Cheapass Games
An American independent tabletop-game publisher known for inexpensive, component-light designs and print-and-play distribution.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Cheapass Games is an American independent tabletop-game publisher founded by game designer James Ernest in the mid-1990s and associated with Seattle, Washington. The company became distinctive by challenging the conventional packaging model for board and card games. Instead of supplying dice, tokens, play money, or other generic accessories that players often already owned, Cheapass typically sold only the proprietary elements required for a particular design: rules, a printed board, cards, counters, or similarly specialized material. Early products were commonly packed in plain envelopes, small boxes, or resealable plastic bags, with cards sometimes held in inexpensive sleeves made from magazine cutouts. This reduced manufacturing and retail costs while making the company’s products visibly different from mainstream boxed games. The concept grew from James Ernest’s experience as a game designer and freelancer during the 1990s. After an earlier proposal for a low-component game-publishing model was rejected by Wizards of the Coast, Ernest left the company and developed the idea independently. He initially made and assembled games by hand and demonstrated them at trade shows and conventions. Interest from specialty retailers helped turn the experiment into a publishing business, although production runs were generally modest, often reaching no more than several thousand copies for an individual title. Cheapass built its reputation through an unusually broad catalogue rather than through a single mass-market franchise. Its games covered abstract strategy, real-time card play, negotiation, bidding, role-playing themes, parody, zombies, science fiction, wordplay, and adventure. Kill Doctor Lucky, Give Me the Brain, Button Men, Diceland, Unexploded Cow, Brawl, Falling, Lord of the Fries, and The Big Idea are among the better-known designs associated with the label. Some games were later reissued, redesigned, or presented through related James Ernest branding. The company also participated in digital projects, including games developed with Digital Eel and a Button Men application for the iPhone. The business temporarily became less visible in the late 2000s. In 2007, its website announced that the company was effectively in hibernation. Cheapass later returned to active distribution with a digital-first model. Beginning in 2011, the company made many games available as free PDF print-and-play files and invited players to contribute voluntarily. Ernest described the approach as allowing customers to read and test a game before deciding what it was worth, while relying on players to spread and demonstrate the designs. Some releases used a Ransomometer concept that encouraged donations before a title became freely available. Crowdfunding became another important part of the company’s later publishing strategy. A 2012 Kickstarter campaign supported a deluxe edition of Unexploded Cow, followed in 2013 by Deadwood Studios USA, a deluxe version of Deadwood. Additional Kickstarter projects between 2013 and 2018 supported several other titles, including Tak, an abstract strategy game developed by Ernest with author Patrick Rothfuss and inspired by a game described in Rothfuss’s novel The Wise Man’s Fear. In 2019, the catalogue was licensed to Greater Than Games, which also took over sales of existing Cheapass inventory. A retrospective hardcover, Cheapass Games in Black and White, was published in late 2019 with support from 1,867 Kickstarter backers and documented more than 100 games from the company’s history. Greater Than Games was acquired by Flat River Group in 2021. After Greater Than Games was shuttered in 2025 in connection with tariffs, the Cheapass Games rights reverted to James Ernest’s company Crab Fragment Labs. The catalogue subsequently returned to a model that included freely available print-and-play PDFs. Cheapass Games is therefore best understood as a designer-led tabletop brand whose identity rests on affordability, experimental rules, minimal components, direct distribution, and a willingness to test alternative publishing models.
