About us
KOZAK Games is an independent board game publisher originally founded in Ukraine, now also active in the U.S., focused on designing smart, compact, and memorable tabletop experiences. Since launching in 2019, KOZAK Games has been dedicated to bringing micro-sized games with big ideas to players around the world. We started KOZAK Games just before the COVID‑19 pandemic—an undeniably challenging time for any creative business. What began as a passion project between two friends, Roman Zadorozhnyy and Petro Samulyak, quickly evolved into a bold experiment in indie publishing. Our first publishing partner was none other than Button Shy, the legendary U.S. micro-game label. In fact, KOZAK Games became one of Button Shy’s earliest international partners, helping introduce their pocket-sized games to the Ukrainian audience. This partnership helped shape our design values: minimalism, elegance, and accessibility. In the early years, we also tried to innovate the business model behind how board games are distributed. We launched a yearly subscription program for KOZAK Games titles—a bold attempt to build a loyal community that would receive every new release. Unfortunately, it was a major challenge, and with only a few dozen supporters, the subscription model became one of our biggest early failures. Still, it taught us important lessons about timing, community-building, and sustainable growth. From the start, we’ve had to navigate some difficult terrain: the global pandemic, economic shifts, and later, the war in Ukraine. In 2023, after a challenging year filled with stress, limited time, and the absence of a local team, we significantly slowed down our operations in Ukraine. It was a tough but necessary decision to adjust our pace and focus on what we could realistically sustain. Roman, who lived in the U.S., decided to rebuild KOZAK Games from the ground up on American soil—bringing with him years of experience and a few boxes of prototypes ready for a new beginning.
Our Mission
Our goal is simple: to make clever, small-box games that bring people together.
We believe in:
• Compact design with big replayability
• Cross-cultural storytelling
• Fast, fun, and deeply strategic gameplay
• Accessible rules, beautiful components, and meaningful choices
We also believe that board games should reflect real stories, real emotions, and real people—especially in times of crisis and change.
In 2023, co-founder Petro Samulyak stepped away from KOZAK Games to pursue other creative ventures. Since then, Roman has continued as the sole operator, handling everything from game design to shipping orders, with support from a tight-knit group of family members, collaborators and artists. Together, this tight-knit team keeps the heart of KOZAK Games beating—independent, passionate, and proudly hands-on.
Why KOZAK?
“Kozak” (or Cossack) is a word deeply rooted in Ukrainian history—symbolizing independence, courage, and the spirit of the people. We chose this name because it represents who we are: independent creators pushing forward despite adversity, building something meaningful one card at a time.
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