Thanks to the US copyright on the original Winnie the Pooh story expiring in January 2022, several enterprising creatives have attempted to use the character to tell new tales. We can all grimly recall the two Blood and Honey horror films that reimagined the adorable bear as a fluffy yellow Jason Voorhees. Now, CrowD Games (the publisher of En Route and Barrage) is bringing out a Winnie the Pooh board game. Winnie the Pooh: Serious Detective will see A.A Milne's most huggable creation ditch his honey pot for a trilby hat and a trench coat. With an estimated launch date of November 25, 2025, this peculiar project will be available for purchase in just over a month.
In a recent designer diary posted on Board Game Geek, Oleg Meleshin, the game's designer, and Dan Lièvre, its lead developer, outlined their vision for Winnie the Pooh: Serious Detective. Meleshin recalls rereading the books to his daughter, and being "surprised at how disarmingly naive, genuine, and sometimes even wise Milne's Pooh turned out to be." This gave him the idea of making Pooh into a detective and having him team up with his forest friends to crack cases.
In this game of ursine investigation, players navigate a series of location cards, gradually gathering evidence. Dice are rolled to determine which actions can be taken in a turn. Players can observe their surroundings from a distance, examine them up close, or strike up conversations with witnesses. Dice of any value can be used to move across the map. Each of the game's scenarios has multiple endings. Getting the best outcomes apparently depends on the players' ability to solve "moral dilemmas". Pretty heavy sounding stuff. Maybe all of this complex ethical decision making is what has turned Pooh into such a "serious detective"?
Curiously, only the game's first level takes place in Pooh's native Hundred Acre Wood. Case two takes Pooh and co to Camelot, while the game's third and final investigation happens through the looking glass in Wonderland.
What sort of Winnie the Pooh adaptation would you like to play? A Hundred Acre Wood miniatures wargame? A dungeon delving TTRPG starring Tigger? A TCG where Piglett and Eeyore can finally throw down? Tell us your ideas in the Wargamer Discord.
If you're looking for other games that kids and adults can enjoy together, check out our list of the best family board games of 2025.