Two queens and their court arrive at Veyre-Monton

Two Queens and their court arrive at Veyre-Monton

🐝 A sweet new chapter for Blackrock Games

In May, the Veyre-Monton warehouse welcomed two new residents—buzzing with energy and royal flair. Under the banner of its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) program, Blackrock Games officially installed two new beehives, joining those previously set up by passionate employees. The project embodies the company’s commitment to environmental actions and employee engagement in meaningful causes.

🌱 A Project Rooted in Passion

The initiative began humbly with two nature-loving employees: Tony, our graphic designer, and Nicolas, our sales administrator. Both had been tending beehives privately for several years and were searching for a new home for their colonies.

“ We’d had hives for a few years, but no place to put them ”, explains Tony. “ Blackrock Games let us set them up next to the Veyre-Monton warehouse, and little by little the whole team got excited. At our last seminar, the proposal to create official company hives received unanimous support ”.

“ We also knew many of our colleagues cared deeply about the environment. This project gave them a concrete way to get involved ”, adds Nicolas.

Now, with two hives housing approximately 70,000 bees each, the passion has become a shared journey. Employees drop by the “ royal apiary ” as their schedules and curiosity allow, witnessing firsthand the lifecycle of these extraordinary creatures

🍯 A Honey-Sweet Outcome

Tony likens watching the bees to tending a life-sized Tamagotchi—a throwback for the nostalgic. Nicolas laughs and confesses his love for honey sparked his initial interest: “We used to pay someone a percentage of the honey to care for our hives… then we thought, why not do it ourselves?”

With good harvests, up to 40 kg of honey could be produced annually. The goal? To offer each employee—and a few select partners—a personalized jar of Blackrock Games honey. But with nature’s unpredictability, the priority remains clear: protecting the bees.

🌍 More Than Just Beekeeping: A Purpose-Driven Initiative

This project is just one facet of Blackrock Games’ broader CSR vision, aimed at making a lasting impact through:

🌸 Promoting biodiversity: Nearly 90% of wild flowering plants globally rely on animal pollination. Bees—both wild and domestic—play a vital role in ensuring environmental balance and food security.

🛡️ Protecting bees: Threats such as the Varroa mite, Asian hornets, pesticide use, and dwindling floral resources endanger bee populations.

🇫🇷 Supporting French beekeeping: Corporate beekeeping directly aids in the survival of local bee colonies and strengthens the apiculture sector.

💡 Raising awareness: Engaging employees with environmental causes fosters responsibility, education, and shared values across the organization.

At Blackrock Games, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a living, humming reality. And while the queens reign quietly inside their hives, their courtiers (and curious coworkers) stand proudly behind them, turning sweet ideas into golden results.

THE OFFICE

The office

Our new warehouse is located at 6 rue Edme-Mariotte, 63960 VEYRE-MONTON. We moved in at the end of 2022.

The Warehouse

Everything is now on a larger scale in the warehouse. We now have 2,500 meters of racks (spread over 4 levels) to organize the 2,500 m² of space, allowing us to store up to 2,800 pallets. The packaging area is also more spacious, covering 300 m².

Finally, 4 unloading docks are now available for transporters.

The Offices

A total of 300 m² of office space has been designed, including two open spaces, meeting rooms, and a showroom. A thoughtful design approach was taken to create a layout that aligns with the world of gaming and the identity of Blackrock Games, in collaboration with the talented interior architect Noémie Marnat (2M Conception).

Well-being and Environmental Responsibility

Focusing on longevity, stress management, and employee well-being—particularly through the social aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—has become a priority for the company. In France, labor laws require employers to take care of their employees’ health, highlighting the importance of this issue. With this in mind, we designed the new warehouse to include a gym.

Beyond the social dimension of CSR, Blackrock is committed to environmental preservation while also promoting employee well-being, cohesion, and retention.
Among the initiatives undertaken: solar panels have been installed on the building, and measures have been taken to reduce plastic consumption for outgoing pallets by 33%.
Other daily eco-friendly actions are encouraged. Selective sorting is implemented in both the offices and the warehouse, and a compost bin has been placed near the kitchen. Finally, one of our latest projects is a vegetable garden, which was established in April 2024

Blackrock Games makes its debut at Tokyo Games Market

Blackrock Games makes its debut at Tokyo Games Market : a cultural and creative expedition

On May 17th and 18th, Blackrock Games proudly marked its first appearance at the Tokyo Games Market. More than a simple business trip, this visit was a double mission : to strengthen ties with international partners and immerse in the playful spirit of Japan — an emerging source of inspiration in the board game world.

Japan : a rising star in game design

Over the past 15 years, the Japanese board game scene has emerged from the shadows, attracting European publishers in search of original concepts. From Welcome to the Dungeon (2015) to Trio (2024), pioneers like Matthieu D’Epenoux and Emmanuel Beltrando paved the way. Since then, several publishers have discovered treasures in Tokyo’s vibrant scene, including :

✨ Catch Up Games with Paper Tales (2017)

🎴 Spiral Édition with District Noir (2023)

🧙‍♂️ La Boîte de Jeu with Wizards Cup (2024)

🐙 Bankiiiz Éditions with Cachamot (2025)

Convinced of the market’s potential, Blackrock’s team _Yoann (product strategy), Hervé (export), and Matthieu (localization)_ set off with excitement and returned with clarity : working in Japan requires understanding two key cultural nuances.

Breaking the language barrier

The biggest challenge ? Communication. « We quickly realized we needed someone local to help us truly connect, explains Hervé. We asked one of our publishing partners, Yannick Deplaedt, who’s lived in Japan for over 20 years, to accompany us. Japanese business culture is built on trust—and nuances often get lost in translation. We struggled to express passion and emotions about our catalog in English. But with Yannick interpreting in Japanese, conversations suddenly became warm and enthusiastic ».

The reverse was true too. Testing Japanese games often involved awkwardly translated rules that misrepresented the experience. Being on-site allowed real-time questions and insights directly from the designers—with Yannick as their bridge.

Spotlight on game creators

In Japan, game designers are front and center. The traditional role of a publisher is rare; designers self-produce limited runs (500 to 1,000 copies) and sell directly to distributors.

« You have to spot potential early », Yoann emphasizes. « Most Japanese games require major editorial work-mechanics, visuals, and themes must be reshaped for Western audiences. What may be seen as « kawaii » in Japan might be niche elsewhere. But the market is open, and Japanese designers welcome collaboration. Blackrock was fortunate to have Benoît Bannier (La Boîte de Jeu) on hand to help identify promising leads ».

Card games that bend the rules

So what’s trending in Japan now ? Much like France, minimalist card games are taking center stage. At Tokyo Games Market, small boxes with clever mechanics dominated—mostly trick-taking and discard-style gameplay, priced around €12–€15. « The differences were subtle and smart, says Yoann. Great for experienced players, but harder to market to the general public. Accessibility affects commercial potential ».

Hidden gems unearthed

Was the trip worth it ? Absolutely. Thanks to local partners like Arclight, Hobby Japan, and CMON Japan, as well as inspiring meetups with designers like Kaya Miyano (Trio), Hisashi Hayashi (Bomb Busters), and Geon Il (Jekyll vs Hyde), the Blackrock team narrowed its search to a curated selection—and discovered exciting new gems.

Stay tuned for what’s next because sometimes, the best way to innovate globally… is to start by listening locally.