INVEST IN 1985 GAMES TODAY!
A Better Way to Game in Real-Time
$91,070.62 Raised
REASONS TO INVEST
Hobby game sales jumped one-third in 2021, the second year of Covid-altered retailing, according to ICv2 market size estimates. Sales for the category were $2.69 billion, up from $2.03 billion in 2020. Every subcategory of hobby games is up.*
Our revenue has grown by 142%, reaching $1.54 million in 2021. Gamers around the globe can find our products online, at numerous conventions, and in over 100 brick-and-mortar stores across the USA, UK, EU, and Australia.
We have an established community of 15,000 + Kickstarter backers with which we have collectively raised $1.3 million dollars in the past few years.
the pitch
1985 Games was co-founded by serial entrepreneurs Lenny Gotter and Jeremiah Crofton after the two bonded in their struggle to find good gaming supplies for their table. Today, we boast 6 different product lines and a crowd-funded ethos of the community. Catering to an active, TTRPG consumer, 1985 Games delivers a collection of products that are easy to use, affordable, and make for a more entertaining, and engaging style of gameplay. Our revenue has grown by 142%, reaching $1.54 million in 2021. We previously raised $1.3 million through Kickstarter, and now we are ready to expand our reach online and in brick-and-mortar stores around the world.
Overview
Unleashing Imaginative Gameplay with Tabletop Accessories
As a new generation of players fuels the explosion in popularity for TTRPGs, we provide them with the tools to play at a whole new level. Our collection of products such as our books, journals, and miniatures provide a vivid, exciting, and accessible gaming experience. Most recently, we successfully launched our Video Cassette Dice, our line of nostalgic dice based on classic '80s-themed video cassettes which now accounts for 15% of our total sales in 2022. With over 50 SKUs available online and in over 100 stores across the world, we are now ready to grow more than ever.
The Problem & Our solution
Filling the Gaps
The TTRPG space has grown rapidly in the past decade. New games, rulesets, and expansions hit the market every year, keeping the community entertained and expanding.
What these major companies fail to do is create the tools and accessories needed to make these TTRPGs run smoothly. This limits players in their ability to run certain types of games or even play the base game effectively. Our products bring both functionality and freedom to help gamers expand their vision and imagination.
We have taken it upon ourselves to build out tools that we, as players, so desperately want. Tools such as our Dungeon Craft series, which allows players to build out immersive and interactive battle maps, or our Dungeon Notes line which lets players keep track of their character and the world around them.
Games like Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder provide you with the rules and a system to play the game. At 1985 Games, we aim to give you the tricks and tools to make the game more entertaining and easier to play. That’s why nearly all of our products are system agnostic, meaning they can be easily used with any game system. Additionally, we’ve diversified our product lines to support a wider audience within the community.
If you play a TTRPG, we've made it very hard for you not to be interested in at least one of our products.
the market & Our Traction
Proven Customer Enthusiasm in a Fast-Growing Market
The tabletop gaming industry has experienced a major boom in popularity over the last 8 years, with the release of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. The demographic for these games has experienced a major shift, trending from its older audience down to the current majority of 18-35 year old players, and we are here to capture their imagination and elevate their gameplay.
The rate at which new players are joining the community is extraordinary. This massive growth can be attributed to many factors, but most would claim that it is the popularity of shows like Stranger Things or the Critical Role Twitch stream and subsequent television series that have brought on this major change.
With this market shift, leading companies such as Hasbro (parent company of Wizards of the Coast, and owners of Dungeons & Dragons) are pushing full force in the growth of the industry, and it is plain to see that it's working. Wizards of the Coast booked $952 million in tabletop game sales in 2021, powering the company to over $1 billion in total sales for the first time ever. As impressive as this is, this is just one of the many companies growing the tabletop market and we plan to grow with it.
Recently, we have achieved the following milestones:
- In 2022, we developed strategic collaborations with other premium brands within the TTRPG space, such as Hit Point Press, Norse Foundry, Zealot Miniatures, and Hunters Entertainment.
