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Decipher, Inc. is an American gaming company headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, US. The company began with three puzzles marketed as "Decipher," subsequently marketing party games and Pente sets. After 1994, Decipher produced collectible card and role-playing games — including their longest-running product, How to Host a Murder Mystery series.[1] Other popular works have included many different card games. Since 2002, Decipher has released two licensed role-playing games: Star Trek RPG and The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game.[2]

Key Information

History

[edit]

Decipher was founded by Warren Holland in 1983 designing and marketing games. Their first project was the Decipher contest puzzle, a "contest" jigsaw puzzle that challenged buyers to solve four cryptograms printed on the jigsaw puzzle and enter to win a prize.[3] This was followed by Decipher II, of which all four embedded puzzles were solved, though the solution to the last puzzle has since been lost; and Decipher III, which remains unsolved.[4]

The Decipher puzzles led to the launch of the successful How to Host a Murder line of party games. Subsequently they purchased the license for Pente from Parker Brothers, which they began marketing, maintaining a position in the games market.

Ten years later, after Decipher noticed the advent of collectible card games (CCGs), and game designers Tom Braunlich and Rollie Tesh (both former Pente world champions) conceptualized a media license-based CCG, and in November 1993 approached Decipher with a marketing idea.[5] The following month, Decipher acquired the license from Paramount to create a CCG based on Star Trek: The Next Generation. In August 1994, the new game was previewed for the first time at Gen Con, and in November 1994 it was officially released.

Following the early success of the Star Trek: TNG CCG, Decipher sought another popular media license as a suitable game premise, and in December 1995, after acquiring the rights from Lucasfilm, Decipher released the Star Wars Customizable Card Game in 1995. Both games became extremely popular and were ranked among the top five CCGs for the majority of their production (Star Wars often placing second behind only Magic: The Gathering). Despite an initial planned three-year run for the Star Trek:TNG game, in November 1996 Decipher announced they had renegotiated with Paramount to continue producing the game and expand the license agreement to include not only Star Trek:TNG, but also all of the other live-action Star Trek licenses (including Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and all of the Star Trek films).

In 1999, with the release of the Star Wars movie The Phantom Menace, Decipher made the decision to expand its market towards a younger generation. Other games like Pokémon were successfully drawing younger kids into card gaming, but Decipher's existing two games were seen as requiring too much thinking and planning for a younger child to properly understand and enjoy. So in response, Decipher created the Young Jedi Collectible Card Game to target this audience. This game used images exclusively from the new movies, while the original Star Wars CCG continued to use images only from the original trilogy until 2001.

In 1999, Decipher made an attempt to merge their previous successes by creating a licensed card game designed to target the party game audience. They acquired the license for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and created the Austin Powers Collectible Card Game. However, because the company was better known as a card-gaming company than a party-game company, by that point the game was seen as a poor attempt at a card game and ultimately failed, with production being put indefinitely on hold after the initial release.

In 2001, Decipher attempted to capitalize further on their successful Star Wars games by creating a third game called Jedi Knights Trading Card Game. This game was distinct from the others because all of the card images were entirely computer-generated. This enabled them to create scenes not seen in the movies, or from new angles. They also increased the breadth of licenses by acquiring the card game license for the new Lord of the Rings series of films being produced by New Line Cinemas beginning that year. This acquisition became even more important at the end of the year when it was announced that Decipher lost the Star Wars license, which ended production on all three Star Wars games.

Decipher made more changes to its target markets in 2002, this time by expanding into role-playing games. Decipher acquired most of the gaming studio from Last Unicorn Games, and extended the licenses that they already held[citation needed] in order to create the Star Trek and Lord of the Rings role-playing games, using a new CODA System which they developed. They also relaunched the Star Trek CCG with a new 2nd Edition, drawing on many of the same game mechanics that had made the first edition so popular, but streamlining them to be easier to learn for new players.

