About us

Who are we?
The Game Master is a publisher of board- and card games based in The Netherlands.

Our Mission
To create a new world with games, giving players the chance to enjoy their fantasies, experiment, feel good about themselves and to learn more about themselves and others

How did it start?
Founded in the early winter of 2004, Hans van Tol, founder of The Game Master started his first project. He created a game about building a Citadel in the Middle Ages. This first creation, De Ontembare Stad, has won the Dutch Game Award 2005. After this good start, The Game Master has built a strong market position in the family plus market. Some of our international titles are Skyline (2005), Rotterdam (2007), Opera (2009) and Fortuna (2011). Each game has its specific innovative dynamics. Also The Game Master has started importing quality games since 2008. Some of these games are Cuba, A Castle for All Seasons, Speicherstadt, Tobago and IMPERIAL 2030.

A game as a statement
Publisher The Game Master also feels the need to make a statement with creating new innovative games, but also the themes chosen tell a bit more about our mission, do not always choose for the obvious:

• De Ontembare Stad (2004): one of the first round game boards, many followed this example;
• Skyline of the World (2005): one of the first 3D board games, many 3D games since than;
• Rotterdam (2007): a unique moving system of ships and a modern theme;
• The Happy Cows series (2008): making fun of the many 'boring' TV Reality programs;
• Opera (2009): a statement against "easy themes", also educating the audience a bit with classic music;
• Fortuna (2011):  this time a game not about money and power, but about happiness!

Family Plus Games
The Game Master puts great effort in creating Family Plus Games. Our family plus brand is based on a higher than average quality of the game (you can play it again and again) and the materials. We find elements as learning, excitement, fun, several layers, some luck, atmosphere, innovation, easy to use and to understand and finally reflection with reality important elements which should be integrated in each game we create.

Our international partners
The people we work with are part of our presentation internationally. We would like to introduce to your our international partners (in alfabetic order):
        
Eggert Spiele (Hamburg, Germany)
Ghenos Games (Milan, Italy)
Hutter Trade (Gunzburg, Germany)
Intrafin Games (Zaventem, Belgium)
Ludonova (Cordoba, Spain)
PD Verlag (Heidenau, Germany)
University Games (Maastricht, The Netherlands)
Zoch Verlag (Munchen, Germany)