French party game publisher Savana has bought UK studio Gutter Games, the people behind dexterity hit Beat That!, in its first overseas acquisition. The deal landed on 5 May 2026 and pulls Beat That! and Gutter Games' adult-themed catalogue under fresh ownership for the third time in five years.
Looking for board gamers near you? Browse local communities and find your next game night.
Find events near youIf you've never wrapped tape round your face to flick a cotton ball into a glass with your nose, you've never played Beat That!. The 2019 party game is essentially a structured dare generator, with 160 daft challenges that range from balancing acts to absurd stacking missions. It's been a steady seller in supermarket aisles and high street toy shops since launch, and the kind of thing that ends up in the family Christmas pile rather than on serious heavy euro shelves.
Gutter Games has had a bumpy ownership history. The UK studio launched in 2017, was scooped up by Amazon aggregator Perch in 2021, then sold on to private equity outfit Razor Group in 2024. Now Savana, known for French party titles like Traitors Aboard and Emblems, is taking a swing. Founder Romain Chemière de Carné says the plan is to "restore the brand to the prominence it deserves" and develop expansions and new lines.
Stop juggling Meetup, WhatsApp, and spreadsheets. One platform for your gaming group's events, RSVPs, and member management.
See how it worksFor UK gamers, the practical question is whether anything changes on shelves. Beat That! is widely stocked and won't disappear overnight. The bigger story here is the steady consolidation of mid-sized UK party game makers into European groups, joining recent moves like Asmodee's broader push into social gaming.
Savana also gets Gutter Games' adult-only catalogue in the deal, including Gutterhead and Trunk of Drunk. Beat That! itself has plenty of legs left if you ask anyone who's tried to balance a fork on a balloon.
Sources: Boardgamewire | Savana | BGG: Beat That!
