Outset Media

Specialties

Outset Media is a manufacturer and distributor of quality board games and card games, jigsaw puzzles, brain teasers, activity books, toys, art supplies and crafts. We’re a Canadian company manufacturing our own games and puzzles, but we also distribute for US companies in Canada. Our customers are independent retailers, museums, novelty shops, online stores, specialty stores, gift stores, and homeschoolers. We wholesale across the globe, but specialize mainly in Canada and the US market. Companies that we distribute for include MindWare, Patch, SmartLab Toys, Fat Brain Toys, Mayfair Games, Spin Master, Royal & Langnickel, Popular Playthings, and Pressman. When Canadian retailers need popular toys like Perplexus or sought after strategy games, like Settlers of Catan or specialty games like Qwirkle, they come to us. US retailers look to us for quality puzzles from Cobble Hill Puzzle Co and specialty games like «American Trivia», «What?», «What Bird Am I?», which are made in the USA!

History

Established in 1996.

Outset Media started out with just one game, Canadian Trivia. Dave Manga, the owner, invented Canadian Trivia not realizing that one game would turn into a successful business with hundreds of products in categories that include brain teasers, party games, kids games, jigsaw puzzles, nature games and more.

In 2005, Cobble Hill Puzzle Co. was born, expanding the company offerings from games into jigsaw puzzles. Cobble Hill Puzzle Co. manufactures all of its European quality puzzles in the United States. It’s known mostly for its nostalgic imagery and whimsical flair. After finding success in licensing images, Cobble Hill Co. began producing its own images with photography, which include the extremely popular puzzles, «Donuts», «Ice-​Cream», «Plenty of Yarn» and other truly original photos (T.O.P puzzles).

Other brands include Professor Noggin’s, What?, Noggins Workshop, Jack Pine

and Create Your Own Puzzles. The company is proud to have received many product and company awards.

Meet the Business Owner

Dave M.

Business Owner

David Manga grew up in Ottawa, Canada. He was just 23 when he founded Outset Media in 1996. He was still a student completing his BCom at the University of Ottawa, from which he graduated in 1996. He launched his first game, All Canadian Trivia, while still at university. After playing another well-​known trivia game and realizing he knew more about the United States than his own country, he wanted to play a trivia game with a Canadian focus. When he couldn’t find one, he created All Canadian Trivia. That game went on to become a Canadian best-​seller (more than 100,000 copies sold) and spawned Junior, French and Millennium editions, a Supplemental Question set, and the 10^th Anniversary Edition. From there, he went on to create brands including Professor Noggin’s, Noggin Workshop, Create Your Own Puzzle, Cobble Hill and What?

He is happily married with three beautiful girls and a wonderful wife who supports him by working as the Financial Controller. He is based out of Victoria, BC.