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Memphis’ Very Special Games rolled the dice on fun and won big

By , Special to The Daily Memphian Updated: August 17, 2025 4:00 AM CT | Published: August 17, 2025 4:00 AM CT

When Josh Roberts sat down for lunch with his friend and co-worker Evan Katz in 2018, he didn’t realize they were about to launch a multimillion-dollar board game business.

“We drew up a game on sticky notes and played with our interns that day,” Roberts said. “It was fun enough that we kept working on it. One thing led to another, and it just kind of got out of control.”

They were working at a consulting company that does strategic planning, and each put in $7,000 of their own money. Then, they launched a Kickstarter campaign and taught themselves everything from running Facebook ads to maneuvering complex manufacturing and shipping from China.

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Very Special Games Evan Katz Board to beers Taylor Herndon Subscriber Only

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Christin Yates

Christin Yates

Christin Yates is a native Memphian who has worked in PR and copywriting since 2007. She earned her B.S. in public relations and M.S. in mass communications from Murray State University.


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