Here is a rare happy ending for backers who got burned. Heroes of the Pacific, the tactical wargame left stranded when its publisher imploded in 2023, is being finished and shipped by Word Forge Games, and it will be on demo at UK Games Expo this weekend.
Stop juggling Meetup, WhatsApp, and spreadsheets. One platform for your gaming group's events, RSVPs, and member management.
See how it worksThe game raised nearly EUR 150,000 through crowdfunding in April 2023 from fans of the Heroes System, the engine behind Devil Pig Games' cult WW2 game Heroes of Normandie. Months later the publisher (by then trading as Pig From Hell Games) collapsed into liquidation, the website vanished and backers were left registering as creditors with little hope of seeing a box.
Word Forge has now stepped in. It imported the original backer list and is letting people who already paid claim the finished game for a token fee, somewhere between GBP 1 and GBP 65 depending on their old pledge, while new buyers come in at GBP 100. The aim is a December 2026 release, sold direct rather than through normal retail.
Got a regular group? Create a private community, poll for the best date, vote on games, and let your friends RSVP in one place.
Set up your group for freeHeroes of the Pacific is a two-army tactical scrap rather than a miniatures slog, using recruitment tiles, grid-based movement and hidden order tokens to recreate small engagements in the Pacific theatre. The Heroes System has always leaned more war-movie romp than dry simulation, which is a big part of why it built such a loyal following.
You can try it at the GMS Tabletop stand (Stand 844, Hall 3) at the NEC from 29 to 31 May. If you are heading to UKGE, it is worth a look, both as a game and as proof that stranded projects do sometimes get saved.
Sources: Geek Native | BoardGameWire | BackerKit
