Final Frontier Games Closes Doors, Leaving Unfulfilled Games

The tabletop gaming community is reeling from the somber news that Final Frontier Games, the Macedonia-based developer behind beloved titles like Merchants Cove and Coloma, is closing its doors after nearly a decade of bringing unique board game experiences to life. The announcement, delivered via a backer update on their Kickstarter projects and subsequently shared on the r/boardgames subreddit, paints a picture of a company succumbing to five years of mounting financial pressures.

This closure sadly leaves three of their crowdfunded projects – Merchants Cove: Master Craft, The Sixth Realm, and a Coloma reprint – unfulfilled, despite a collective backing of a significant $1.39 million. This news is a heavy blow to the backers who eagerly anticipated these games and to the wider community that appreciated Final Frontier Games’ creative vision.

A Perfect Storm of Financial Hardship

In their heartfelt and devastating backer update, Final Frontier Games detailed the precarious financial situation the company has been facing. While cash flow had been tight for some time, the final nail in the coffin appears to have been the collapse of a substantial order for Chinese localized copies of their popular game, Merchants Cove. According to the update, this order, which was crucial for their financial stability, fell through, leaving them unable to fulfill their outstanding Kickstarter obligations.

The post further elaborated on compounding production issues that had been silently eroding their finances behind the scenes. The raw emotion in their words is palpable:

We cannot understate the gravity of the situation and the suddenness of the fall of the company. We are emotionally devastated, sad, we are hurting, we are angry and there is a big hole in our hearts that will take a long time to overcome, if ever. Just recently we were tweaking ads for our next campaign, talking with reviewers, preparing for production on our other games, developing our future projects and entering a distribution partnership with QML, something that we had lacked for 4 years… hoping that the payment will come through.

All our dreams and hopes vanished. 10 families that put food on the table through Final Frontier Games that had stable, creative and good paying jobs are now faced with extreme uncertainty with no financial stability. We are truly living in the darkest timeline.

This poignant statement underscores the human cost of this closure, impacting not only the passionate individuals behind the games but also their families.

Unfulfilled Promises and a Blame Game?

The update also sheds light on the specific event that seems to have triggered this irreversible situation: a significant order from tabletop gaming giant CMON. Final Frontier Games claims that an agreement was in place for CMON to pay 50% of the order cost before production and the remaining 50% upon completion. However, this agreement allegedly shifted to full payment only upon the games being ready for pickup.

Final Frontier Games states they agreed to this revised payment schedule. However, the payment deadline reportedly passed without any contact or payment from CMON, despite multiple attempts to reach them.

At the time of writing, CMON has yet to issue an official statement or comment on these allegations. This silence leaves a significant gap in the narrative and undoubtedly fuels further frustration and speculation within the affected backer community.

A Loss for the Community

The closure of Final Frontier Games is a significant loss for the tabletop gaming community. They were known for their ambitious designs, engaging gameplay, and the dedication of their team. The fact that their journey ends with unfulfilled projects and financial devastation is a stark reminder of the inherent risks involved in crowdfunding and the delicate balance of the board game industry.

Our thoughts go out to the team at Final Frontier Games and the hundreds of backers left in limbo. We hope that some resolution can be found for those who invested their faith and money into these projects. The silence from CMON in the face of these serious allegations is concerning and we hope to see clarity emerge soon.

This news serves as a sobering moment for the tabletop gaming world, highlighting the challenges faced by even established independent developers. We can only hope that lessons are learned and that the community can rally to support those affected by this unfortunate turn of events.