At the GAMA Trade Show, Peachstate Hobby Distribution (PHD) announced plans for new retailer support kits which will highlight a new game each month.

“The plan is to release a new support kit each month,” PHD’s Ian Richards told ICv2. “These kits will help provide stores with ‘player experience’ tools, highlight some great games, and help to drive participation and purchase.“

The first kit, releasing in May, will be Steve Jackson Games’ Car Wars.  The kit will include an exclusive car card as well as another promotional item (see gallery below.)

From IDW Games, in June , PHD will launch an Awesome Kingdom kit, which will have an exclusive treasure card (see gallery below), as well as a playmat showing a dungeon under the Tower of Hateskull.

This will be followed by another kit featuring IDW’s hit game Machi Koro. PHD sponsored a world championship for the game last year (see “First 'Machi Koro' Championships”). “Every store that ran the event has asked for something again,” said Richards.  “We can’t ignore that level of positive feedback. Therefore, a new kit is in production. Nothing is approved yet, therefore I’ve nothing I can release as it’s subject to change. I can say it’ll have an exclusive establishment as a participation reward and a new Store Major play surface.”

In August, a kit for Fireside Games’ Castle Panic will release. “The plan is to have a participation card and a new Boss card as the event rewards,” Richards said.

Additional kits are in development for subsequent months.

Each kit will have a nominal charge, and will be available for approximately six months. All release dates are approximate.

“This is a natural expansion of an initiative started last year and one we’re going to continue to build,” Richards said. “I’m focused on providing stores a whole range of tools that’ll help them become fun entertainment hubs that drive sales via participation. Something that cannot be duplicated by the big box stores and online sellers.”

“As useful as these kits are, it’s just one of many Organized Play tools we have planned. We’ve huge plans, and 2016 and 2017 will see a lot more Organized Play initiatives from PHD.”

(See gallery below for exclusive promo art.)