For publishers of complex games
Your game is brilliant. The first play decides whether anyone notices.
We build companion apps for complex board and trading card games. They guide your players through setup and their first game, then keep the game flowing. So players feel the magic of your game sooner.
Complex games rarely fail because of the gameplay. Most of them fail at getting started.
You put years into development and playtesting. Yet between purchase and the first fun moment sits a rulebook, and that is where you lose players.
Bought, never played
The rulebook puts people off and the box gathers dust on the shelf. That also means no word of mouth and no expansion sales.
A sluggish first game, a weak rating
Rules mistakes and constant lookups shape the first impression, and that impression ends up in reviews on BoardGameGeek and Amazon.
You don’t know your players
You sell through retail and learn little about who plays your games or where they get stuck. When a rules question comes up, players search Google or ask a chatbot and end up on fan sites, forums and third-party videos. Whether the answer is right is out of your hands.
Guide, don’t digitize.
Your components stay at the center of the table. The app sits next to them and takes care of whatever slows the game down.
- Step-by-step setup: from opening the box to the first turn, without guesswork.
- A guided first game: the app explains each rule the moment it is first needed.
- Phases and scores at a glance: the app knows whose turn it is and which phase is running.
- Rules that stay current: FAQs, errata and ban lists reach your players instantly, straight from you.
- For you: insight into where players get stuck, and a direct line for expansions and new releases.
Shuffle the resource cards and place two face up next to the board. Put the rest beside it as a draw pile.
Why two? See ruleEach tile with one of your villages produces one resource. Turn order:
Example from our demo game “The Isles of Cayas”
A game stays on the shelf for ten years. Its app has to keep up.
Behind the companion apps is Cayas, an app development team from Minden, Germany. We build and maintain apps that companies like DHL and CLAAS rely on in their daily operations.
Stable with many users
Our apps for DHL and CLAAS are in continuous professional use. We build your companion app with the same tools and processes.
Long-term support
We have maintained the telematics app for CLAAS since 2013. When Apple or Google change their operating systems, or you release an expansion, we update the app for as long as your game is on sale.
One team for everything
Concept, development for iPhone and Android, store release and operation. From you, we mainly need the rulebook and a dedicated contact person.
Pilot program
We’re looking for 3 to 5 pilot publishers.
The idea came out of conversations with publishers at SPIEL Essen. Now we want to build it with a small group of partners, using real games.
Frequently asked questions
Does this turn our game into a digital game?
No. People still play at the table with your components. The app only steps in where players would otherwise reach for the rulebook or lose track.
Why not just use an AI chatbot for rules?
A chatbot only helps once players know what to ask. The companion app guides them through the first game before questions come up, and it only says what is in your rules.
Does this work for trading card games?
Yes. There the focus is on getting started with the first deck and on rules that change with every new set.
What does a companion app cost?
We’ll agree on the pricing model together with our pilot publishers. Pilot publishers get a reduced price.