Fun games don’t need to be complicated. That’s exactly the philosophy that has made Craggy Games so successful. The viral hit games are gaining lots of attention online. Read about the company’s journey in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Offers unique, handcrafted games.
Owner Kyle Czarnecki told Small Business Trends, “Craggy Games creates the highest quality, handcrafted hook and ring games to play with friends. Bring your next game night, tailgate or party to a new level with the viral HOOKS! ring toss game.”
Business Niche
Built in the U.S. using quality materials from a family owned business.
Czarnecki says, “Each game is 100% handcrafted from real Southern yellow pine. Hand cut, hand-sanded and hand-burned using an ancient wood preserving burning technique known as shou sugi ban.”
How the Business Got Started
By two friends brainstorming.
Czarnecki explains, “The idea of Craggy was created by two lifelong friends looking for an excuse to spend more time together. As is the case with so many small businesses, our original HOOKS! game started as a simple Etsy listing and it wasn’t until Day 96 that the Craggy roller coaster began.
“With the power of social media and one viral TikTok video later, we realized that the workshop in our one-car garage was going to need a serious upgrade. With the amazing interest and support of our fans, we now have HOOKS! in stock at a warehouse and are reaching for the stars to grow Craggy Games!”
Biggest Win
Clearing a backlog of initial orders.
Czarnecki says, “When our videos went viral we were flooded with orders as the only company in the market offering our unique game. All around the world people wanted HOOKS! We were originally building the games by hand out of the owner’s one-car garage, sourcing the materials from local Home Depots. Constantly running out of materials and running 18-hr days to build the games and ship out, we knew we had to bring on a partner to get the games out (the important thing was that we maintained the high quality, handcrafted feel of the game while also being built in the US).
“We found a partner that shared our values, dove into the process together and created a working agreement with them. Having a partner that cared as much about the quality as we did was very big for the longevity of the business/brand. We were able to focus on building other core components of the business now that we were no longer in the garage building.”
Biggest Challenge
Filling orders after viral success.
Czarnecki adds, “If I had a crystal ball and knew how wildly successful this was going to be early on, I would have had 50,000 games ready to ship when the video went viral. We were pushing customers away from buying in the beginning while we built the backend of the business.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Producing more games.
Team Tradition
Unplugging.
Czarnecki explains, “We host quarterly ‘Disconnect Meetings’ where the team gets together and enjoys each other’s company – away from social media, away from electronics, worry free and good-time hangouts. This refuels our internal purpose for why we work to grow Craggy and keeps our work light-hearted and fun. We started this company as best friends, we will be successful as best friends, and one day maybe we will leave this company as best friends.”
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Image: Craggy Games
This article, "Spotlight: Craggy Games Transforms a Favorite Activity Into a Viral Success" was first published on Small Business Trends
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