We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jason Schneider. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jason below.

Jason, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

After spending 23 years as a leader at family tabletop games publisher Gamewright—home to beloved titles like Sushi Go!, Rat-a-Tat Cat, and Forbidden Island—I suddenly found myself at a crossroads. When Gamewright’s parent company was acquired by a private equity-backed competitor, my position was made “redundant.” But it wasn’t just the loss of a job; it felt like losing a piece of who I was.

As I worked through the emotions, a friend joked, “Boy, you don’t seem much like a happy camper these days.” Boom. Like a bolt of lightning, the idea hit me for the name of my next venture: Happy Camper.

It felt perfect—not just as a nod to the kind of joyful spirit I wanted to reclaim, but also because “camp” holds a special place in my heart. Summer camp is where I first fell in love with games (capture the flag, anyone?) and where I learned the power of play to connect people, build confidence, and spark joy.

Happy Camper is more than a name—it’s a mission: to bring families closer together through face-to-face play. And in an effort to give back to the places that shaped me, a portion of every Happy Camper purchase helps fund scholarships to send kids to camp.

Jason, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Entertaining families has been my life’s passion. Early on, I had the rare opportunity to study and train at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, where I learned not just the art of pie-throwing, but also how much humor plays a vital role in connecting our shared humanity.

After graduation, I was honored to join the production team at Sesame Street—a touchstone of my own early childhood. There, I witnessed firsthand the magic of the Muppets and the incredible power of entertaining children and grownups simultaneously.

I later brought those lessons to Gamewright, where I played a key role in developing over 200 games, including household hits like Sleeping Queens, Rory’s Story Cubes, Forbidden Island, Qwixx, Dragonwood, Outfoxed, Trash Pandas, and Sushi Go!

Happy Camper represents the next evolution of my journey: a company dedicated to creating family-friendly games that spark laughter, connection, and lasting memories. With every game we make, we strive to bring families closer together—and to give back by funding camp scholarships for kids, helping the next generation experience the same kind of magic that shaped my own life.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Selling tabletop games is incredibly challenging, and the odds of creating a universal household hit are slim. There are two main reasons for this: First, while tabletop games are experiencing a renaissance, they still trail behind other forms of entertainment—video games, movies, streaming, etc. Second, because the barrier of entry is fairly low, thousands of new games are released every year, making for an incredibly crowded market.

So, when it came time to launch my first release—TRIO, a wonderfully engaging card game—I knew I had to do something a little different to help it stand out. One of the things that makes TRIO so attractive is its vibrant card artwork, which draws inspiration from Día de los Muertos. Every time someone plays the game, they marvel at the intricate “papel picado” illustrations on each card.

To spotlight the artwork and create some buzz, I designed a custom bomber jacket made up of all the cards and wore it to trade shows and public events where I was promoting the game. Almost immediately, people started asking, “How can I get one of those jackets?” or more bluntly, “How much for that jacket off your back?”

That’s when I had an idea: I decided to turn it into a contest for my retail partners. I set up a challenge where any store that could sell 100 TRIO games within a certain time frame would win jackets for their team. To keep the momentum going, I even created a “TRIO Jacket Tracker” so staff members could track how many games they’d sold. Over a dozen stores ended up beating the challenge, and more are gearing up to join this year!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think it comes down to what I affectionately call the “Three Ps”: Patience, Persistence, and Passion.

Patience is crucial, particularly in my industry, where games can take years to develop and fully take hold before they find their audience. I believe deeply in playing the “long game” – don’t let short-term bumps get in the way of pursuing your long-term goals.

Persistence goes hand in hand with patience. Just because a customer says “no” or an idea takes a long time to develop, doesn’t mean that you simply give up. There are always going to be setbacks, but staying committed to the mission of finding and publishing great games has allowed me to push through and gain recognition over time.

And, of course, Passion is my driving force behind everything. If you’re not genuinely excited about what you’re creating and selling, others won’t be either. My love for games, my belief in their power to connect people, and my dedication to making something that truly brings joy to families shines through everything I do, and has helped me build a reputation as someone who genuinely cares both about my customers and the larger impact that play has on bettering our world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://happycamper.games
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happycampergames/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/happycampergames
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/happy-camper-llc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyCamperGames
• Other: https://bsky.app/profile/happycampergames.bsky.social