Global Toy News Insight
From a B2B perspective, Maestro Media’s partnership with Zoch Verlag is a smart example of how publishers can unlock new growth by identifying proven international titles that remain underdeveloped in specific markets. With more than one million copies sold in over 20 languages, Ghost Blitz already comes with strong consumer validation, recognizable gameplay, and a 15-year track record—significantly reducing the risk that comes with launching an entirely new property. The opportunity now is to translate that established global success into broader North American retail distribution, where the game can reach beyond hobby enthusiasts and connect with families, educators, and mainstream consumers.
The exclusive North American packaging also shows how localization can refresh a legacy title without changing the elements that made it successful in the first place. As retailers continue to look for games that are easy to demonstrate, quick to learn, highly replayable, and capable of appealing across generations, Ghost Blitz checks a lot of boxes. For Maestro Media, this partnership also expands its portfolio beyond entertainment-driven licensed IP and demonstrates the value of combining its community-building and direct-to-consumer expertise with a globally proven evergreen game. If the North American rollout gains traction in 2027, Ghost Blitz could be a strong example of how established European games can find an entirely new growth cycle through the right regional publishing partner.
LOS ANGELES, CA – July 13, 2026 – Maestro Media has announced a new partnership with Zoch Verlag, one of Germany’s most celebrated board game publishers, to bring the award-winning tabletop classic Ghost Blitz to the North American market, starting January 2027. The new edition, available at www.maestromedia.com, will feature exclusive box artwork created specifically for North America while preserving the beloved gameplay that has made Ghost Blitz a global phenomenon for more than fifteen years.
Originally designed by Jacques Zeimet, Ghost Blitz is one of the most recognizable speed games in the world. The game has delighted millions of players across Europe and beyond, selling more than 1 million copies in more than 20 languages since its debut, earning a reputation as a modern family-game classic. It remains one of Zoch’s most enduring and successful titles.
Despite building a passionate following among hobby gamers in North America, Ghost Blitz’s availability has historically been limited compared to its international success. Through this partnership, Maestro Media will introduce the cherished title to a broader audience of families, educators, and tabletop fans across the region.
“Ghost Blitz is one of those rare games where instinct beats strategy, and everyone at the table has a real shot, whether they’re eight or eighty,” said Javon Frazier, CEO of Maestro Media. “It has earned its place as a modern classic over fifteen years, and we’re proud to partner with Zoch Verlag to put it in front of a whole new generation of North American players.”
Designed as an easy-to-learn but endlessly replayable experience, Ghost Blitz has become a staple of family game nights, classrooms, and board game collections worldwide thanks to its unique blend of observation, speed, and pure table-wide excitement.
During each game round, players race to identify the correct object among five wooden items placed on the table: a ghost, a book, a chair, a bottle and a mouse. Each card reveals a combination of objects and colors, challenging players to quickly determine which item should be grabbed first. The fastest player earns the card — but a single mistake can cost valuable points.
This set-up tasks players with the following:
React at lightning speed
Each card presents a visual puzzle players must solve instantly. If an object appears in its correct color, players must grab it fast!
Think quick under pressure
If no object is shown in its correct color, players must determine which object and color are completely missing from the card before anyone else can react.
Outplay their opponents
Correct grabs earn cards and points, while mistakes force players to give up cards they have already won. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
For more info, please reach out to Maestro@hopscotch.one.
About Zoch Verlag
Founded in Germany, Zoch Verlag is one of Europe’s premier family game publishers, known for creating innovative, award-winning titles celebrated for their creativity, humor, and tactile gameplay. Ghost Blitz stands among the publisher’s most iconic releases, earning worldwide acclaim and helping define the modern speed-and-perception game genre.
About Maestro Media
Maestro Media is where fans come to play.
The company was founded in 2015 based on a simple belief: the world’s greatest franchises don’t belong on a shelf — they belong in the hands of the people who love them. Where others publish games, Maestro builds a platform where fandom becomes something you can hold, play and belong to. It runs on a flywheel — crowdfunding, direct-to-consumer, and retail working as one engine — that turns a single moment of passion into a lifelong relationship.
Fans aren’t an audience Maestro markets to. They’re participants, embedded at every stage from the first sketch to the final roll. That’s how a casual player becomes a founding backer, and a backer becomes an advocate for life.
That platform is now home to some of the most beloved IP in the world (The Binding of Isaac, Clash of Clans, Disney, Hello Kitty, The Smurfs, and Sally Face) brought to the table by the most visionary creators working today:
- Edmund McMillen – Creator of The Binding of Isaac
- Eric Lang – Designer of Blood Rage, Rising Sun, and Clash of Clans: The Epic Raid
- Ken Gruhl – Designer of Mantis and Exploding Kittens titles
- Roberta Taylor – Designer of Creature Comforts and The Smurfs: Hidden Village
- Antoine Bauza – Creator of 7 Wonders, Tokaido, and Takenoko
- Adi Granov – Marvel cover artist and designer of Iron Man’s MCU look
- Agnes Garbowska – Artist for My Little Pony and DC Super Hero Girls
- Peach Momoko – Eisner-winning artist known for Marvel’s Demon Days
- Mark Brooks – Acclaimed Marvel cover artist for X-Men and Spider-Man
For additional information on Ghost Blitz and other Maestro Media titles, visit www.maestromedia.com and follow Maestro Media on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and BlueSky.