History
Cheapass Games emerged from James Ernest’s attempt to create a more economical way to publish tabletop games. During the 1990s, Ernest developed the idea that many players already possessed standard accessories such as dice, counters, tokens, and play money. A publisher therefore did not always need to include those generic items in every box. When Wizards of the Coast rejected the proposal, Ernest left and established his own company, initially making games by hand and presenting them at conventions and trade shows. Retailer interest provided the basis for small-scale commercial distribution. The company’s early products were deliberately stripped down. Rather than using conventional full-color boxes filled with complete component sets, Cheapass often supplied a rules sheet, a card-stock board, game-specific cards, and other unique pieces in envelopes, small boxes, or resealable bags. This approach lowered costs and supported short production runs, while the unusual presentation became part of the brand’s identity. The company’s designs were not limited to one genre: they included parody games, abstract strategy titles, real-time card games, zombie-themed games, science-fiction concepts, negotiation and bidding systems, and games built around social or physical interaction. Cheapass and Ernest received recognition from the Origins Awards during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Kill Doctor Lucky won the 1997 award for best abstract board game, while Give Me the Brain won the 1997 award for best traditional card game. The Button Men web game received the 2002 award for best play-by-mail game, and Diceland received the 2002 Vanguard Award. The catalogue also generated cultural activity outside the company; in 2004, Beatnik Turtle released an album inspired by Cheapass Games. The company became less active publicly in 2007, when its website stated that Cheapass Games was in hibernation. Activity later resumed under a digital distribution model. From 2011, many games were made available as free PDF files for players to print themselves. Instead of setting a fixed retail price, the company encouraged voluntary contributions, sometimes using a Ransomometer to suggest a donation level before a game was released. This model extended the original affordability philosophy into digital distribution and allowed prospective players to inspect and try games before paying. Kickstarter became central to several later projects. Unexploded Cow received a deluxe reprint through a 2012 campaign, followed by Deadwood Studios USA in 2013. Nine additional Cheapass projects were produced with Kickstarter support between 2013 and 2018. One notable project was Tak, an abstract strategy game developed by James Ernest with Patrick Rothfuss and based on a fictional game described in The Wise Man’s Fear. The company’s history was collected in the 628-page book Cheapass Games in Black and White, published in 2019 after a campaign backed by 1,867 people. In 2019, Greater Than Games licensed the Cheapass Games catalogue and assumed sales of existing inventory. Greater Than Games was acquired by Flat River Group in 2021. The distributor was later shuttered in 2025 in connection with tariffs, after which the Cheapass Games rights reverted to Crab Fragment Labs, the company associated with James Ernest. The catalogue then again included freely available print-and-play material. Cheapass Games’ historical significance lies less in conventional scale than in its combination of low-cost manufacturing, experimental design, direct community support, crowdfunding, and open digital access.
- 2025
Rights revert to Crab Fragment Labs
[1]Following the closure of Greater Than Games, Cheapass Games rights returned to James Ernest’s company, Crab Fragment Labs.
- 2019
Greater Than Games licensing arrangement
[1]Greater Than Games licensed the catalogue and took over sales of Cheapass Games inventory.
- 2019
Catalogue retrospective published
[1]Cheapass Games in Black and White documented 22 years and more than 100 games in a large hardcover volume.
- 2013
Deadwood deluxe edition
[1]Kickstarter supported Deadwood Studios USA, a deluxe version of Deadwood.
- 2012
First Cheapass Kickstarter project
[1]A campaign funded a deluxe reprint of Unexploded Cow.
- 2011
Free print-and-play model begins
[1]The company resumed updates and distributed many games as free PDFs supported by voluntary donations.
- 2007
Website announces hibernation
[1]Cheapass publicly described itself as entering a period of hibernation.
- 2002
Further Origins recognition
[1]The Button Men web game received the best play-by-mail game award, while Diceland received the Origins Vanguard Award.
- 1997
Origins Awards recognition
[1]Kill Doctor Lucky won the Origins Award for best abstract board game, and Give Me the Brain won the award for best traditional card game.
- 1995
Company founded
[1]James Ernest established Cheapass Games after pursuing a low-component publishing model independently of Wizards of the Coast.
Products and positioning
Independent, low-cost, designer-led tabletop gaming with minimalist components, inventive mechanics, and accessible print-and-play distribution.
Board game · 1996
Kill Doctor Lucky
A comic deduction and movement game in which players attempt to eliminate Doctor Lucky without being seen by the other players. Its hidden-line-of-sight structure and humorous premise made it one of Cheapass Games’ signature designs. The game received the 1997 Origins Award for best abstract board game and later inspired related Doctor Lucky titles.
Dice and card game
Button Men
A compact competitive game built around character buttons and dice. Players use dice combinations associated with individual button characters to attack and capture an opponent’s pieces. The system was issued in multiple sets, adapted into a web game, and later received an iPhone application. Its web version won the 2002 Origins Award for best play-by-mail game.
Card game
Give Me the Brain
A humorous card game about zombies trying to perform jobs while competing for possession of a brain. The design exemplifies Cheapass Games’ preference for simple components, quick play, and comic themes. It won the 1997 Origins Award for best traditional card game and became part of a broader group of zombie-themed games, including Lord of the Fries and The Great Brain Robbery.
Collectible cardboard dice game
Diceland
A collectible game using cardboard dice or dice-like pieces, combining collection, positioning, and tactical play. The unusual physical format reflected Cheapass Games’ interest in replacing expensive conventional components with inexpensive, distinctive materials. Diceland received the Origins Vanguard Award in 2002.
