’ Chief Creative Officer Justin De Witt to talk about Castle Panic’s game expansions, My First Castle Panic, and the company’s decision to sign with KidStuff PR.
The Toy Book: Fireside Games is perhaps best known for its popular Castle Panic line. What was the inspiration behind creating Castle Panic?
Justin De Witt: Early on in my game designs, I noticed how much players enjoyed those moments when they would work together. I was inspired to make a game where player cooperation was essential, which meant building a system that pitted the players against the game. I experimented with several different themes, but the idea of all the players working together to save the castle they live in from a horde of approaching monsters was clearly the winner. It didn’t hurt that this was back in the mid-2000s when the Lord of the Rings movies were extremely popular! During that time, I worked on refining the details of the game, such as how many rings and arcs the board was made of, how the cards could be played, and the health, powers, and variety of the attacking monsters.
TB: Castle Panic recently relaunched with a second edition. Can you tell us what’s different in this new version?
JDW: The second edition is primarily an art refresh. The original game launched in 2009 and has only had minor art edits since it was released. We wanted to modernize the look and feel, fix some issues with representation, improve some graphic design elements, and improve playability for our color-blind players. Other than that, we’ve made the card stock a little heavier and created a custom die, but the rules and gameplay are still the same as in the previous edition.
TB: Although the second edition is out now, there are a few new expansions that are set to release in the future. What’s the timeline for those and what can retailers and fans of the game expect to see in the expansions?
JDW: Over the life of Castle Panic, we’ve created four expansions that take players deeper into the world. These are all getting the same second edition makeover that the core game is receiving. In November, we released the newest expansion, Crowns and Quests, which adds 12 playable characters with unique abilities to the game, as well as 18 quests with their own objectives that must be completed to win. In January, we released The Wizard’s Tower, which is a fan-favorite that adds magic spells, flying monsters, mega boss monsters, and the ability to light things on fire that can both help and hurt the players. February 22 will see the release of The Dark Titan. This expansion adds a powerful boss character Agranok and his army that will challenge players to keep the castle standing. Fortunately, this expansion also adds some support tokens and a brave cavalier that will join in the battle. On March 22, we will release Engines of War. This expansion adds resource cards and an engineer that players will use to build new weapons and defenses for the castle. All the while, new monsters and powerful siege engines will storm the castle and try to tear down the towers.
TB: Tell us about the Castle Panic Big Box. What’s included that makes it so big?
JDW: Well, honestly? Everything! The Castle Panic Big Box contains everything we’ve made for Castle Panic together in one box. It includes the base Castle Panic game, all four expansions, six promotional towers with special abilities that can replace the regular towers, and seven promotional cards that aren’t available in the standard games. It all comes with its own organizer, so everything has its place. Which is good because at more than 17 inches-wide, the Big Box is aptly named!
TB: And for littler knights, Fireside Games has released My First Castle Panic. Was there a demand from the younger generation for a more toddler-friendly version? What distinguishes My First Castle Panic from the original game?
JDW: As much as families love Castle Panic, we knew that children around four weren’t able to follow the steps and strategy needed to play the game. We heard from fans how their little ones were excited to defend the castle, but it was just a bit too advanced for them. We simplified the gameplay and were able to create My First Castle Panic.
The core idea is the same as the original game — defend the castle from a pile of monsters. Only now, there is just one wall and one piece for the castle. The monsters approach along a single path, where each step is identified with a colored shape. We use red, green, and blue for the colors, and circles, squares, and triangles for the shapes to match the core curriculum for preschoolers. Players have cards with colored shapes on them, and if a card matches a space on the path where a monster is, playing that card allows the player to capture that monster and throw them in the dungeon (the bottom of the game box). If a player doesn’t have a matching card, they can ask for help from another player that does. At the end of the turn, all the monsters move forward one space, and a new monster is added from a facedown pile of monster tokens. There are three monster types that have special movement abilities, and if the monsters knock down the wall and castle, the players lose. However, if our heroes can catch all the monsters with the castle still standing, they win. It’s been amazing to hear how much little gamers love My First Castle Panic. We’ve seen kids teach their friends how to play as soon as a game ends, and we constantly hear from fans how they can’t get the game off the kitchen table!
TB: Since My First Castle Panic is catered towards kids ages four and up, how have you adjusted your advertising campaign?
JDW: Since My First Castle Panic won’t be purchased by the players it was designed for, we focus on the parents who will be making the buying decision. To do that, we emphasize the educational and social value, as well as the exciting nature of the game. It’s hard to get preschoolers to engage and sit still with an activity for an extended period of time, but My First Castle Panic offers that. We also focus on promoting the multiple awards that the game has won as a measure of credibility from outside bodies.
TB: To round out Fireside Games’ recent news, you’ve recently signed with Lisa Orman and KidStuff PR. Can you tell us a little about what you’re working on with the agency?
JDW: KidStuff PR has a long track record and a strong reputation for helping brands gain greater visibility in the kid’s product market. They’ve already helped us to gain access to Instagram and TikTok influencers, radio stations, newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune, and local television stations in the Austin, Atlanta, and Miami markets. And that’s just in the first two weeks! We’re looking forward to continuing our work and introducing more people to the joy and value of the whole Fireside Games line.
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