# Garphill Games

Garphill Games is a New Zealand-based independent board game publisher founded by Shem Phillips in 2009. Originally started as a passion project, Garphill Games is known for its historically-themed games. The company operates out of the Kāpiti Coast and often uses Kickstarter for initial funding.

## History and founding

Garphill Games was founded by Shem Phillips, who initially viewed game design as a hobby. The first game published under Garphill was "Linwood" in 2009, a simple roll-and-move exploration game. Phillips transitioned to full-time game design in 2017, largely enabled by Kickstarter becoming available in New Zealand, which allowed him to reach a broader audience. Phillips' games are often thematically rich and combine historical themes with various game mechanics.
The company name, Garphill, is a combination of Phillips' father's name, Gary Phillips and the company logo is a robin after his mother's middle name.

## Games and success

Garphill Games has gained recognition for several of its titles, especially the North Sea and West Kingdom trilogies. "Raiders of the North Sea" was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres Kennerspiel (Connoisseur's Game of the Year) award, one of the major accolades in the board gaming world. This recognition helped establish the company's credibility within the international market.
The West Kingdom Trilogy, designed in collaboration with Sam Macdonald, has been one of Garphill's most notable projects. The three titles—"Architects of the West Kingdom", "Paladins of the West Kingdom", and "Viscounts of the West Kingdom"—received significant support through Kickstarter campaigns, with "Viscounts" raising over $1.3 million NZD from nearly 8,000 backers in 2020. The trilogy has been published in multiple languages, expanding its international reach.
In 2022, the company began work on the South Tigris series, which continues Garphill's focus on historical themes with intricate mechanics. The first two titles, "Wayfarers of the South Tigris" and "Scholars of the South Tigris", involve exploration, dice placement, and translation of ancient scrolls, respectively, drawing inspiration from the Abbasid Caliphate and the House of Wisdom.

## Crowdfunding and business model

Kickstarter has played a key role in Garphill Games' growth. Phillips initially used the platform to raise funds, allowing him to transition from producing games locally to distributing them internationally. The company's first major hit through Kickstarter was "Shipwrights of the North Sea", which highlighted board gaming's commercial potential for Phillips.
Phillips has a hands-on approach, designing, publishing, and marketing the games largely on his own. In recent years, he has expanded his team, notably working with Sam Macdonald as a co-designer. Macdonald, based in Lower Hutt, joined Garphill around the West Kingdom series and transitioned to full-time game design by 2020.

## Design Philosophy and Production

Phillips' games have complex gameplay and thematic elements. The games often involve worker placement, card management, or dice placement mechanics, tailored to suit the theme of each game. "Raiders of the North Sea", for example, blends its raiding theme with a unique worker placement mechanism that requires players to place and remove workers each turn.
Garphill's games are produced with a focus on quality materials, such as wooden and metal components. Art plays a significant role in the company's games, with a consistent visual style that complements the gameplay. Phillips collaborates with artists like Mihajlo Dimitrievski (a.k.a. The Mico) and Sam Phillips, his brother.

## Community and market impact

Garphill Games is a significant player in the independent tabletop scene in New Zealand and internationally. The company's success has encouraged other local designers to pursue board game creation, and Phillips is an advocate for growing New Zealand's tabletop community. He actively participates in local game design meetups and supports initiatives to help new designers enter the market.
Despite its growth, Garphill remains a small operation. Phillips has expressed that while expansion is possible, he values being directly involved in every part of the process—from design to production—and prefers this level of control over becoming a large-scale publisher. As of 2023, Phillips noted the growing competition in New Zealand but highlighted opportunities for new entrants, particularly in areas like game distribution and crowdfunding support.

## Awards and recognition

Garphill Games has received recognition for its innovative game designs. Notably:
* Spiel des Jahres Kennerspiel nomination for "Raiders of the North Sea".
* "Legacy of Yu" won the best solo game of 2023 award from The Dice Tower, BoardGameGeek (Golden Geek Award) and Origins Game Fair.
* Three of its games have consistently ranked among the top 100 board games globally, according to popular board game ranking platforms like BoardGameGeek.

## Selected games

* Raiders of the North Sea (2015) – Kennerspiel des Jahres nominee.
* Architects of the West Kingdom (2018)
* Paladins of the West Kingdom (2019)
* Viscounts of the West Kingdom (2020)
* Wayfarers of the South Tigris (2022)
* Scholars of the South Tigris (2023)
* Legacy of Yu (2023)