The following year, in 2003 Decipher made another attempt to enter the younger player CCG market, which was now dominated by Yu-Gi-Oh!. They acquired the licenses for and released new games based on the popular .hack and Beyblade series. Although the Beyblade Trading Card Game was short-lived, the .hack//Enemy Trading Card Game was well received and lasted several years.

In 2004, they produced another license-based children's game, this time based on the Mega Man NT Warrior series. They also created their first non-franchised card game entitled Wars, which utilized the same basic game mechanics that had made their original Star Wars CCG so popular.

2005 was a hard year for the company. With the wavering success of the .hack and Mega Man cartoons, they were forced to cancel both lines. The Wars game had failed to gain the audience they'd hoped for because it lacked the brand recognition associated with most of their other games and so it was put indefinitely on hold. After a brief attempt at a resurgence in the form of digital media, they shut down their RPG lines as well. With the overall decline of the gaming industry, in addition to embezzlement which cost the company millions,[6] the company suffered significant financial losses and was forced to lay off as many as 40 employees.

For the next two years Decipher focused on their two remaining properties, Star Trek and Lord of the Rings. However, in 2007 with the expiration of Decipher's license, the company released their final expansion set for the Lord of the Rings TCG, Age's End.[7] On December 12, 2007, Decipher also issued a press release announcing the end of the Star Trek CCG line of product with the next expansion, What You Leave Behind.[8]

During the holiday season of 2007, Decipher replaced their traditional home page with a teaser promising that "a player revolution is coming in 2008."[9] On March 30, 2008, Decipher began looking for Founding Members for their new game series Fight Klub.[10] Fight Klub was designed to be a new style of CCG, using a unique new marketing model. It was released in February 2009, and is themed on combat between (typically macho) characters from several film licences, such as Rambo, Mr. Blonde, and Chuck Norris.

In January 2012, it was announced that their website would shortly also be hosting material related to the "How to Host a Murder" series, suggesting that the series (which had not seen a new release for nine years) may be returning.[11]

Embezzlement and financial difficulties

[edit]

In March 2009, it was reported[12] that Holland's brother-in-law Rick Eddleman had pleaded guilty to embezzling over $1.5 million (USD) from Decipher, Inc. since the year 2000. Eddleman had been VP Finances for Decipher since 1993 and used his position to write checks to himself and to use company credit cards for personal purposes. The losses contributed to the company's decision to lay off more than 90 employees.

Eddleman faced a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison for 12 counts of embezzlement and a settlement of a civil lawsuit against him by Decipher for $8.9 million. On July 27, 2009, he was sentenced to six years and five months in prison.[13][14]

WARS Fiction

[edit]

In collaboration with science fiction author Michael A. Stackpole and Chuck Kallenbach, Decipher created numerous eBook-exclusive PDFs of short stories to tie into the game. Afterwards, Decipher partnered with Grail Quest books to publish a trilogy of novels set during the Battle of Phobos. However, only two were published.[15]

In 2021, Decipher entered a new partnership with Arcbeatle Press. The company would publish five short stories for the anniversary, before going on to reprint and complete the Battle of Phobos trilogy under the collective title of WARSONG. Simultaneously, the partnership would create a spin-off series, Academy 27.[16][17]

The partnership would lead to the first WARS crossover, And Today, You, crossing over with the Arcbeatle original series 10,000 Dawns and the Doctor Who independent spin-off Cwej: The Series.[18] [better source needed]

Player spin-off organizations

[edit]

Following Decipher's loss of the Star Wars franchise rights in 2001, Decipher employees and volunteers of the card game created a new entity entitled the "Star Wars Customizable Card Game Players Committee" (or SWCCGPC).[19][20] Decipher donated over one million dollars in product, promotional materials, and financial backing to the Players Committee to continue support and tournament organization of the game indefinitely.[21] Since 2002, the Players Committee has created several new virtual card sets for the game.[22]

A Continuing Committee has existed for the Star Trek CCG since 2008,[23] and a Player's Council for the Lord of the Rings TCG was established in 2020.[24]

Games

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Card games

[edit]

Role-playing games

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Decipher, Inc.