- We grew from 14 retail locations in 2021 to over 100 in 2022 in just half a year, with no signs of slowing down.
- We launched and grew our brand ambassador program to include over 70 ambassadors in less than 6 months!
- Featured on the incredibly popular Critical Role twitch stream, as well as Critical Role’s Talks Machina. Additionally, we’ve been featured in articles from Nerdist, Games Geek News, and more.
A Relatable eCommerce Tabletop Brand with Expanding Distribution and a Strategic Business-to-Business Wing
We continue to experience high growth thanks to our community-driven marketing plan. Our collaboration with content creators, ambassadors, and other brands has allowed us to expand our audience on regular bases, which in return has seen a large growth in eCommerce sales through our website and Amazon.com.
Our shift in retail strategy in early 2022 has seen our number of retail locations grow by more than 6x in the last year. Accompanied by the addition of new distributors and dedicated sales members we see wholesale becoming an integral part of our business model in the very near future.
Collaboration between us and other brands in the tabletop space has been incredibly lucrative. This branch of our business allows us to tap into new audiences through design, creation and manufacturing for other companies.
We are not only a gaming company but, also an authentic and engaging social media brand. Our multi-faceted marketing strategy uses digital media platforms to engage our community through useful or comedic content.
Why Invest
Join the Renaissance of Tabletop Gaming
1985 Games is poised for major growth in the next few years. As we expand, we plan to double the number of trade shows we attend each year and continue the development of our B2B sales through projected development and the creation for other companies. Finally, we plan to grow our team and our marketing budget to reach the millions of tabletop gamers and the 8,000+ retail stores we see as potential clients – eventually expanding beyond that and into large chain stores.
Join us as we bring a better gaming experience to TTRPG players everywhere.
ABOUT
HEADQUARTERS
1319 SE ML King Blvd., Ste. 210
Portland , OR 97214
WEBSITE
View Site
1985 Games is a Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) company elevating the player experience currently available in brick and mortar stores in 31 states and 4 different countries — with worldwide e-commerce and expanding distribution, both domestic and abroad.
TEAM
Lenny Gotter
President, CEO, and Director
Jeremiah Crofton
Creative Director, Secretary, and Director
Justus Hughes
Operations Manager
Kym Albro
Digital Marketing Strategist
Benjamin Bennett
Sales Manager
Shelby Ann Davis
Content Strategist
Christopher Jayawardena
Lead Videographer
Brittani-Pearl Eaton-Koch
Advisor
Chris R. Rappley
Advisor
TERMS
1985 Games
Overview
PRICE PER SHARE
$5
DEADLINE
Jul 4, 2023
VALUATION
$15.8M
FUNDING GOAL
$10k - $1.24M
Breakdown
MIN INVESTMENT
$250
MAX INVESTMENT
$1,235,000
MIN NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
2,000
MAX NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
247,000
OFFERING TYPE
Equity
SHARES OFFERED
Common Stock
Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares
*Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares. See Bonus info below.
Investment Incentives and Bonuses*
Time-Based:
VIP Early Birds
Invest within the first 72 hours and receive 15% bonus shares.
Early Bird Bonus
Invest within the first 2 weeks and receive 5% bonus shares.
Amount-Based:
$250+ | 1st Tier
Invest $250+ and receive 1 exclusive 1985 Games owner pin, 1 Vandalism Fun Pack, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, and an ownership certificate.
$500+ | 2nd Tier
Invest $500+ and receive 1 exclusive 1985 Games owner pin, 1 Vandalism Fun Pack, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, 1 exclusive 1985 Games playmat/mouse pad, and an ownership certificate.
$1,000+ | 3rd Tier
Invest $1000+ and receive 1 exclusive 1985 Games owner pin, 1 Vandalism Fun Pack, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, 1 exclusive 1985 Games playmat/mouse pad, 15% off our website for 1 year, and an ownership certificate.
