WHAT'S POP'N V28
Issue 28
And just like that… we’ve reached the final What’s Pop’n of 2025!
What. A. Year.
From game nights and trade shows to puzzle drops, marble races, TCG madness, toy launches, and every burst of pure play in between — you helped make this year unforgettable.
To our incredible retail partners: thank you for backing our brands, championing our products, and keeping shelves buzzing with excitement. And to our fans and end users: thank you for the unboxings, the tags, the game nights, the puzzle builds, the collections, and the love you’ve shown across every Solarpop range. You’re the heartbeat of our tribe, and we appreciate you more than you know.
✨ Seriously… thank you for making it pop. ✨
Before we wrap up, a quick note for our retail partners: This festive season has brought some unexpected port delays, which unfortunately means a few arrivals won’t land before we close for 2025. But don’t stress — these shipments will be first in line for processing the moment we’re back in January.
And a second heads-up: the usual pricelist mailers will not be going out on the 18th or 19th of December. Updated pricing will be available directly on the Solarpop B2B portal, so please head there for the latest info.
Here’s to rest, reset, and an even bigger, bolder, and brighter 2026. Let’s keep bringing happiness home, together. 🎉
TOP OF THE POPS
Listen to this month’s track and set the mood for boardgame night!
“Boards, Braais & Holiday Vibes”
Our festive anthem is here, and it hits with pure South African Christmas energy — sunshine, sizzling braais, poolside laughs, and the year’s best games turning every gathering into a holiday highlight reel.
Boards, Braais & Holiday Vibes celebrates the top titles that carried us through 2025, from quick-fire card rounds to big-board showdowns that kept the vibes high all season long. It’s the soundtrack for sunlit play, December joy, and those table moments that make the holidays feel alive.
Turn it up, shuffle up, and let the games roll.
This is how South Africa plays Christmas. ☀️🔥🎄🎲
PRE-ORDERS EXPIRING
Catch pre-orders closing next week and take advantage of any pre-order incentives that may be on offer for them!
Retail partners: Please view all our Pre-Orders expiring soon here:
Click herePlayers & collectors: Secure your copy by placing a pre-order with your Friendly Local Game Store today!
NEW PRE-ORDERS
Fresh titles just added - take a look and plan ahead!
Yu-Gi-Oh! Rarity Collection 5 Booster
Pokémon: Deluxe Pin Collection 2026
First In Flight
Outnumbered: Improbable Heroes
Sounds Fishy
The Chameleon
Retail partners: View all our New Pre-Orders here:
Click herePlayers & collectors: Secure your copy by placing a pre-order with your Friendly Local Game Store today!
PROMOTIONS
View all the promotional deals currently running across our entire product range!
🎁 ON PROMOTION: LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
The countdown is officially on. From 28 November to 17 December, our Last Minute Christmas Shopping Promotion brings the heat with fast movers, festive favourites, and grab-and-go gifts perfect for the South African Christmas rush.
We’re talking stocking stuffers, travel-ready titles, quick wins, and guaranteed holiday heroes — the kind of products shoppers spot, smile at, and toss into their baskets without a second thought.
Fast. Fun. Festive.
Stack it high, spotlight it proudly, and help your customers wrap up their Christmas gifting in record time.
LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
ON CLEARANCE
Final chance to get these items (at amazing prices) before they are gone for good!
NEW ARRIVALS
Discover what just landed on local shelves!
STEFAN’S CORNER
TCG highlights and what’s hot on the horizon.
The Heart of the Cards
As 2026 draws to a close, we look back on an extraordinary year for trading card games. From record-breaking releases in Magic: The Gathering , Pokémon , and Yu-Gi-Oh! to the exciting debut of Gundam TCG and the continued rise of Bandai’s One Piece , the passion for collecting and playing has never been stronger. Star Wars Unlimited also had another stellar year, with Carbonite boosters quickly becoming a staple since their February launch.