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Decipher, Inc. is an American gaming company founded in by Warren and headquartered in . The company initially focused on producing puzzles, board games, and , including the popular How to Host a Murder mystery series launched in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Decipher pioneered the (CCG) genre with licensed titles, beginning with Star Trek: The Next Generation Customizable Card Game in 1994, followed by the in 1995, and later The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game in 2001. These games emphasized strategic deck-building, , and narrative immersion tied to their source franchises, contributing to Decipher's reputation as a leader in the CCG industry during the boom following Magic: The Gathering. Decipher expanded its portfolio to include other licensed CCGs such as the MegaMan NT Warrior Trading Card Game (2004), A Game of Thrones Collectible Card Game (2002), and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Collectible Card Game (2000), alongside fan club operations and promotional materials that fostered dedicated communities. The company's innovative mechanics, like location-based play in Star Wars CCG and dilemma cards in Star Trek CCG, influenced subsequent trading card designs and maintained strong player engagement even after licenses expired. By the early 2000s, Decipher faced challenges including the loss of major licenses and internal issues, leading to a significant reduction in operations around 2005, though it avoided formal bankruptcy and retained its intellectual property. In recent years, Decipher has remained dormant in direct production but actively licenses its classics; notably, in February 2025, it partnered with Cryptozoic Entertainment to relaunch the How to Host a Murder series, marking a revival of its party game legacy. Today, enthusiast communities continue to support Decipher's CCGs through organized play, virtual expansions, and aftermarket trading, underscoring the enduring impact of its contributions to tabletop gaming.

History

Founding and early years

Decipher, Inc. was founded in 1983 by Warren Holland in , initially focusing on the production of puzzles and board games. The company name derived from its inaugural product, the Decipher Puzzle—a cryptographic jigsaw challenge where participants deciphered a code from numbered pieces to solve a contest offering a $100,000 prize, inspired by historical ciphers like the Beale treasure legend. In the mid-1980s, Decipher launched the How to Host a mystery party game series, a line of interactive dinner-party experiences designed for 8–10 players. The series debuted with titles such as The Watersdown Affair in 1985, set in a English mansion, and expanded to include The Chicago Caper, emphasizing mechanics like role assignment, scripted dialogues, clue distribution, and group interrogation to unravel the fictional . These games encouraged hosts to provide period costumes and themed meals, fostering immersive social deduction among friends or family. Decipher's early portfolio also featured other non-licensed alongside licensed marketing efforts, such as distributing the abstract strategy Pente starting in 1987, which involved placing markers on a grid to form lines or capture opponents' pieces. Examples of later non-licensed products included the Boy Crazy in 2000, targeted at young audiences with real-life profiles of boys. The company's initial centered on accessible, social entertainment through puzzles and , building a foundation that supported expansion into licensed properties in the .

Growth in licensed gaming

In the mid-1990s, Decipher, Inc. pivoted toward licensed properties, leveraging its early success in puzzle and to secure major entertainment partnerships. This shift began with the acquisition of a licensing agreement from to develop the Star Trek: The Next Generation (CCG), launched in November 1994. The game quickly gained traction in the burgeoning CCG market, with initial orders exceeding 100 million cards and projected revenues of $40 million. Building on this momentum, Decipher partnered with Ltd. to release the in December 1995, which became the company's longest-running product, spanning six years until 2001. Recognized as one of the industry's most successful card games, it rivaled Magic: The Gathering in popularity and fostered a dedicated player community that continued post-licensure. In 1999, Decipher acquired Corporation, enhancing its capabilities in role-playing game development. Decipher expanded its CCG portfolio with additional licensed titles, diversifying across franchises. These included the Young Jedi Collectible Card Game (1999) and Jedi Knights Trading Card Game (2001), both extensions of the Star Wars universe; the CCG (1999); the Trading Card Game (2001), whose premiere starter decks sold out rapidly; the .hack//ENEMY TCG (2003), tied to the anime series; the TCG (2003); the Mega Man NT Warrior TCG (2004); and the original WARS TCG (2004). In 2002, Decipher entered the role-playing game (RPG) market with licensed adaptations using its proprietary CODA System, a d20-based ruleset designed for narrative-driven play. Key releases included the Roleplaying Game, covering multiple eras of the franchise, and the Roleplaying Game, adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's works. By the early , Decipher had established itself as a leader in licensed gaming, managing high-profile and fantasy properties through innovative card and role-playing formats.

