Dyce’s Jason Exum discusses brand collaborations with Care Bears, Miraculous and more

This year sees Dyce bolster its line-up with new licensed games… And it’s an eclectic mix of brands. What makes an IP attractive to Dyce?
Ha! I think you nailed it when you call our portfolio of brands “eclectic”. It runs the gamut from the HISTORY Channel to Care Bears and Miraculous, plus an upcoming collaboration with Wiz Khalifa…

Ultimately, an IP is attractive to us for two main reasons. It has evergreen appeal and ‘cool factor’. It also inspires us to design a game that’s a great match for the brand. In some cases, that’s a crossover with one of our existing titles; in others it’s a bespoke new game designed to showcase specific thematic elements of a brand.

Let’s dig into the new slate, starting with the Care Bears edition of First to Worst… What made this brand such a neat fit for First to Worst?
Care Bears exudes so much positivity and presents so many different attitudes and feelings… The very fact that there’s a Grumpy Bear – my favourite, by the way – really lines up with what First to Worst is all about. Besides these thematic links, the rainbow-coloured wonderland of Care Bears is also a natural aesthetic match with our First to Worst base game. A Care Bears edition just seemed so obvious – and luckily the fine folks at CloudCo agreed!

How does the gameplay differ from the original?
The basic gameplay is the same, but every card features vibrant Care Bears artwork. Their asset library is vast, allowing us to include a unique image on every card. This also allowed us to move the game’s age from eight plus down to six plus, since reading comprehension is no longer really required.

You also have a game on the way based on Miraculous. What makes this show ripe for the tabletop treatment?
Miraculous is a franchise with a ridiculously deep lore and a dedicated fan base that extends far beyond the core demographic. The Miraculous mythology is rich with colourful characters, action-packed situations, intrigue, romance and adventure. We wanted to capture the excitement, heroics and character interactions that fans of Miraculous have come to expect.

The game we’re developing is a fast-playing family racing game featuring the most popular characters from the show. Players race to get to the top of the iconic Eiffel Tower – it’s as much a character in the show as any of the humans! There’s a bit of hand management, a bit of ‘take that’ and a whole lot of fun!

Your HISTORY range has enjoyed success with regional editions. Is this a good example of how Dyce engages with big name brands that aren’t necessarily obvious for the gaming space?
Absolutely! Everyone seems to love and engage with the HISTORY brand in their own way – but it universally generates good feelings. We launched an Australian Edition in Fall 2024 and there’s a new UK Edition coming this year. The game’s been such a success that we added two new games to our HISTORY range – HISTORY Through the Years and HISTORY Facts & Stats. Both games share a core gameplay mechanic but feature completely different content – and they can be played either cooperatively or competitively.

What’s the key to successful creative collaborations with brands?
The key to immerse yourself in the brand’s mythology so that your product can truly encapsulate the essence of the property. What is it about the brand that the fans love? If you can capture that, you are on the right path. Games that respect the brand’s core fans and feel authentic… That’s what we’re after. It’s what we believe leads to successful, long-lasting creative collaborations.

Sometimes it’s highlighting the colours and positivity of a brand like Care Bears, sometimes it’s giving players an opportunity to feel like they’re part of the brand’s world like Miraculous… Other times, it’s just capturing the right ‘vibe’ as we have with the HISTORY brand.

Away from licensed titles, can you talk us through some other launches?
There’s lots of things to be excited about in terms on Dyce originals! The fifth entry in our flagship ‘Bad’ series of adult party games, Bad Judgement, is in the pipeline. It’s my favourite in the series… It features a really neat ‘pyramid’ card layout and some of the funniest content we’ve ever written.

We also have two new drinking games in the works. One is dead-simple, the other has a clever bidding and bluffing mechanic that we’ve never seen in a drinking game before. There’s also a dedicated couples version of First to Worst coming out in Spring 2025. That features a twist on our family base game and a ton of engaging couples-centric content. It also boasts a more grown-up visual style that sets it apart from the original, while also making it clear that it’s part of the same series. We’ve got a lot of exciting stuff in the works for 2025 and beyond!

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