Damond Crump loves designing games, but hates marketing them. After creating tabletop wargames like Patrol: WWII, Crump's usual procedure was to design, write and format a set of rules, then post them on an online marketplace.
That approach brought him a few sales, Crump said, but not many. Pacific Sky Games changed that. The Edgewood, Washington-based games distributor and newly formed publisher's owner Bryan Shein, a Cherokee Nation citizen, helped edit and publish the latest version of Patrol: WWII's rulebook, then promoted the game on podcast and convention circuits.
The strategy worked. Crump sold more games in his first few months with Pacific Sky Games than in the previous five years combined.
"Like many in the hobby, I am an introvert. My skill was in doing research and writing games, but the marketing and selling was something that I was completely uncomfortable with," Crump said. Partnering with Shein solved that problem.
Pacific Sky Games launched its publishing model in late 2024, abandoning two decades of distribution work. The company had distributed games through conventions, game stores and international markets since 2002, growing from demonstrating wargames in convention halls to worldwide distribution.
Shein said physical distribution was getting more expensive and complex because of inflation, and as tariffs threatened the industry, it made sense for the company to make a change. With some tariffs now in place, Shein said he's glad the company was "agile" enough to shift its model in time.