Denkriesen’s Ricardo Barreto and Denis Görz on Happy Double, Freiluftwelten – and doing things differently

Guys, it’s great to connect. To kick us off, how did Denkriesen come to be?
Denis Görz: We’ve been friends since we were around 14 or 15 years old. We always had the same interests and hobbies. We went to the gym together and we wanted to make business together, so we tried to start a gym… We also tried to organise parties…

Ricardo Barreto: We had a YouTube channel!

Denis: Yes, we tried a YouTube channel, but it was not successful. Then one day, we were playing cards – like Skat – and it was fun, but I was new to the game, and kept asking lots of questions. And it was a just a drinking game with all these different rules, but I thought: ‘Why isn’t there a game where the card actually tells you what to do, instead of having to remember all these different rules…’ I called Ricardo and said: “I have a good idea – let’s make a drinking game… The first drinking game to exist in Germany”. And he said yes!

Terrific! And how did that first year go?
Denis: We sold about 50 games to our friends and we visited some local festivals to try and sell games there but it wasn’t very successful. This was in 2012. Then in 2013, we decided to do a reprint, because we still believed in the idea. We changed the design, and we went to amazon – and this changed everything.

And this was Klattschen?
Ricardo: Yes. And then we launched Stadt Land Vollpfosten, and then new versions of Stadt Land Vollpfossen – and we grew game by game from there. Now we have around 160 games, and we work a lot with game developers and inventors.

Fantastic. And to anyone new to your portfolio, what sorts of games are you interested in publishing?
Denis: We have a focus on games that are very easy to play – mass-market games. ‘Unbox and Play’ is our motto. We play our own games, but we, like our audience, are non-gamers.

So you don’t play more tabletop-type games?
Denis: I’ve never played Ticket to Ride. I know that it’s a very successful game and most ‘gamers’ have played it, but I’ve never played it.

So you are your audience – people that don’t consider themselves ‘gamers’ but will play a good party game or family game.
Denis: Exactly. We make games that we would have fun playing.

Last time we spoke was back in 2024, when Hasbro took the US rights for Arschmallows. How important has that game been for Denkriesen?
Ricardo: The international market was a big next step for us and those first steps with Hasbro helped us a lot when it came to expanding into other markets. Arschmallows is now available in 16 langauges and we have different partners all over the world. The Hasbro partnership opened that door for sure. Stadt Land Vollpfosten is also now in different markets.

Denis: To be honest, back then, we didn’t even know that it was possible to work with other countries. We stepped into this industry like an accident, but now we are totally in. And we really love it.

Let’s dive into one of your new games, Happy Double. This came from Christopher Manuel – what make it right for you guys?
Denis: Well, the first thing to say is that Christopher Manuel is actually a synonym for us! My middle name is Christopher and Ricardo’s is Manuel.

Ha! So this is the public unveiling of Christopher Manuel.
Denis: It really is! But yes, we wanted to make a roll and write game – and we liked the idea of a roll-and-write game with interesting dice. For example, we use a D12 dice in this game.

Ricardo: And alongside that, we want to make a push-your-luck game. So we thought about how to combine these two things.

Denis: We were interested in doing push-your-luck mechanism with dice – ‘Do I roll again? Do I stop and bank what I have?’ And that dilemma is at the heart of Happy Double.

And the packaging looks great.
Denis: We wanted Happy Double to look unique on the shelf.

Ricardo: This was one of the most important things in the development of this game. We wanted to make a game that didn’t look like anything else in the market. That was our goal.

I also wanted to ask you about Freiluftwelten – a game you play out in nature, that sees you build a up an island using things like leaves, twigs and stones.
Ricardo: Yes, this came from designers Lisa Besse, Jens-Peter Schliemann, Karolina Schmelle and Tina Schuster. You play the game outside using this big booklet filled with tasks. It’s one of the first games of its kind.

Denis: You really feel like you are a child again playing this game, because when was the last time you had some leaves in your hand? I remember in my childhood, I always had leafs or sticks or stones in my hands. You have a great experience with this game and I’m very proud of it. We know it will create lots of memories for the families and the people who play it.

Do you know why the designers brought it to you?
Denis: Jens-Peter came to see us at Spielwarenmesse two years ago and said: “Denkriesen is a company that does things differently – I have a game which is totally different to anything else.” We were hooked immediately!

Before we wrap up, what is Denkriesen’s most underrated game?
Ricardo: I have two… Dingbums and Kritzelschlacht. They are two very nice games that have been out for five or six years, but if we launched them now, they’d be more successful.

Denis: Yes, they were both part of our Partyfieber range – the others were Gemeinsame Sache and Dummbatz. We really put so much effort into these games, but we were so new in the industry and we made some mistakes in terms of pricing and packaging.

Ricardo: We’ll be redesigning them and re-releasing them in the next few years for sure.

We’ll keep an eye out! Guys, this has been great. A huge thanks again!

–

To stay in the loop with the latest news, interviews and features from the world of toy and game design, sign up to our weekly newsletter here

More Recent Interview

Inventor Mandela Fernández-Grandon on design, collaboration and the joy of playtesting

“Working with others offers a list of benefits…” In conversation with Mandela Fernández-Grandon.

Dina Al Rifai – Creative Director at The Loyal Subjects – on how being a collector shapes her approach to design

“I usually start with the emotional hook – what is this product supposed to make someone feel?” In conversation with The Loyal Subjects’ Dina Al Rifai.

“Play is evolving…”: Hasbro’s Tim Kilpin talks kids, Kidults and KPop Demon Hunters

Tim Kilpin, Hasbro’s President of Toys, Board Games, Licensing and Entertainment, on recent highlights – and things to get excited about.

Spin Master’s Angus Walker on bringing classic horror brands into TCGs with Hellbreak

“Faithfully representing these beloved characters was our design team’s top priority”: Angus Walker – VP, Marketing & GBU Lead, Games & Outdoor at Spin Master – talks Hellbreak.

As he retires, Make It Real’s Dominique Roy reflects on career highlights, mentors and lessons

“Even though you design something once, the injection machine will produce one unit every 30 seconds – that’s a serious responsibility”: In conversation with Dominique Roy.

Zatu Games’s Rory Kelly on Yubibo, demoing games and celebrating ten years in the industry

“If someone can explain a game in 30 seconds, I’ve done my job.” Catching up with Zatu’s Rory Kelly.