Publisher Maestro Media has signed a licensing deal with IMPS/LAFIG, the world license holders for The Smurfs, to release a tabletop game based in their cool blue world in 2024 to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the comic’s debut from cartoonist Peyo. (Technically the Smurfs debuted in 1958, but they were secondary characters in Peyo’s strip Johan et Pirlouit. The Smurfs debuted in standalone stories in 1959.)
That game is currently titled The Smurfs: Hidden Village, and it comes from designers Antoine Bauza, Corentin Lebrat, Ludovic Maublanc, and Théo Rivière — yes, the same team responsible for Dead Cells: The Rogue-Lite Board Game, so a crossover is sure to be in the works, yes?
The Smurfs: Hidden Village is a 1-5 player game for ages 7+, and it’s a co-operative design, which seems appropriate. Here’s a short description:
And an excerpt from the press release announcing this game:
With a history of creating multiple record-breaking campaigns and surpassing over $15 million with previous crowdfunding projects, Maestro Media has become a leader in the tabletop crowdfunding community, and is set to design and execute a fun and interactive campaign that will engage and delight the The Smurfs community worldwide.