None of these milestones would be possible without the incredible network of retailers who bring these games to life. Whether it’s stocking the latest releases, creating welcoming play spaces, or offering advice to curious newcomers, your dedication keeps the community thriving. To every store manager, sales associate, and business owner — thank you for your commitment to fostering joy and connection through gaming.
And to the fans: your enthusiasm is the heartbeat of this industry. Whether you’re a weekly visitor to your local shop, a collector chasing rare pulls, or a player honing your deck for the next big event, your passion inspires us all. As someone who has spent 26 years in the world of trading card games, I’m continually humbled by the dedication I see in players across the country. Your excitement is contagious, and it fuels the next generation of gamers.
Wishing you a happy holiday. See you next year!
— Stefan, Product Manager
TERRY’S CORNER
Board game insights and classic favourites returning to shelves.
2025 Wrapped – Some Games I’ve Loved This Year
It’s that time of the year again; everyone is posting their Spotify Wrapped (or whatever the equivalent is on their streaming service of choice) and lamenting that they have the music taste of a septuagenarian. So I thought I would jump on the bandwagon (I’m not out of ideas, I swear) and do a little recap of the new games I’ve enjoyed the most over this past year. And yes, I know most of these came out in 2024, but if awards shows can bend the rules around release dates, then so can I.
Probably the biggest surprise of the year for me was Barbarian Kingdoms. Not because I didn’t expect to like it – as a huge medieval history nerd I was pretty sure I would – but because everyone I played it with enjoyed it just as much as I did. Barbarian Kingdoms takes a very accessible “dudes on a map” area control game and blends it with limited action economy and a very innovative combat mechanic centred around bribery, resulting in a game that’s easy to learn, quick to play, but still feels like you’re playing chess 3 moves in the future. Many an office lunch break was spent marauding across 6th century Europe with this one.
I’ve spoken about Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs at greater length in the past, but I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you’re on the fence about Gloomhaven or about solo gaming (or if you’re an Elden Ring/Dark Souls fan who actually enjoys getting beaten repeatedly by a game) then this is something you really can’t pass up.
Star Wars: Battle of Hoth is one that I wish I’d gotten to play more of this year, and if I have my way, I definitely will be in 2026. Fans of Memoir ’44 will feel instantly at home with Battle of Hoth, but it’s quick enough to learn that even two complete newbies will be duking it out with squads of snowspeeders and AT-ATs in a matter of minutes. With low complexity, a quick play time, and some genuinely beautiful components, Battle of Hoth delivers a quintessential miniatures experience without the long-winded setup or complex measurement rules.
And of course it’s probably impossible to speak about any list of top games in 2025 without mentioning Flip 7. Push-your-luck is a mechanic that always leads to a lot of laughs at my table, but Flip 7 also allows for more strategizing than the average party card game thanks to its “stacked” deck and the ability to count cards. Controlled chaos might sound like a strange concept on the surface, but it’s an experience that Flip 7 delivers in spades – and if you still haven’t had the chance to check it out, then it should probably be near the top of your wishlist for 2026.
These are just a handful of my favourites from the last 12 months (give or take), and given half the chance I could probably write a 5000-word essay, but since no one actually wants that I’ll end off by wishing you (yes, all of you wonderful people still reading this) an amazing holiday season. May your tables always be festive.
 |  |  |  |
— Terry, Product Manager
ETIENNE’S CORNER
Editorial: Getting started with the Star Wars Roleplaying Game.
An Introduction to the Star Wars RPG from Edge Studio
Almost everyone knows Dungeons & Dragons, the quintessential RPG from Wizards of the Coast. Over the years, it has brought role-playing games into the mainstream. But what if you’re looking for something different? If you’re a Star Wars fan, the Star Wars Roleplaying Game from Edge Studio is an absolute must-try for any role player who is seeking a fresh, cinematic, story-driven experience.
