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| EN Publishing | |
|---|---|
| Name | EN Publishing |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Tabletop role-playing games, Board games, Wargames, Miniatures |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Russ Morrissey |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Role-playing game books, Adventure modules, Game supplements, Magazines, Card games |
| Website | (company website) |
EN Publishing is a United Kingdom–based publisher of tabletop role-playing games, wargames, magazines, and ancillary gaming products. The company evolved from online community projects and grew into a commercial imprint producing licensed and original content for established intellectual properties and indie systems. Its output spans adventure modules, rule supplements, boxed games, and periodical publications aimed at hobbyists affiliated with organized play and retail distribution.
Founded by Russ Morrissey, the firm traces roots to enthusiast communities such as the unit created around the magazine and web portals linked to wargaming and role-playing fandom. Early efforts intersected with groups associated with Warhammer Fantasy, Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game), Dungeons & Dragons, and organised events like Gen Con and UK Games Expo. Strategic moves included partnerships with independent designers and licenses tied to legacy brands like Wizards of the Coast and Mongoose Publishing, while operational shifts mirrored patterns seen in publishers such as Paizo Publishing and Cubicle 7. The company weathered market changes during the 2000s and 2010s amid the growth of print-on-demand, digital distribution platforms exemplified by DriveThruRPG and the rise of crowdfunding via Kickstarter.
The publisher maintained multiple imprints to segment products for different audiences, echoing approaches by Chaosium, Modiphius Entertainment, and Pelgrane Press. Outputs included full-colour hardbacks, digest-format modules, magazine lines, and accessories compatible with systems from Savage Worlds and the Open Game License. Periodicals tied to community content paralleled magazines like White Dwarf and Dragon (magazine), while bespoke releases targeted conventions such as Origins Game Fair and regional expos. The firm also produced licensed boardgame adaptions akin to releases from Fantasy Flight Games and narrative supplements reminiscent of Green Ronin Publishing.
Product lines encompassed original settings, adventure anthologies, and conversions for established rulesets comparable to conversions by Mongoose Publishing or EN World contributors. Flagship items included campaign books, scenario collections, and boxed starter sets intended for newcomers and veteran players alike, echoing the strategy of Chaosium for classic horror and Paizo Publishing for adventure path series. The catalogue featured accessories and tools for referees similar to offerings from Steve Jackson Games and Atlas Games.
Collaborative efforts involved licensed work with rights-holders and creative freelancers known from projects at Cubicle 7, Wizards of the Coast, Mongoose Publishing, and indie studios that contributed to anthology releases scattered across major conventions like Gen Con and UK Games Expo. The firm negotiated mechanical and narrative rights in contexts comparable to deals undertaken by Modiphius Entertainment for media tie-ins and by Pelgrane Press for licensed fiction. Partnerships also extended to print-on-demand services and distribution networks used by companies such as DriveThruRPG and Alderac Entertainment Group.
Operating as a private company, management combined editorial leadership, production logistics, and community outreach, with business relationships resembling those between small presses and larger distributors like Asmodee subsidiaries and independent retailers represented at trade shows like Spiel (Essen). The corporate model involved freelance contributors, commissioned artists, and contract writers who previously worked with firms such as Paizo Publishing, Mongoose Publishing, and Cubicle 7. Financial strategies reflected industry norms including mixed print runs, digital storefronts, and crowdfunding campaigns similar to those run by Monte Cook Games.
Reactions from hobby press and convention audiences placed certain releases in dialogue with award-winning products from Chaosium and Paizo Publishing. Reviews in community outlets paralleled coverage in periodicals like White Dwarf and fan hubs associated with EN World and Bell of Lost Souls. While some modules earned praise for production values and scenario design akin to lauded works from Green Ronin Publishing and Pelgrane Press, critical commentary compared other releases to contemporaneous outputs by Mongoose Publishing and Cubicle 7 in terms of layout and editing.
Distribution channels included hobby retailers, online stores, convention sales at events like Gen Con and UK Games Expo, and digital platforms such as those used by DriveThruRPG and similar storefronts. International availability often relied on partnerships with distributors operating in territories served by companies like Asmodee and regional wholesalers attending trade shows like Spiel (Essen). Print-on-demand options and limited convention printings complemented traditional print runs to reach global audiences.
Category:Role-playing game publishers