Board game
Unexploded Cow
A comic strategy game involving cows, bomb fields, and movement across a dangerous landscape. It was among the company’s earlier catalogue titles and later became the subject of Cheapass Games’ first Kickstarter project, which funded a deluxe reprint in 2012.
Abstract strategy game
Tak
An abstract strategy game developed by James Ernest in collaboration with Patrick Rothfuss. The design was inspired by the fictional game described in Rothfuss’s novel The Wise Man’s Fear. Players build and connect structures while attempting to create a continuous path, giving the game a concise ruleset with substantial strategic depth.
Card game
Lord of the Fries
A zombie-themed card game centered on assembling fast-food orders. It belongs to the Friedey’s family of Cheapass Games and combines hand management with parody and take-that interaction.
Real-time card game
Brawl
A fast real-time card game in which players act simultaneously rather than taking conventional turns. Its speed-focused design illustrates the company’s willingness to depart from standard board-game pacing and component conventions.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Cheapass Games in Black and White
International crowdfunding
A Kickstarter campaign supported a large retrospective volume covering the company’s first 22 years and more than 100 games.
Outcome. The 628-page hardcover book was published with support from 1,867 backers.
- 2013Deadwood Studios USA
International crowdfunding
A Kickstarter campaign supported a deluxe version of the earlier game Deadwood, renamed Deadwood Studios USA.
Outcome. The deluxe edition was produced.
- 2013Later Cheapass Games Kickstarter projects
International crowdfunding
Cheapass Games ran additional Kickstarter projects between 2013 and 2018, supporting nine more games, including Tak.
Outcome. The projects supported production of additional catalogue titles.
- 2012Unexploded Cow Deluxe Reprint
International crowdfunding
Cheapass Games used Kickstarter to fund a deluxe reprint of Unexploded Cow, demonstrating a shift toward direct community-backed production.
Outcome. The deluxe edition was produced.
Brand decisions
2025
Return catalogue rights to Crab Fragment LabsStrategyBackground
Greater Than Games was shuttered following its ownership by Flat River Group and the effects of tariffs.
Action taken
Rights to the Cheapass Games catalogue reverted to James Ernest’s company, Crab Fragment Labs.
Aftermath
Many catalogue games became available again in free print-and-play PDF form.
2019
License catalogue to Greater Than GamesM&ABackground
Cheapass Games sought an external publishing and sales arrangement for its catalogue and existing inventory.
Action taken
Greater Than Games acquired a publishing license and took over sales of Cheapass Games inventory.
Aftermath
The catalogue was distributed through Greater Than Games until rights reverted in 2025 after that company’s closure.
2011
Adopt free PDF print-and-play distributionStrategyBackground
The company returned from its inactive period while seeking a lower-cost and more direct way to distribute games.
Action taken
Cheapass Games released many games as downloadable PDFs and asked players to make voluntary payments if they valued the designs.
Aftermath
The model reinforced the brand’s affordability philosophy and allowed players to test games before contributing.
Recent events
- 2025
Cheapass Games rights return to James Ernest’s company[1]
M&A
After Greater Than Games was shuttered, rights to the Cheapass Games catalogue reverted to Crab Fragment Labs, James Ernest’s company.
- 2019
Greater Than Games licenses the Cheapass Games catalogue[1]
M&A
Greater Than Games announced a licensing arrangement covering publication of Cheapass Games products and sales of existing inventory.
- 2019
Cheapass Games in Black and White retrospective is published[1]
Product launch · Campaign
A 628-page hardcover retrospective documenting the company’s catalogue was published with support from 1,867 Kickstarter backers.
- 2013
Deadwood Studios USA is funded through Kickstarter[1]
Campaign · Product generation
A Kickstarter campaign supported a deluxe edition of the earlier Cheapass title Deadwood.
- 2012
Unexploded Cow receives a deluxe Kickstarter edition[1]
Campaign · Product generation
Cheapass Games used Kickstarter to fund a deluxe reprint of Unexploded Cow.
- 2011
Cheapass Games adopts free print-and-play distribution[1]
Other
The publisher resumed activity with a model in which many games were released as downloadable PDFs and players were invited to make voluntary payments.
- 2007
Cheapass Games begins a period of hibernation[1]
Other
The company stopped regularly updating its website and described itself as being in a period of hibernation.
Sources1 sources
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