Star Wars RPG vs. D&D
The Star Wars RPG uses a custom narrative dice system rather than the standard d20 rolls you’ll find in D&D. These dice don’t just indicate success or failure — they reveal advantages, threats, bonus effects, and complications, shaping not just outcomes but how events unfold on the table.
In D&D, outcomes are more deterministic: roll a d20, add modifiers, compare to a target number. Success or failure is usually binary, with extra effects coming from spells, abilities, or GM discretion. In contrast, the Star Wars RPG’s narrative dice encourage cinematic storytelling, unexpected twists, and dramatic moments… even when rolls fail. This unique system is what sets the game apart from most other RPGs on the market.
Gameplay?
The Star Wars RPG focuses on collaborative storytelling and fast, cinematic outcomes. Characters are resilient but challenges are meaningful, keeping tension high without frequent “total party kills.” With its sci-fi setting, the game leans into roles like smugglers, rebels, pilots, diplomats, and Force-users — exploring intrigue, morality, politics, and adventure in ways very different from traditional high-fantasy dungeon crawls.
Getting Started with the Star Wars Roleplaying Game
For new players, the easiest way to start is with the Beginner Games, each tailored to a different play style and packed with components to kick off your journey in a galaxy far, far away:
• Age of Rebellion Beginner Game – Join the Rebel Alliance and take on daring missions against the Empire. Infiltrate Imperial facilities, free captured allies, and sabotage operations before reinforcements arrive.
• Edge of the Empire Beginner Game – Survive the gritty Outer Rim as smugglers or outlaws. Escape Teemo’s thugs, negotiate with shady contacts, steal a starship, and outsmart Imperial forces.
• Force and Destiny Beginner Game – Play young, untrained Force-sensitives discovering their powers. Explore abandoned Jedi temples, overcome trials, face dangerous creatures, and unlock ancient secrets.
 |  |  |
Beyond the Beginner Games
Once you’re ready to create your own campaigns, the Core Rulebooks provide everything you need:
• Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook – Become a hero of the Rebel Alliance with rules for characters, combat, starships, and cinematic missions.
• Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook – Explore the Outer Rim underworld with rules for characters, gear, starships, and high-stakes adventures.
• Force and Destiny Core Rulebook – Step into the role of Force-sensitive heroes, mastering abilities, lightsaber combat, and narrative journeys.
• Star Wars RPG Dice – Essential for the narrative dice system required to play and fully enjoy the game.
I can also highly recommend the above Youtube channel (Tabletop Empire) should you want to delve into more detail.
I’ve personally had countless incredible sessions with this system over the years. So, if you or your game group is looking for a change of pace, look no further!
May the Force (and dice) be with you.
— Etienne, Product Manager
UNPLUG YOURSELF PLAY PORTAL
Empowering Your Game, Empowering Your Community
Empowering Your Game, Empowering Your Community
Play Portal is the organized play platform from Unplug Yourself, offering a structured way for retailers to create organizations for players to participate in competitive play, social events, and casual gaming sessions.
Why Should You Join the Platform?
- View and track all rankings per system, per league nationally
- Access to current hottest meta deck lists
- Community growth & belonging
- Access to exclusive “by invite only” events & gatherings
Available Leagues:
- Star Wars Unlimited League
- One Piece Straw Hat League
- Catan National League
Sign up here: www.goplay.co.za
Follow @unplugyourselffza and your nearest participating retailers for league dates, updates, and how to register.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Must know info at your fingertips.
🎄 Festive Season Closure Notice 🎄
As the year draws to a close, please take note of our upcoming annual festive break:
- Annual Closure: Thursday, 18 December 2025
- Reopening: Monday, 5 January 2026
Our team will be unavailable during this period. Final operations wrap up on 18 December before we close for the holidays. Normal business will resume on 5 January 2026.
We encourage you to place any urgent orders well in advance to ensure smooth fulfilment before the break.