“This partnership is about more than creating a fun Marshall collectible,” said Dave Traube, chief marketing officer at Marshall University. “It’s about celebrating the connections and special moments that define the college experience. We’ve been referring to this initiative as a game with purpose – we hope it serves as a bridge for people to build meaningful connections with each other.”
Founded in 2007, CGE has produced award-winning titles such as Codenames, Galaxy Trucker and Lost Ruins of Arnak. With a design philosophy that combines elegant, thoughtful mechanics with high-quality production at an accessible price point, the company views the partnership as a new way to do what it does best – bringing people together.
“Over the last decade, Codenames has brought countless people together with more than 16 million copies sold,” said Jared Kaplan, North American Marketing at CGE. “In 2025, we wanted to build on this legacy of connection by creating a version of the game with purpose. College is an exciting time, filled with unknowns, and we believe Codenames can serve as a powerful centerpiece for students to gather around, ease social anxieties and have genuine fun in the process. Marshall University sees this same potential, which makes it the perfect partner to bring this vision to life.”
A limited number of Marshall University Codenames games were distributed to current students during the Student Involvement Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The event celebrated the launch of the partnership and offered attendees the opportunity to participate in the first-ever play sessions of this one-of-a-kind game.
Kaitlyn Fleming, a senior at Marshall, was one of the first students to pick up her game during Tuesday’s giveaway.
“It’s a popular party game,” Fleming said. “I think it will bring Marshall students together around campus. Maybe for students who are more shy, the game will bring the opportunity to play with multiple people and be that steppingstone.”
Shelby Hudson is a 2019 Marshall graduate who now works with CGE in its Charleston, West Virginia office.
“We thought this time of year would be excellent to bring students together,” Hudson said. “A lot more people like games than you would expect and after some conversations between the company and the university, it became what it is now.”
CGE will also be on campus for the Career Education Connection event on Wednesday, Sept. 3, to share insights about working in the board game industry.