Games make everything better

As kids, we badgered our peers and adults to play games at every possible opportunity. While kids agreed to play, adults often rebuffed us saying that “there isn’t time for games when you grow up.”

Decades later, caught in a seemingly endless conversation around the kitchen table, we’re still always wondering why we aren't playing a game.

At Runaway Parade, we believe the urge to play never disappears and we want to create experiences that are accessible to everyone. Our first game, Fire Tower, is great for gamers because its unique strategy and play mechanics allow for the exploration of varied tactics, but it's also easy to learn, easy to set up, and gameplay is extremely intuitive.

We’re striving to introduce new themes into the world of board games—scenarios that you might not have encountered before—while at the same time creating innovative game mechanics that will enhance the experience of these storylines and offer something novel to even the most seasoned gamers. Our games are designed to be both aesthetically attractive and intuitive to use, elements we believe are often under-prioritized in tabletop games. We produce a high quality product while maintaining a low price point. At Runaway Parade we believe that every detail should be crafted with care.

Who We Are

Brooklyn and Martha's Vineyard-based designers Samuel Bryant and Gwen Ruelle first met each other at Sarah Lawrence College in 2007. Gwen had spent her formative years making up games with whatever she could get her hands on—old decks of cards, pine cones, magazine cutouts—and had built a repertoire of games no one but her and a handful of others (here's looking at you, Jesse) knew how to play. During this time, Sam was researching the strategies behind Axis and Allies, collecting every Catan expansion pack he could find, and mentally calculating his lifetime win/loss ratio.

A partnership was formed.

Their first project was a multimedia online publication of arts and writing based on a theme. They called it Runaway Parade. After three and a half years and 70 issues, they decided Runaway Parade the publication had run it's course, and turned their full attention to their real passion, Runaway Parade the game design company.

Gwen and Sam began designing games together in 2014. Runaway Parade Games officially became a company (and they officially got engaged) in 2018.

Their co-designs include Fire Tower, Punch Bowl, Desert Pack (Button Shy Games), an upcoming Monty Python game (Dynamite Entertainment) and several others. With extensive professional experience in storytelling and visual design and a mutual love of board games, Sam and Gwen hope to bring something new to the table with Runaway Parade Games.

Special thanks to artist Kevin Ruelle for the beautiful artwork in Fire Tower, artist Hana Fruchtenicht for the amazing Runaway Parade mascot illustration, and videographer and photographer Roque Nonini for the Fire Tower photo shoot. Thank you as well to our family, friends, and colleagues who have tirelessly supported us and play-tested Fire Tower until their eyes were blurry and their hands were raw (from dealing cards and rolling the weather die). We wouldn't have been able to do all this without you!