Financial challenges and aftermath

Decipher, Inc. faced mounting financial pressures in the early 2000s due to saturation in the collectible card game (CCG) market, which had boomed in the 1990s but led to oversupply and declining sales for many publishers by 2000. The company's reliance on licensed properties exacerbated these challenges when Lucasfilm declined to renew the Star Wars license in late 2001, awarding it instead to Wizards of the Coast, though Decipher continued producing and distributing existing Star Wars CCG products until 2004. Subsequent losses of other key licenses, including Star Trek in 2007, resulted in the termination of all major CCG lines and further strained operations. By 2005, these issues prompted significant layoffs at Decipher, reducing the workforce to a skeleton crew and causing delays in product releases, such as the TCG expansion sets. The company teetered on the brink of collapse amid ongoing financial difficulties but avoided formal bankruptcy proceedings, instead scaling back to minimal operations. The situation worsened with the 2008 discovery of by Rick Eddleman, Decipher's of and brother-in-law to founder Warren Holland, who had siphoned at least $1.5 million from the company between 1992 and 2001 through fraudulent wire transfers and checks. Eddleman pleaded guilty to wire fraud in March 2009 and was sentenced in July 2009 to six years and five months in federal prison, along with a $8.9 million restitution order that Decipher was unlikely to fully recover. This scandal intensified the operational decline, leaving the company in a severely weakened state. In a bid for revival, Decipher launched the original Fight Klub CCG in February 2009, an independent property designed to capitalize on streamlined mechanics without licensing dependencies, though it failed to achieve commercial success and was discontinued after three sets in 2010. The company remained largely dormant for the following decade, with no major releases. As of 2025, Decipher, Inc. persists as an inactive entity on paper, registered in , without active production or staff, functioning essentially as a "ghost" company holding intellectual property rights. However, in February 2025, it announced a partnership with to relaunch the How to Host a Murder party game series, with updated editions scheduled for release in November 2025, marking its first significant activity in over a decade and signaling potential resurgence.

Products

Party and board games

Decipher's entry into party and board games began with the launch of the How to Host a Murder series in 1985, which became the company's flagship product line and a cornerstone of its early success in the social gaming market. This series features boxed murder mystery games designed for group play, typically accommodating 8 participants who assume scripted roles as suspects in a fictional scenario. Over the following two decades, Decipher released more than 20 titles in the series, spanning from the mid-1980s through the early , with the final new release occurring in 2003. The core mechanics of How to Host a Murder emphasize and deduction, with players receiving personalized character booklets, clue cards delivered via sealed envelopes for progressive reveals, and structured rounds for sharing information, making accusations, and unraveling the mystery. Scenarios draw on diverse historical and cultural themes to immerse groups in atmospheric settings, such as the Prohibition-era intrigue of or the opulent Victorian-era plotting in The Watersdown Affair. These elements foster collaborative yet competitive social dynamics, often incorporating costume suggestions, recipes, and props to enhance the dinner-party experience. Beyond the flagship series, Decipher distributed other board games, including licensed editions of the Pente in the 1980s, which involves placing markers on a grid to form lines of five or capture opponents' pieces. The company also produced Boy Crazy, a dating-themed targeted at younger audiences, featuring card-based mechanics for lighthearted social interaction. Commercially, the How to Host a Murder series achieved significant popularity, attracting over 50 million players and solidifying Decipher's reputation in the party game niche prior to its expansion into collectible card games. Activity in this category waned after the early , though Decipher explored potential revivals, including announcements in for new digital and print materials to accompany the existing titles. In February 2025, Decipher partnered with to relaunch the How to Host a series, starting with updated versions of four classic episodes (The Watersdown Affair, Class of ’54, The Chicago Caper, and Saturday Night Cleaver) and plans for new licensed content, set for release later in 2025.