$2,500+ | 4th Tier
Invest $2,500+ and receive 1 exclusive 1985 Games owner pin, 1 Vandalism Fun Pack, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, 1 exclusive 1985 Games playmat/mouse pad, 6 month Mystery Dice Subscription, 20% off our website for 1 year, and an ownership certificate.
$5,000+ | 5th Tier
Invest $5,000+ and receive all previous physical rewards, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, 20% off our website for 1 year, and an invite to a convention game night with the 1985 Games Crew.
$10,000+ | 6th Tier
Invest $10,000+ and receive all previous physical rewards, 20% off our website for 1 year, and the opportunity to design a custom character alongside the creative team at 1985 Games for future products.
$25,000+ | 7th Tier
Invest $25,000+ and receive all previous physical rewards, 20% off our website for 1 year, and the opportunity to design a custom character and resin miniature alongside the creative team at 1985 Games for future products.
$50,000+ | 8th Tier
Invest $50,000+ and receive all previous physical rewards, 30% off our website for 1 year. 1985 Games Dinner + 1 with Lenny & Jeremiah (Owners)* + 1 hour Facility Tour.
*In order to receive perks from an investment, one must submit a single investment in the same offering that meets the minimum perk requirement. Bonus shares from perks will not be granted if an investor submits multiple investments that, when combined, meet the perk requirement. All perks occur when the offering is completed.
The 10% StartEngine Owners' Bonus
1985 Games, Inc. will offer 10% additional bonus shares for all investments that are committed by investors that are eligible for the StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc. OWNer's bonus.
This means eligible StartEngine shareholders will receive a 10% bonus for any shares they purchase in this offering. For example, if you buy 100 shares of Common Stock at $5.00 / share, you will receive 110 shares of Common Stock, meaning you'll own 110 shares for $500. Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share.
This 10% Bonus is only valid during the investor's eligibility period. Investors eligible for this bonus will also have priority if they are on a waitlist to invest and the company surpasses its maximum funding goal. They will have the first opportunity to invest should room in the offering become available if prior investments are canceled or fail.
Investors will receive the highest single bonus they are eligible for among the bonuses based on the amount invested and time of offering elapsed (if any). Eligible investors will also receive the Owner’s Bonus in addition to the aforementioned bonus.
PRESS
ALL UPDATES
05.15.23
Mox Boarding House Spotlight: 1985 Games
Mox Boarding house has three locations in Oregon & Washington and in May 1985 Games is the featured vendor! We produced custom VHS dice and custom Mystery Dice:
Check out the article:
05.15.23
Notice of Material Change in Offering
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello! Recently, a change was made to the 1985 Games offering. Here's an excerpt describing the specifics of the change:
1985 Games extended their campaign end date
When live offerings undergo changes like these on StartEngine, the SEC requires that certain investments be reconfirmed. If your investment requires reconfirmation, you will be contacted by StartEngine via email with further instructions.
05.13.23
Role 4 Inspiration the power of D&D and Kids
1985 Games has made many donations to this non profit. I asked Jordan to explain how role playing games, Dungeon and Dragons in particular has been an amazing tool for working with kids. Here is what he had to say:
Dungeons & Dragons is one of the greatest tools to incorporate into social and cognitive learning. Through intentional story-telling, character-building, and problematic scenarios, children are forced to adapt and make intentional choices for the benefit of self and others. D&D brings about confidence to the tools kids must have in the real world.With the younglings who battle social anxiety, a Dungeon Master would target more social engagement with NPCs to practice communicative and flexible thinking skills. The adventurer would have to develop new social and interactive skills, which may be weak in the real world. Practice, practice, practice.
Also, youth at younger ages (middle school and early high school) haven’t fully developed predictable-thinking skills, which is another way of saying thinking ahead about the consequences that come from their specific choices. They will experience positive and negative consequences that impact their character and the clan. This will help them realize that rash and reactive decisions will need to change by the use of impulse control skills.
