The Knuffies - a tower full of plush challenges

Schmidt Spiele - February 2021

In the spring, Schmidt Spiele is launching a new action game of a very special kind on the German market that brings play, fun and cuddly amusement: Die Knuffies. That the Berlin-based company has a good nose for board games has been known not only since the 2020 balance sheet figures were published: the medium-sized company was able to achieve a 37% increase in sales in this category compared to the previous year.

The Knuffies - potential to be the next gaming darling?
Yes, it does. The game, which will be available in spring 2021, is simple to understand and self-explanatory - and that's precisely why it's so much fun: players simply have to stack colorful balls on top of each other - a child's game - or is it? It would be, if gravity didn't keep bringing down the players' fluffy tower. Two to four players must prove their steady hand in this colorful action game and repeatedly move the Knuffies to higher positions within the tower without letting them tumble out or even causing the tower to collapse. Because then the other players are happy and emerge as the winner of the rousing game play.

"When Wolfgang Warsch, with whom we have been working very successfully and for a long time, introduced us to Die Knuffies, we didn't have to think twice about including the game in our range. We were immediately enthusiastic about it, and the fun of playing it gripped us straight away. Games and puzzles will continue to be an important pastime for families in 2021, so we expect that Die Knuffies will quickly find a large fan base. Play, fun and action are the ingredients that make this game successful. We hope that by the time the market launches, all brick-and-mortar retailers will also be able to reopen, so that our shoppers can take the game home directly in conjunction with a shopping experience." Axel Kaldenhoven, CEO, Schmidt Spiele GmbH, is delighted with the new product in the games publisher's range.

Defeat gravity one ball at a time.
That's exactly what the feather-light action game Knuffies for two to four - or more - players ages six and up is all about. The players change the position of plush balls that are arranged in a tower. However, absolute tact is required. Once the tower has started to move, the game is over. The game begins when the first player carefully pulls a Knuffi out of the tower with tweezers or his own fingers and places it in a higher position. Color cards tell the players which Knuffi they can move. However, extreme caution is required when pulling out and inserting. Each ball that falls out makes it more difficult for the player to reinsert a Knuffie. For example, a player may only be able to grasp the ball with his index and middle fingers, or he may have to cover his eyes when putting it down. The game ends as soon as one player brings the tower down completely. The other players then emerge as the joint winners of the game.

"The appeal of the game lies in the uncertainty as to whether the next ball will bring down the tower or hit a fellow player. No matter how cleverly you choose a ball and use your intuition to re-position it, you can't completely control it. Therefore, the game provides moments of suspense round after round. And at the same time, you're always wondering how this tower of balls can still stand," explains Wolfgang Warsch, the well-known game designer from Austria, the fun of his new game.

How it all began...
"About two years ago, I discovered the little fluffy balls in a craft store and saw the potential for a game in them. For more than a year, I experimented a bit with them and tried different approaches, but they didn't make a coherent game at first. It wasn't until I put it in a measuring cup and saw that you could build a stable tower with it that the development took its course. From then on, it took another few months until the rules were finalized and the game was ready.“ Warsch summarized the beginning of the game development. Wie alles begann…
„Vor etwa zwei Jahren haben ich in einem Bastelgeschäft die kleinen flauschigen Bälle entdeckt und das Potenzial für ein Spiel darin gesehen. Über ein Jahr habe ich dann ein bisschen damit herumexperimentiert und verschiedene Ansätze ausprobiert, die aber zunächst kein stimmiges Spiel ergeben haben. Erst als ich sie dann in einen Messbecher gesteckt hatte und sah, dass man damit einen stabilen Turm bauen kann, nahm die Entwicklung seinen Lauf. Von da an hat es noch mal einige Monate gedauert, bis die Regeln final und das Spiel fertig war.“ resümierte Warsch den Beginn der Spiele-Entwicklung.

He is also pleased about the cooperation with Schmidt Spiele: "I have been working with Schmidt Spiele for a long time, because many of my games have already been successfully published there. And CMYK Games, which has the game under the name "The Fuzzies" for USA in the assortment, also has an ongoing partnership with the publisher with the party game "Perfect Match". So it was only natural to offer them "The Knuffies" for German distribution as well."

Marketing through TV and social media
Towards the end of the year, just in time for the Christmas shopping season, there will be a big TV campaign with fun content that matches the game. In addition, the game will also be prominently promoted through social media, including on Instagram and Facebook channels.