Trading card games

Decipher, Inc. developed a portfolio of games (TCGs) primarily centered on licensed intellectual properties from and fantasy franchises, alongside original concepts, emphasizing collectible, competitive play through customizable decks. These games contributed to the early expansion of the TCG genre by integrating thematic elements from popular media into strategic card-based battles. Licensing agreements with entities like Paramount for , Lucasfilm for Star Wars, and Tolkien Enterprises for enabled Decipher to produce themed expansions that tied directly to narrative universes, fostering dedicated player communities. Core mechanics across Decipher's TCGs revolved around deck-building, where players assembled 60-card decks from collected boosters, incorporating to deploy units, resolve combats via attribute comparisons or draws, and employ faction-based strategies for asymmetric . In titles like the (CCG), objective-based play focused on controlling battlegrounds—represented by location cards—to generate resources () and engage in tactical confrontations, with combat outcomes determined by "drawing destiny" from the deck for added variability. Key titles showcased unique features tied to their themes. The Star Trek: The Next Generation CCG, released in 1994, introduced dilemma cards that simulated exploration challenges, requiring players to overcome obstacles like environmental hazards or ethical quandaries to complete missions and score points. The Star Wars CCG, launched in 1995, emphasized force generation through site control and multi-faction battles between Light and Dark sides, with over 1,400 unique cards across its expansions. The Jedi Knights Trading Card Game (2001) continued Star Wars themes post-license transition, focusing on Jedi and Sith duels with ability-based combat. The Lord of the Rings TCG, debuting in 2001, featured fellowship progression mechanics where players advanced a Ring-bearer along a path of sites while managing a twilight pool—a shared resource pool of tokens representing evil's influence—to balance Free Peoples' advances against Shadow threats. Later entries included the MegaMan NT Warrior Trading Card Game (2004), simulating NetNavi battles with chip downloads and virus programs for digital warfare; the Beyblade Trading Card Game (2003), which abstracted spinning top battles by aligning card edges to compare attributes like power and stamina; WARS TCG (2004), an original sci-fi game reviving Star Wars-style location-based warfare with modular site deployment for abstract strategic conflicts; and Fight Klub (2009), focusing on customizable martial arts fighters drawn from various licenses, allowing players to build hero or villain decks for arena-style duels. Decipher's innovations, such as the emphasis on fully customizable decks in licensed settings, helped fuel the CCG boom following Magic: The Gathering, with mechanics like dilemmas and twilight pools providing thematic depth and replayability that influenced subsequent TCG designs. Across their lines, the company produced thousands of unique cards, enabling diverse strategies and long-term player engagement. Production involved annual expansions for major titles, such as 20+ sets for Star Wars CCG and 19 for Lord of the Rings TCG, alongside organized play programs featuring local, regional, and world tournaments supported by player committees until around 2004. These events, coordinated with Decipher, included prize structures and rules updates to maintain competitive balance.

