Barn Boy Games Launched in Lancaster
Founders Kerry Oldfield and Ryan Stadel established the independent gaming studio in 2025.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Board Games
Live Poll
Do you prefer playing games from independent studios over those from large, established companies?
In 2025, Kerry Oldfield and Ryan Stadel established Barn Boy Games, an independent publishing house based in Lancaster. The studio serves as a platform for the founders to develop interactive party games.
Why it matters
The studio was created to foster brand identity centered on interactive gaming experiences designed to bring people together. This venture marks the entry of a new independent player into the tabletop sector.
Barn Boy Games operates as an independent publishing house that developed its initial portfolio based on years of accumulated concepts. Its debut party game, Height Fight, requires players to rank objects and landmarks by height.
The players
Kerry Oldfield
Kerry Oldfield is a co-founder of Barn Boy Games who helped establish the independent publishing studio in 2025.
Ryan Stadel
Ryan Stadel is a co-founder of Barn Boy Games who transitioned his game concepts into the independent publishing venture.
The details
The studio, which plans to produce original titles for the gaming sector, utilizes crowdfunding to facilitate its market entry. The debut release, Height Fight, focuses on simple, accessible mechanics for family play.
Timeline
Barn Boy Games was established in 2025.
The Kickstarter campaign for Height Fight will launch on October 1, 2026.
Culture Shift
The rise of independent tabletop game publishing via Kickstarter highlights the shift in how small studios like Barn Boy Games reach consumers. This approach reflects a broader trend of independent creators bypassing traditional retail gates to build niche, interactive gaming brands.
Residents can look forward to the upcoming launch of Height Fight as a new entertainment option for family gatherings. The studio's presence in Lancaster contributes to the local independent publishing ecosystem.
The takeaway
Small independent studios are increasingly using long-term concept development to build focused, interactive brands. Aspiring designers can track the success of these ventures through major crowdfunding platforms before commercial availability.
What happens next
The debut party game Height Fight is scheduled for its official Kickstarter campaign launch on October 1, 2026.
Further reading
For more on the local tabletop scene, visit our Board Games section.
More information
For more details on the upcoming release, visit the Height Fight game website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Big Frog 104.
Live Poll
Do you prefer playing games from independent studios over those from large, established companies?
