Decipher, Inc.
Warren Holland opened a small office in Norfolk, Virginia, during 1983. He designed three jigsaw puzzles that required buyers to solve four cryptograms printed on the cardboard pieces. The first puzzle was called Decipher and offered a prize for solving all four codes. The second project, Decipher II, had all four embedded puzzles solved by the time of its release. The solution to the final code in that set has since been lost forever. A third version, Decipher III, remains unsolved to this day. These early products defined the company name and established a reputation for intellectual challenges. Holland later launched the How to Host a Murder party game line based on these initial concepts. He also purchased the license for Pente from Parker Brothers to maintain market presence.
Tom Braunlich and Rollie Tesh approached Decipher with a marketing idea in November 1993. Both men were former world champions at the game Pente. They proposed a collectible card game based on a media license. Decipher acquired the rights from Paramount the following month to create a Star Trek: The Next Generation CCG. The new game received its first preview at Gen Con in August 1994 before official release in November 1994. In December 1995, Decipher secured the Star Wars Customizable Card Game license from Lucasfilm. Both titles became extremely popular and ranked among the top five CCGs for most of their production run. Star Wars often placed second behind only Magic: The Gathering. An initial three-year plan for the Star Trek game ended when Decipher renegotiated with Paramount in November 1996. This agreement expanded the license to include all live-action Star Trek series and films.
Decipher entered the role-playing game market in 2002 by acquiring assets from Last Unicorn Games. They developed a new system called CODA to power these new products. The company released both a Star Trek Roleplaying Game and The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game that same year. These RPGs utilized licenses they already held while extending them into tabletop formats. A second edition of the Star Trek CCG also launched during this period. It streamlined mechanics to make the game easier for new players to learn. The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game won the 2002 Origins Award for Best Role-playing Game. Decipher continued to produce licensed card games targeting younger audiences through 2003 and 2004. They released .hack//Enemy Trading Card Game which lasted several years despite short-lived competitors like Beyblade.
Rick Eddleman served as Vice President of Finances at Decipher since 1993. In March 2009, reports emerged that he had pleaded guilty to embezzling over $1.5 million USD from the company. His criminal activity began in the year 2000 when he started writing checks to himself. He also used company credit cards for personal expenses throughout his tenure. The financial losses contributed to a decision to lay off more than 90 employees. Eddleman faced a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison for 12 counts of embezzlement. A civil lawsuit against him sought a settlement of $8.9 million. On the 27th of July 2009, he received a sentence of six years and five months in prison. These events forced the company to shut down RPG lines and face significant financial losses during 2005 and beyond.
Decipher donated over one million dollars in product and promotional materials to the Star Wars Customizable Card Game Players Committee. This entity formed after the company lost the Star Wars franchise rights in 2001. The committee continued support and tournament organization indefinitely starting in 2002. They created several new virtual card sets for the game since that time. A Continuing Committee has existed for the Star Trek CCG since 2008. A Player's Council for the Lord of the Rings TCG was established in 2020. Decipher released their final expansion set for the Lord of the Rings TCG called Age's End in 2007. The Star Trek CCG line ended with the What You Leave Behind expansion on the 12th of December 2007. In January 2012, the website began hosting material related to the How to Host a Murder series suggesting a return after nine years without new releases.
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Common questions
When did Warren Holland open Decipher Inc in Norfolk Virginia?
Warren Holland opened a small office in Norfolk, Virginia during 1983. He designed three jigsaw puzzles that required buyers to solve four cryptograms printed on the cardboard pieces.
What card games did Decipher Inc release after acquiring Star Trek and Star Wars licenses?
Decipher acquired the rights from Paramount to create Star Trek: The Next Generation CCG and secured the Star Wars Customizable Card Game license from Lucasfilm in December 1995. Both titles became extremely popular and ranked among the top five CCGs for most of their production run.
Who embezzled money from Decipher Inc and when was he sentenced?
Rick Eddleman served as Vice President of Finances at Decipher since 1993 before pleading guilty to embezzling over $1.5 million USD from the company in March 2009. On the 27th of July 2009 he received a sentence of six years and five months in prison.
Which role playing game won an award in 2002?
The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game won the 2002 Origins Award for Best Role-playing Game. Decipher entered the role-playing game market in 2002 by acquiring assets from Last Unicorn Games.
When did the Star Trek CCG line end?
The Star Trek CCG line ended with the What You Leave Behind expansion on the 12th of December 2007. A Continuing Committee has existed for the Star Trek CCG since 2008.