In an era when video game revenues dwarf every other entertainment category and phone screens compete for every spare moment, Stephen Hayward of Czech Games Edition (CGE) will tell you something that sounds almost counterintuitive: cardboard is having a moment.
CGE, which is based in the Czech Republic and has a U.S. headquarters in Charleston, West Virginia, has developed approximately 40 board games spanning party and family games, as well as strategy titles. Their flagship product is “Codenames,” a word association game that has sold 17 million copies worldwide in 42 languages and accounts for roughly 80% of CGE’s annual sales.
“I think that we’re in such a digital age that there are people that just enjoy that chance to unplug and have that face-to-face connection with their friends and family,” said Hayward, head of U.S. Operations and North American Sales and Distribution for CGE. “When you’re playing a game with people, you can create memories — things you just don’t get when you’re playing a video game online.”
In the Amazon store, CGE saw a 55% increase in sales year over year in March 2026 and the number of units sold up 43%, making it a top board game seller in Amazon’s store. That growth is driven in large part by the company’s decision in 2024 to become an independent seller, eliminate counterfeits through Amazon Transparency, and restore Codenames to its full retail price of $24.99.
CGE had previously sold its games through a third-party distributor. But behind the scenes, counterfeit versions of Codenames had flooded the Amazon store, dragging the price down to as little as $12 and triggering price-matching pressure from mass retailers. Removing that revenue stream to rebuild from scratch was “a bit scary,” Hayward recalled.
CGE rebuilt its brand presence on Amazon from the ground up — establishing trademarks, enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry, and reclaiming ownership of its product listings. The single most impactful move, according to Hayward, was enrolling in Amazon Transparency, a program that applies unique, scannable codes to each unit, making it virtually impossible for counterfeit goods to enter the supply chain undetected.
CGE designs, play-tests, and manufactures all of their games in Prague.
The results were immediate after CGE was able to list the products with the correct pricing, going from $12 to $24.99. “We doubled the price of our product on Amazon, and we’re selling 50% more,” Hayward said. “The argument that our product would sell more if we sold it for less — that’s not what the data says.” Since taking over its Amazon business, CGE has seen average year-over-year sales growth of 20–50%.
Beyond Transparency, CGE uses a suite of Amazon seller tools to manage and grow its business. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), which provides storage, picking, packing, fulfillment, and customer service for orders, handles the majority of CGE’s product fulfillment. The team also taps into Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM), which allows Amazon sellers to store, pack, and ship their own products to customers, covers slower-moving titles. The two fulfillment options give CGE flexibility and coverage across their product catalog.
Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) allows CGE to ship containers directly from its Czech Republic factory to a U.S. East Coast warehouse, streamlining its international supply chain. In addition, A+ Content allows CGE to present its brand with the same richness it brings to its game design.
“A+ Content has by far had the largest impact on sales of any advertising tool,” said Anthony Gullotti, CGE’s Amazon account manager. “You can make the page look however you want as a brand, which helps with the presentation of the product overall.”
Czech Games Edition has a global team of about 100 employees based in the Czech Republic and in its US headquarters in West Virginia.
CGE’s global team of about 100 employees designs, play-tests, and manufactures all of their games in-house, from their Prague headquarters to their own factory in the Czech Republic. CGE’s catalog includes strategy titles like “Lost Ruins of Arnak” and “SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” family games like “Little Alchemist,” and the upcoming “Codenames: Critical Role” — a collaboration with the popular D&D live-play series that also has two animated series on Amazon Prime. CGE plans to release quarterly Codenames expansion packs and, later this year, will launch their biggest game to date at SPIEL ESSEN in Germany, the world’s largest board game convention.
Like the games they make, CGE’s community commitments are built around connection. The company regularly donates games to charitable causes and is a supporter of Extra Life, which raises funds for the Miracle Children’s Network, as well as Rose Gauntlet, an inclusive gaming community.
“We’re very blessed as a company, and we do try to give that back to support both our local community and then also the gaming community at large,” Hayward said.
That generosity extends to CGE’s most high-profile charitable commitment.
“Codenames: Back to Hogwarts,” a Harry Potter–themed version of the game, is being sold with all profits donated to trans rights organizations— a decision that reflects CGE’s values and its deep ties to the LGBTQ+ gaming community.
“We want to do the right thing and be on the right side of history,” Hayward said.