Board&Dice joins ER Champ 2026 as a prize partner, bringing Maestro, Tianxia and Thebai to the prize pool for this year’s winners.

Board&Dice Joins Our Prize Partners

The final escape rooms won’t be the last challenge awaiting this year’s winners! We are happy to welcome Board&Dice as a prize partner of the World Escape Room Championship 2026. The publisher is contributing three board game titles to the prizes: Maestro, Tianxia and Thebai.

From artistic rivalries in Renaissance Italy to the struggles of ancient kingdoms, these games will give our winners plenty of reasons to gather around a table after the competition.

A Publisher for Curious Minds

Board&Dice develops and publishes strategy board games and escape room games, with a catalogue that includes titles such as Nucleum, Teotihuacan and the Escape Tales series. Its games explore historical and fantastical settings, inviting players to experiment, plan ahead and discover how different choices shape each session.

For people who enjoy working through a challenge, testing an idea and finding a way forward, there is plenty to get excited about. And our winners will have three very different worlds to explore!

Three Games, Three New Challenges

Maestro: A Rivalry Worthy of the Renaissance

In Maestro, the workshops of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo compete for artistic recognition across Italy. Players create and exhibit artworks, seek the support of influential nobles and try to secure their presence in prestigious galleries.

Each workshop can be led by one player or a team of two, adding a new setting for the teamwork our finalists know so well. With different abilities for the two workshops, there is more than one way to leave a mark on the Renaissance!

Tianxia: Influence, Trade and Defence

Tianxia takes players to ancient China during the Warring States period. As leaders of noble families, they seek prestige by appointing governors, gaining favour with powerful rulers and trading with merchant ships.

But ambition must be balanced with defence. Threats from the north demand soldiers, walls and towers, making the protection of the kingdoms an important part of every player’s plans. Choosing where to invest your resources is a challenge of its own!

Thebai: Rebuild a City Under Threat

In Thebai, players lead noble families in the troubled city of Thebes. With conflict unfolding at its gates, they must rebuild the Cadmea citadel, manage exports, honour the gods and protect the citizens.

Assigning citizens to tasks and moving their Archon through the city, players work to restore Thebes while building their own standing. It is a game of competing priorities, where the city’s needs and personal ambitions are closely intertwined.

Thank You for Supporting Our Winners!

We would like to thank Board&Dice for contributing to the ER Champ 2026 prizes and giving our winners new adventures to take home. The medals will mark their achievements, while these games will offer a reason to meet again, try new strategies and enjoy another friendly rivalry.

First, though, there are two final escape rooms to conquer. We can’t wait to see who rises to the challenge!