For adventurers that battle Depression or ADHD, character-building is their focus. D&D starts with ‘who are you’ or even better ‘who do you want to be’. The character-building and role-playing, if staff pay close attention, gives us the bread crumbs of who the adventurer really is in real life - identity, character traits, qualities. This will help the adventurer build self-confidence, and later over time they will develop of sense of self-worth because they will start improving their role-playing and thinking for the sake of themselves and others.
Truthfully, D&D has been one of the greatest antidotes for mental health. It brings in good and healthy brains chemicals. It’s a video game for the mind but without the use of electronics, a world of escape and rescue for a child’s imagination.
They learn to talk about stories and creatures instead of the drama of the real world. They begin to think and plan and organize with their clansmen in the real world as they prepare for another adventure or campaign.
Children with Autism make friends, experience good feelings around people, they can recognize the value of socializing and relationships.
Role 4 Inspiration makes impacts every campaign. We help the youth process through trauma, anxiety, fear, and insecurities.
The only ‘must have quality’ is the DM must understand HOW to use D&D appropriately when helping youth with these direct cognitive, social, and emotional barriers. It’s not just a game to some people. We want a surgeon to do surgery, and the same thing goes for this - we want a DM with mental health knowledge and skills to help a specific type of adventurer. I’ve seen harm come to youth from negligent DMs. We must nurture the brain of the youth, because their minds are vulnerable and fragile.
To therapists, it’s drama and social therapy. To a caseworker or treatment counselor it’s a social and support group. The world-building and character creation must be made around the struggles of the adventurers. We are guides through their journey of healing and mental well-being.
Jordan
Social Media @role4inspiration
05.11.23
GAMA was a big success!
With a considerable increase in attendance compared to 2022, GAMA 2023 was a huge success. Not only were our products well received by attendees, but we also attracted the attention of many retail store owners. We are already receiving orders for our wholesale program! Following our success, we are doubling the size of our booth for 2024!
05.09.23
Canada B2B sales up 230% in Q1
With a focus on direct-reach email campaigns, Benjamin Bennett, our wholesale coordinator, has been relentlessly working to improve our bulk sales. And his hard work is paying off! In particular, Lion Rampant, our distribution partner in Canada, recorded $2694 in 2022 Q1 sales and $6462 in 2023 Q1. That is an increase of 231%!
05.05.23
Upcoming Q&A Webinars!
Our campaign has been live for over a month now and we are beyond grateful for everyone who has supported us so far. It's an exciting time to be part of 1985 Games! If you're thinking about investing but have some questions (or if you're new to our campaign and just want to know more), we'd love to have you join us for a webinar on the subject. 1985 Games CEO & Co-Founder, Lenny Gotter, and Vice President & Co-Founder, Jeremiah Crofton, will guide you through our expansion projects and answer questions about the campaign. Space is limited and registration is required to receive the Zoom link to attend. See below for webinar dates and registration.
Note: Both webinars will contain the same content, so we recommend signing up for one or the either as space is limited.
Webinar #1: Wednesday, May 9 at 4pm PST - Click here to register.
Webinar #2: Wednesday, May 23 at 11am PST - Click here to register.
Got questions? Bring 'em on! Please submit your questions under the "Discussion" tab on our campaign page. Due to SEC requirements, we must ensure that all potential investors have access to the same information, so we'll respond directly in the comment section. Be sure to let us know which webinar you plan to attend when submitting your questions so we can address them during the webinar.
Can't make it? Not to worry! We will record each webinar and share the full recordings afterwards on our Youtube channel. We'll follow up with viewing links after each webinar via our newsletter and campaign updates. You're still welcome to submit questions on our campaign page at any time.
Help us spread the word! If you know someone who may be interested in attending a webinar, please feel free to pass along this message and share the registration links.
Thank you and we look forward to receiving your questions at the webinar!
