We’d love to introduce you to Studio Woe. We first met Brent Critchfield, Founder and Design Director of Studio Woe, at Gen Con in 2022 while walking the floor. We were immediately impressed with their small-but-mighty booth touting a wide selection of scented dice sets alongside their flagship board game, Gruff. We’ve kept in touch over the last few years, waiting patiently for our opportunity to work together as Brent scaled up his success. Now, we’re proud to say that today, we’re producing all of their scented dice SKUs with many more to come! Please make sure you’re following them on social media (Instagram @studiowoe & Facebook) and sign up to be on their email list through their website so you can be the first to back their next Kickstarter campaign! More scented dice, for more people!
Brent Critchfield (Founder and Design Director) and Hannah Adkins (Chief Chaos Coordinator) of Studio Woe
Can you tell us a bit about your company and the types of products you create?
Studio Woe was founded ten years ago with the goal of creating what we call “catastrophically amazing” products. We started with Gruff, a tactical card game about mutated monster goats, and over the years the company has evolved into something even stranger. Today, we’re best known for our patented scented dice, creating products that surprise people in ways they never expected.
How did you first get into this industry? Or was there a specific moment when you realized this could really become something?
Studio Woe actually began after I was unexpectedly laid off from my job in the video game industry. At the time, I had a young family, and it made me realize how fragile that kind of career could be. I wanted to build something that would provide stability for my family while also giving me the freedom to create the kinds of products I was passionate about. That idea eventually became Studio Woe.
What values or ideas guide your product development?
Our guiding philosophy is what we call “devastatingly awesome” or “catastrophic amazement.” We don’t chase trends or ask what everyone else is making. Instead, we try to create the thing people didn’t even know they wanted.
One of my favorite reactions to our scented dice is, “Who asked for this?” My answer is always, “Hopefully nobody.” That’s exactly where we think we add value. We want to surprise people with ideas they never expected while creating memorable products.
Were there any features or details that were especially important to get right?
Absolutely. Because our scented dice are protected by a unique patented process, there were countless opportunities for things to go wrong during manufacturing. Producing a product like this requires an incredible amount of attention to detail and a commitment to quality.
We spent years trying to establish a reliable end-to-end manufacturing process, and GPI was the first partner that was truly able to execute it consistently at the level we needed.
What are you working on next? Are there any trends or opportunities in your industry you’re excited about?
We recently completed our Wild Magic collection (check out the KS campaign here!), introducing three new fragrances: Lavender Enchantment, Glacial Blast, and Tempest Evocation. Next, we’re launching our Antihero line, which takes our products in a darker, grittier direction.
Beyond our scented dice, we’re also expanding our patented scent technology into entirely new product categories.
What made this project particularly complex or important for your team?
Because we’re creating a truly unique product, there were countless technical challenges and learning opportunities throughout development. Every stage required careful refinement, and having a manufacturing partner willing to work through those challenges with us was essential.
How can people stay in touch with you or get updates on your products?
You can learn more about Studio Woe, browse our products, and sign up for updates at studiowoe.com or follow us on Instagram @studiowoe!
Can you tell me what you remember about our first interaction together?
I actually met Arianne before we ever became a customer. She stopped by our booth at a convention because she genuinely loved the product. She wasn’t giving me a sales pitch. Instead, she started offering ideas for how we could better demonstrate the dice and even showed me examples of GPI’s marbling capabilities because she thought they’d fit what we were trying to accomplish.
That immediately stood out to me because it showed she understood our product and genuinely wanted to help solve our specific challenges.
Had you worked with other manufacturers or partners before? What was that experience like?
Yes, and honestly, that’s one of the reasons we value working with GPI so much.
Over the years, I’ve dealt with manufacturers who ghosted us after taking our money, manufacturers who misused our molds, unexpected inventory issues, communication breakdowns, and countless other problems. Finding a manufacturing partner that consistently communicates well and delivers quality has been refreshing.
Were there any specific capabilities or services that were especially important in your decision?
The biggest factor was GPI’s proven ability to handle technically complex products while maintaining exceptional quality.
Our products aren’t simple to manufacture, so we needed a partner with a track record of solving difficult production challenges. Seeing the quality of GPI’s previous work gave us confidence they could successfully manufacture something as unique as our scented dice.
How did GPI support you beyond just manufacturing the product?
One of the biggest differences with GPI is that they genuinely care about helping us succeed.
Even before we became customers, their team was offering thoughtful advice and sharing ideas that could improve our products. Once we started working together, they helped us organize specifications, document manufacturing processes, improve recipe consistency, and even build planning spreadsheets that made inventory forecasting much easier as we grew.
That level of support went far beyond simply producing the product.
Were there any wins or milestones you’re especially proud of?
Successfully bringing our patented scented dice into large-scale production was a huge milestone for Studio Woe. It’s a product many people assumed couldn’t be manufactured consistently, so reaching that point with GPI was a major achievement for our team.
Were there any moments where our team helped solve a problem or made things easier?
Absolutely! One example that stands out is when Ari recognized we needed a better system for maintaining recipe consistency and inventory planning. Rather than just pointing out the problem, she built spreadsheets and planning tools that made those processes significantly easier for us.
That proactive attitude has been consistent throughout our relationship with GPI.
Is there anything that surprised you about working with us?
The biggest surprise has been how much the team genuinely cares about making a great product, not just manufacturing one. That level of ownership isn’t something we’ve consistently experienced with other manufacturers. GPI is always invested in helping us achieve the best possible result.
How would you describe the experience of working together to someone who hasn’t worked with us before?
Working with GPI has been the best manufacturing experience Studio Woe has had. Communication has been excellent, collaboration has been seamless, and the team has consistently been willing to solve problems alongside us. They combine competitive pricing with a level of responsiveness and personal investment that is rare in manufacturing.
More than anything, it feels like working with people who genuinely care about your success, and that’s made all the difference.
Thank you, Brent and Hannah for taking the time to answer all of our questions. We’ve had such a great experience working with you so far, and we look forward to many more dice to come!
If you’re reading this and you would also like to work with our awesome team at GPI, please head over to our Contact Us page to send us an inquiry! Arianne will reach out to you as soon as she can.