Role-playing games

Decipher, Inc. introduced the CODA System in 2002 as the foundation for its role-playing game offerings, marking a shift from its earlier focus on card games to collaborative in licensed universes. The system employed a 2d6 dice mechanic for resolving actions, adding modifiers from attributes, skills, and other factors to determine success, which provided a bell-curve distinct from the linear outcomes of d20 rolls. Characters advanced through experience points spent on improvements to attributes, skills, or special abilities called Edges, akin to feats in other systems, while belonging to classes that granted unique perks and facilitated skill development. utilized a vitality and wounds framework, where points absorbed minor damage like grazes before wounds inflicted lasting penalties and risked incapacitation, emphasizing tactical depth over simple hit point depletion. Designed for adaptability, CODA supported both and fantasy settings through modular rules for mechanics like spells, , and environmental interactions, with core rulebooks exceeding 300 pages to detail these elements comprehensively. The Roleplaying Game, launched in 2002 under a license from , adapted the CODA System to the universe, spanning approximately seven years until Decipher's cessation of RPG production in 2007. It covered key factions such as the , Klingons, and , with core books like the Player's Guide and Narrator's Guide establishing rules for starship operations, alien species, and interstellar diplomacy. Sourcebooks expanded this scope, including titles on the for alternate reality scenarios and detailed lore, while prioritizing narrative elements like exploration missions and ethical dilemmas over frequent combat encounters. Gameplay encouraged collaborative campaigns focused on discovery and negotiation, reflecting the franchise's themes, with supplements like Aliens and Starships providing tools for diverse adventures across the galaxy. In parallel, Roleplaying Game debuted in 2002 with a from Tolkien Enterprises, modifying CODA to evoke the epic tone of J.R.R. Tolkien's through mechanics centered on heroism and fellowship dynamics. Heroism points allowed players to invoke narrative boons, such as rerolling critical failures or enhancing ally actions, fostering a sense of legendary valor amid peril. The companion system integrated group cohesion, enabling shared resources and synchronized maneuvers in battles against foes like orcs or the forces of , while core rules detailed cultural lore, magical artifacts, and regional geographies. Supplements such as the Sourcebook and Helm's Deep provided setting-specific expansions, including Gondor-focused campaigns and scenarios tied to the shadows of , enhancing immersive storytelling in Tolkien's world. Decipher's RPG line remained limited to these two major titles, producing around 20 books in total between 2002 and 2005 before license expirations and company challenges halted further development. The CODA System garnered praise for its narrative flexibility and depth in supporting character-driven campaigns, yet faced criticism for perceived complexity in its layered modifiers and advancement options compared to streamlined d20 alternatives. This brief foray built on Decipher's prior success with the , bridging licensed properties into interactive role-playing experiences.

Community and legacy

Player organizations

Decipher, Inc. fostered the development of formal player organizations for its licensed trading card games, particularly after losing key licenses, enabling fan-led groups to maintain and expand community engagement. These committees operated with significant autonomy, focusing on organized play and content creation to preserve the games' longevity. The Star Wars Customizable Card Game Players Committee was established in late 2001 following Decipher's loss of the Star Wars license to Wizards of the Coast, with the group officially forming in early 2002 to oversee the game's continuation. Composed of dedicated players, the committee managed tournament organization at local, regional, and world levels, updated rules to address evolving playstyles, and facilitated the reprinting of out-of-print cards through virtual formats. It transitioned to fully independent operation in 2002, later becoming a 501(c)(3) charitable organization around 2015, releasing free virtual expansions multiple times per year and sustaining competitive play without corporate involvement. Decipher's original tournament infrastructure laid the groundwork for this structured support, allowing seamless handover to fan governance. In a similar vein, the Customizable Card Game Continuing Committee emerged in 2008 as a fan-led initiative to revive the First Edition game after Decipher ceased production in 2007. This volunteer group maintains virtual play platforms, comprehensive deck archives, and designs new virtual cards to expand gameplay options, operating under a policy of non-affiliation with while respecting guidelines. Endorsed informally by Decipher's former CEO, the committee organizes global tournaments and resolves rules disputes, ensuring the game's accessibility for ongoing community participation. (Note: cited here as it references the endorsement directly from secondary reports; primary endorsement details stem from community archives.) The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game saw the formation of its Player's Council in 2020, a fan-based continuing dedicated to revitalizing the game two decades after its 2001 debut. Modeled after predecessors, this group governs online events, including monthly leagues and world championships, while providing legacy support through digital tools and resources to facilitate play without physical cards. These player organizations played a pivotal role in by handling organized play logistics, mediating disputes over rules and formats, and extending the lifespans of Decipher's games well beyond license expirations. Through fan-driven initiatives, they preserved gameplay integrity and fostered ongoing engagement, collectively sustaining a dedicated global player base across multiple titles.