- 1985 games
05.02.23
See us at GAMA
We are the Game Manufactures Association trade show in Reno this week. GAMA EXPO is a B2B show and we are having meetings with retail stores, distributors and manufacturers all week. Attendance appears to be way up from 2021.
04.27.23
Notice of Material Change in Offering
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello! Recently, a change was made to the 1985 Games offering. Here's an excerpt describing the specifics of the change:
1985 Games is extending their campaign end date and updating their financials
When live offerings undergo changes like these on StartEngine, the SEC requires that certain investments be reconfirmed. If your investment requires reconfirmation, you will be contacted by StartEngine via email with further instructions.
04.13.23
See us on KOIN TV Portland
CEO Lenny Gotter & Creative Director Jeremiah Crofton were recently featured on local CBS affiliate KOIN TV on their AM NEWS:
04.11.23
Featured in Portland Business Journal!
Portland Business Journal's Malia Spencer interviewed our CEO, Lenny Gotter. They discussed Lenny's business experience, the growing tabletop gaming industry, 1985 Games, and our Start Engine raise. Check it out!
Stack Owner's Bonus & Rewards!
Members get an extra 10% shares in addition to rewards below!
REWARDS
$250
Earn 10% Bonus Shares
Earn 10% bonus shares in this investment and all eligible investments for an entire year. If you are not already an Owners bonus holder, you can join now, for $275, billed annually.
$250
1st Tier
Invest $250+ and receive 1 exclusive 1985 Games owner pin, 1 Vandalism Fun Pack, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, and an ownership certificate.
$500
2nd Tier
Invest $500+ and receive 1 exclusive 1985 Games owner pin, 1 Vandalism Fun Pack, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, 1 exclusive 1985 Games playmat/mouse pad, and an ownership certificate.
$1,000
3rd Tier
Invest $1000+ and receive 1 exclusive 1985 Games owner pin, 1 Vandalism Fun Pack, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, 1 exclusive 1985 Games playmat/mouse pad, 15% off our website for 1 year, and an ownership certificate.
$2,500
4th Tier
Invest $2,500+ and receive 1 exclusive 1985 Games owner pin, 1 Vandalism Fun Pack, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, 1 exclusive 1985 Games playmat/mouse pad, 6 month Mystery Dice Subscription, 20% off our website for 1 year, and an ownership certif
$5,000
5th Tier
Invest $5,000+ and receive all previous physical rewards, 1985 Games VIP Playtesting Access, 20% off our website for 1 year, and an invite to a convention game night with the 1985 Games Crew.
$10,000
6th Tier
Invest $10,000+ and receive all previous physical rewards, 20% off our website for 1 year, and the opportunity to design a custom character alongside the creative team at 1985 Games for future products.
$25,000
7th Tier
Invest $25,000+ and receive all previous physical rewards, 20% off our website for 1 year, and the opportunity to design a custom character and resin miniature alongside the creative team at 1985 Games for future products.
$50,000
8th Tier
Invest $50,000+ and receive all previous physical rewards, 30% off our website for 1 year. 1985 Games Dinner + 1 with Lenny & Jeremiah (Owners)* + 1 hour Facility Tour.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
0/2500
chad demoss
31 INVESTMENTS
3 months ago
your net revenue last year was $80,000. do you have a projection for 2023? seeing as you valuation is 15 million at 60x net that's more like 5 million valuation. Where is the 15 million valuation coming from?
1
0
Jonathan Ma
3 months ago
Apologies if I've missed it somewhere - what is a "Vandalism Fun Pack"?
1
0
HOW INVESTING WORKS
Cancel anytime before 48 hours before a rolling close or the offering end date.
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With Regulation A+, a non-accredited investor can only invest a maximum of 10% of their annual income or 10% of their net worth per year, whichever is greater. There are no restrictions for accredited investors.
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Francis Erdman
2 INVESTMENTS
9 days ago
1
0