Long before Dixit became an international success, Massimo Bianchini saw something in the game that made him believe it could reach far beyond the traditional hobby audience. Since then, nearly two decades in the board game industry — from building Asterion Press to working within Asmodee — have given him a close view of what happens between discovering a promising game and turning it into a successful product.
In this interview, Massimo shares how he evaluates games for the Italian market, why localisation involves far more than translation, what he looks for in publishing partners, and how experience helps him judge a title’s commercial potential. He also reflects on crowded store shelves, long-term partnerships, and why, even after years in the industry, gut feeling still has a role to play.
“Beyond mechanics or market categories, I always ask: does this game create a shareable, memorable experience?”
1. You recognised the potential of Dixit before it became the international phenomenon we know today. Looking back at that decision, what were you seeing in the game before the market had validated it? And which parts of that judgement still guide the way you evaluate games today?
What struck me about Dixit was its rare combination of immediate accessibility and deep imagination. I’d never seen anything like that. The rules were simple enough for anyone, yet the beautiful, evocative illustrations unlocked a powerful social experience. Players weren’t just competing; they were trying to read each other’s minds, exploring personal interpretations and subtle shared meanings.
We sensed that this game could transcend traditional hobby boundaries. I literally said, “This game must be in every house in Italy.” It naturally connected families, casual players, and hardcore gamers alike.
Today, this experience still shapes how I evaluate games. Beyond mechanics or market categories, I always ask: does this game create a shareable, memorable experience?
“This game must be in every house in Italy.”
2. A game can be excellent and still be the wrong product for a particular market. When you evaluate a title for Italy today, how do you separate the quality of the game itself from its actual commercial potential in that market?
I always start with the game itself, assessing its core experience, artwork (that plays a fundamental role — Italians love nice illustrations!), replayability, and what makes it different from other games on the market.
Cultural nuances also play a major role; humour or concepts that work in one country may not translate well to Italian players. Italians do like playing party and funny games, whereas deep-thinking and more complicated games are still a niche. Growing, but still a niche.
3. When a publisher you don’t know approaches you with a game, what makes you start taking both the title and the company seriously? What should they already understand or have demonstrated before that conversation begins?
Since we operate in a (still) very small industry and are fortunate to be part of a large group, we deeply value the feedback we receive from our trusted distribution partners. Collaborating with smaller studios can sometimes be challenging if they are new to the localization and adaptation process, which can occasionally delay simple game releases due to unfamiliar workflows.
To help us work together as smoothly as possible, our first step is always to ask if the game has already been localized in other regions before we dive into details.
3A. Beyond experience with localisation and adaptation, what gives you confidence that a smaller or relatively unknown publisher will be a reliable long-term partner? Are there things you notice early in the conversation that make you take a company more seriously?
Asking our colleagues in other Asmodee countries is always a good indication of whether a small publisher is a good partner. Other than that… I’d say just “gut feelings”.
“While technology can certainly help with translation, the human contribution remains essential.”
4. Localisation is often reduced to translation, but successfully bringing a game into another country can involve much more. Where does translation end and genuine market adaptation begin, and what do international publishers most often fail to anticipate about that process?
Localisation is often underestimated by international publishers, who sometimes treat it as just translation. At Asmodee Italy, we have a team of 12 people that takes care of translation, editing, proofreading, and layout, with the goal of adapting our games to the Italian market in the best possible way.
There are many technical, stylistic, and terminological choices involved, as well as the need to maintain consistency throughout the game lines. While technology can certainly help with translation, the human contribution remains essential, and players really appreciate the difference it makes.
5. Getting a game onto store shelves is one achievement; staying there for two or three years is another. How do you look at longevity in today’s market, and what separates the titles that remain from those that naturally make way for new releases?
The board game market has become crowded with countless new titles, making it harder for games to stay on shelves for long. While classics still sell reliably, most new games struggle to secure a lasting spot.
Still, this rotation isn’t necessarily bad. Shops depend on new releases to draw in customers and keep interest alive. New games play a key role in keeping the industry dynamic, even if their shelf life lasts only a year or two. In a fast-moving market like this, product rotation is part of the natural evolution.
“A product should be as close to perfect as possible.”
6. You have experienced the industry both while building a small independent company and from within a major international group. Which qualities from the Asterion years do you believe small publishers should protect as they grow? And which ways of working inevitably have to change as they begin operating internationally?
Whether as a small publisher or as part of a large multinational company, our approach hasn’t changed that much. We are still guided by a few fundamental principles.
First and foremost is product quality. Coming from this industry and having been in the market for many years, I strongly believe that a product should be as close to perfect as possible. Localisation, graphic design, layout, and the overall feel and experience of the product are all extremely important.
Another key element is direct contact with customers. Meeting players at events and visiting stores allows us to understand how the market is evolving and, most importantly, gives us direct feedback on our products and our approach.
Other than that, there are no great secrets: you simply have to work hard. It’s a fantastic industry to work in, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy: sometimes it makes you sweat quite a lot!
“It is difficult to build a truly solid relationship if it is based exclusively on commercial and economic considerations.”
7. Some publisher–distributor relationships remain transactional, while others develop into partnerships that last for many years. What do the partners who earn greater trust over time do differently?
To me, interpersonal relationships are extremely important. Meeting regularly, particularly at industry events, and maintaining frequent contact with partners and customers helps build trust and a strong, long-term relationship.
Of course, trust also needs to be supported by good commercial conditions and, more generally, by a positive feeling between the people involved. It is difficult to build a truly solid relationship if it is based exclusively on commercial and economic considerations.
8. Not every good game performs as expected. When a title starts slowly, how do you decide whether it needs more time, stronger support, or a different approach, and when do you accept that the market has given you its answer?
Two to three months are usually enough to determine whether a game has found its market. If sales remain below expectations after that period, the options to revive the product can sometimes be more expensive than simply keeping it in the catalogue and managing the remaining stock through clearance or destocking operations.
Given how broad and constantly expanding the market is, there are cases where this is simply the most practical solution. There are so many new games out there that not every game can be supported indefinitely, especially when the cost of additional marketing initiatives outweighs the potential return.
9. After all these years of selecting, launching, and building games, what remains hardest to predict? What has the industry taught you about the limits of experience when trying to know which games players will ultimately embrace?
The board game industry remains largely analogue, and as a result, it is somewhat slower to adapt to changes compared with other sectors, particularly technology-driven industries. Trends in board games tend to develop very slowly and often have a long lifespan.
From time to time, however, we do see particular trends or fashions emerging in the market, such as legacy games or roll-and-write games, which can become very popular for a period of time.
Overall, there are not many big surprises when it comes to evaluating a game’s potential. Games essentially need to be evaluated through playtesting, and if people have fun playing them, that is normally a very good indicator of their potential for success.
“Surprises are always waiting just around the corner…”
9A. Have there still been games that tested extremely well and seemed to have all the right ingredients, but then surprised you by underperforming — or the opposite, games whose success went far beyond what you initially expected? And after almost twenty years in the industry, how much does experience help you narrow down what you can realistically expect from a title?
Surprises are always waiting just around the corner… That said, after almost twenty years in the business, I have to say they happen less and less often. Fortunately, they were never something I encountered all that frequently to begin with.
With any game, I can usually estimate a minimum and maximum number of copies it’s likely to sell over a given period, based on things like the mechanics, artwork, retail price, and other intrinsic factors — for example, whether it’s based on an established IP.
These are things you learn with experience, but they’re not particularly complicated either. My colleagues at other Asmodee companies often make similar estimates, of course taking the specifics of their own markets into account.
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