Jedko Games

Jedko Games is an Australian games company whose activities have included game publishing, importing, and wholesale distribution. Its origins are closely associated with founder John Edwards and the small but developing Australian wargaming market of the late 1960s and early 1970s. While visiting a friend in the United States in 1968, Edwards encountered Avalon Hill's Afrika Korps. Because he could not find an established local community of wargamers, he initially played the game by himself. The experience led him to explore how overseas strategy games could be made available to Australian players. In 1971, Edwards reached an arrangement with Avalon Hill to act as its Australian import agent. The economics of direct importing, however, were difficult: the reference material identifies an Australian import tax of 52 percent, making the overseas product too expensive for the local market. Rather than abandon the opportunity, Edwards developed The African Campaign, a professionally produced game inspired by the subject matter and broad strategic concept of Afrika Korps. He established Jedko in 1973 to print and publish the game in Australia. Avalon Hill subsequently determined that The African Campaign was not a simple reproduction of Afrika Korps. The game incorporated enough substantive changes to be treated as a distinct work, allowing the two companies to reach an arrangement under which Avalon Hill printed and distributed the title in North America. This relationship helped give Jedko's early publications an international route to market while retaining an Australian publishing base. Edwards went on to design additional historical and military games, including War at Sea and The Russian Campaign, both published in 1975 and also licensed for sale by Avalon Hill. Jedko's publishing catalogue also included an Australian edition of TSR's Dungeon!, Alan Jones Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing Game, and Basic Training, an introductory wargame depicting conflict between Australian and Japanese forces in New Guinea. Over time, Jedko's role expanded beyond original game publishing and wargame production. The company became an importer and wholesaler covering games, jigsaw puzzles, playing cards, wooden toys, board games, traditional games, and related puzzle products. Its distribution portfolio has included brands from Australia and multiple overseas markets, such as Holdson from New Zealand, Jumbo from the Netherlands, Piatnik from Austria, Gamewright from the United States, Heye from Germany, Eurographics from Canada, Professor Puzzle from the United Kingdom, Hanayama from Japan, Outset Media from Canada, and Gibsons Games from the United Kingdom. Jedko Games is therefore best understood as both a historical Australian tabletop-game publisher and a broader trade distributor. Its early identity was shaped by adapting and publishing strategic wargames for Australian conditions, while its later and continuing business scope has emphasized supplying retailers with an international assortment of tabletop entertainment and puzzle products. Public reference material does not establish detailed information about its present ownership, corporate structure, headquarters, financial performance, or current executive team.

Jedko Games developed from John Edwards's effort to make imported strategy games accessible to Australian players. Edwards first encountered Avalon Hill's Afrika Korps during a 1968 visit to the United States. After returning to Australia, he played the game alone for several months because he did not know other wargamers. In 1971, he arranged to become Avalon Hill's Australian import agent, but the high Australian import tax identified in the reference material made direct sales impractical. Edwards responded by designing The African Campaign, a game based on the same broad historical subject as Afrika Korps but developed with sufficient changes to become a separate work. He founded Jedko in 1973 to print and publish the game in Australia. Avalon Hill later accepted the distinct nature of the title and entered an arrangement to print and distribute The African Campaign in North America. This gave the new Australian publisher access to an overseas distribution channel and established a relationship with one of the leading historical-game companies of the period. Jedko's early catalogue included further Edwards-designed wargames. War at Sea and The Russian Campaign were published in 1975 and were licensed for sale by Avalon Hill. The company also produced an Australian edition of TSR's Dungeon!, along with titles aimed at different audiences, including Alan Jones Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing Game and Basic Training, an introductory game about Australian and Japanese forces in New Guinea during the Second World War. The company later broadened its business from original publishing and wargames into importing and wholesale distribution. Its product categories came to include jigsaw puzzles, playing cards, wooden toys, board games, traditional games, and other puzzles. The brand portfolio cited in reference material spans manufacturers and publishers from New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria, the United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Named brands include Holdson, Jumbo, Piatnik, Gamewright, Heye, Eurographics, Professor Puzzle, Hanayama, Outset Media, and Gibsons Games. This development made Jedko Games a connection point between international tabletop suppliers and the Australian market. Its historical significance lies in the combination of local publishing, adaptation of overseas game concepts, licensing, and later distribution. Available public material does not provide a detailed chronology of ownership changes, management succession, facilities, revenue, or current operating results. It also does not establish whether all of the early publishing lines remain in production today.

• 1975

  Expansion of the early wargame catalogue

  [1]Jedko Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  War at Sea and The Russian Campaign were published and licensed for sale by Avalon Hill.

• 1973

  Jedko is founded

  [1]Jedko Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Edwards founded Jedko to print and publish The African Campaign in Australia.

• 1971

  Australian import arrangement with Avalon Hill

  [1]Jedko Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Edwards reached an agreement to act as Avalon Hill's Australian import agent, but high import taxation made direct imports too expensive for the market.

• 1968

  John Edwards encounters Afrika Korps

  [1]Jedko Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  While visiting the United States, John Edwards came across Avalon Hill's Afrika Korps, an experience that introduced him to the historical wargaming opportunity he later pursued in Australia.

An Australian tabletop-games importer and wholesaler with historical roots as an original wargame publisher and local edition producer.

• Historical wargame · 1973

  The African Campaign

  Jedko's first professionally designed and published game, created by John Edwards after the cost of importing Afrika Korps made an Australian edition commercially attractive. Although inspired by the same general historical subject, Avalon Hill recognized that Edwards had made substantial changes, and the title was treated as a distinct game. Avalon Hill later printed and distributed it in North America.

• Historical wargame · 1975

  War at Sea

  A historical naval wargame designed by John Edwards and published by Jedko in 1975. The title was among the Jedko games licensed for sale by Avalon Hill, linking the Australian publisher's catalogue with an established North American games company.

• Historical wargame · 1975

  The Russian Campaign

  A historical campaign game designed by John Edwards and published in 1975. Like War at Sea, it was licensed for sale by Avalon Hill and formed part of Jedko's early international-facing wargame catalogue.

• Adventure board game

  Dungeon!

  Jedko published an Australian edition of TSR's Dungeon!, extending its catalogue beyond original historical wargames into licensed editions of established tabletop properties.

• Racing board game

  Alan Jones Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing Game

  A racing-themed tabletop game listed among Jedko's publications. Its subject connects the company's catalogue with Formula 1 and the public profile of Australian racing driver Alan Jones.

• Introductory wargame

  Basic Training

  An introductory wargame depicting Australian and Japanese forces in New Guinea during the Second World War. The title appears to have been positioned as an accessible entry point to historical gaming.

• 1973

  Publish an Australian alternative to costly importsStrategy

  Background

  The reference material states that a 52 percent Australian import tax made direct importation of Afrika Korps unaffordable.

  Action taken

  John Edwards designed The African Campaign and established Jedko to print and publish it domestically.

  Aftermath

  Avalon Hill accepted the title as a substantially different game and arranged to print and distribute it in North America.

  • Avalon Hill — Avalon Hill recognized the game as distinct from Afrika Korps and entered a North American printing and distribution arrangement.

  Source

1. 1Jedko Gamesen.wikipedia.org