Fictional works and IP transfers

Decipher, Inc. produced original fiction tied to its WARS Trading Card Game, releasing a series of eBook-exclusive short stories in 2004 that expanded the game's universe of interstellar conflict among human factions and alien species. The inaugural story, "A Matter of Life or Death" by author , introduced key characters and rivalries, such as pilot Nick "" Murrin and Shi warrior Gongen Kujiko Torako, setting the tone for ongoing narratives of survival and warfare. Subsequent entries, including "The First Arrow Was Light, But the Second Went Deep" by , built on this foundation through digital formats distributed via Decipher's promotions. In 2021, Decipher partnered with Arcbeatle Press to revive fiction under the "WARSONG" banner, reprinting early works in collections like WARSONG: Preludes and commissioning new stories to extend the lore, with ongoing releases including audiobooks as of 2024. This collaboration preserved and expanded the original interstellar narratives, with titles such as "Stretti: The Battle of Phobos" introducing fresh conflicts while honoring Decipher's foundational elements. Beyond WARS, Decipher incorporated fiction into its licensed products, primarily through short stories in game supplements and on trading cards for and Roleplaying Game, but the company did not produce major standalone novels for these properties. These snippets provided contextual depth to , such as vignettes in Star Trek sourcebooks detailing encounters. Following Decipher's financial challenges and reduction of operations around 2005, rights for licensed games were transferred or expired. The license shifted to in 2001 after declined to renew with Decipher, with Wizards producing expansions until 2007; fan-organized support via the Star Wars Players Committee sustained play and virtual releases into the 2010s. The Trading Card Game license expired in 2007 without renewal, returning rights to the and enabling later adaptations by other publishers, including ' Living Card Game in 2011. Decipher retained ownership of How to Host a Murder, its original series, though it remained inactive for years until a 2025 relaunch partnership with . The legacy of Decipher's fictional works endures through fan communities, including online wikis and creative extensions like fan fiction that build on WARS lore, alongside periodic revivals such as the 2021 Arcbeatle reprints that maintain access to the original stories. Since then, most IPs have seen limited official development, with fan-driven efforts preserving the universes amid dormancy.

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  45. https://megaman.fandom.com/wiki/MegaMan_NT_Warrior_Trading_Card_Game
  46. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedi_Knights_Trading_Card_Game
  47. https://www.theonering.net/torwp/2002/02/14/26785-decipher-talks-lotr/
  48. https://www.cgccards.com/news/article/10672/
  49. https://www.starwarsccg.org/about/
  50. https://rpggeek.com/rpgsystem/476/coda-system
  51. https://rpggeek.com/rpg/1481/star-trek-roleplaying-game
  52. https://index.rpg.net/display-search.phtml?key=publisher&value=Decipher&match=precise
  53. https://www.theringer.com/2018/05/21/star-wars/star-wars-customizable-card-game-player-community
  54. https://www.trekcc.org/faq.php
  55. https://lotrtcgpc.net/
  56. https://www.trekcc.org/1e/
  57. https://www.michaelastackpole.com/?page_id=4
  58. https://www.arcbeatlepress.com/wars-under-constructrion.html
  59. https://www.amazon.com/WARSONG-Stretti-Battle-Phobos-2/dp/B0BM84ZQL8
  60. https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/612367.Decipher_Inc
  61. https://wars.fandom.com/wiki/WARSONG_Fiction
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