The Story of MELIA
Born in Germany. Handcrafted in Europe. Created for the way we play today.
MELIA Games was founded in Hanau, Germany in 2019 with a simple idea: to transform some of the world's most timeless games into beautifully crafted objects made to be played, travelled with and kept for years.
Handcrafted games. Timeless rituals. A different way to play.
It Started With a Simple Question
Why Should a Game Be Hidden Away?
Most games disappear into a cupboard when the evening is over.
We wanted to create something different.
A game that could live on a coffee table. Travel in a suitcase. Become part of an interior. And still feel as relevant years later as it did on the day it was made.
That idea became MELIA.
Founded in Hanau, Germany in 2019, we began rethinking traditional games through one material in particular: leather.
Oezguer & Ilker Bicakci, Founders of MELIA - The King of Luxury Games
The Flower Behind the Name
A Personal Name. A Timeless Symbol.
MELIA has always been a personal name.
The name carries a special meaning within our founding story: Melia is the daughter of one of MELIA’s founders — and, in Hawaiian, a name for the plumeria flower.
With its distinctive five petals, soft ivory tones and warm golden centre, the flower became the inspiration for our emblem and has been part of MELIA from the very beginning.
Its character reflects much of what we value in design: natural beauty, balance and a quiet sense of distinction.
Nothing excessive. Nothing added simply to attract attention.
The same philosophy guides the objects we create — considered materials, craftsmanship in the details and games designed to be lived with, travelled with and kept.
Today, the MELIA flower can be found throughout our world — subtly embossed into leather, incorporated into our games and carried as the signature of our brand.
It is more than our mark. It is where our story begins.
Personal in origin. Timeless by design.
From Tradition to Something New
Games Have Been With Us for Thousands of Years
Chess. Backgammon. Playing cards.
Their rules have survived generations because they need very little reinvention.
The objects we play them with, however, can evolve.
MELIA combines traditional European leather craftsmanship with contemporary design to create games that feel familiar the moment you begin to play – yet completely different as objects.
We don't redesign the game. We redesign the way it lives around you.
Made in Europe
Craftsmanship You Can Feel
Every MELIA game begins with carefully selected materials and experienced hands.
Our leather products are handcrafted in Europe using premium leathers sourced from LWG Gold Certified tanneries. Cutting, stitching, embossing and assembly combine traditional leatherworking with the precision required for contemporary product design.
The result is not mass-produced perfection.
It is an object with character – designed to develop its own story through years of games, journeys and gatherings.
Designed to Travel. Beautiful Enough to Stay.
MELIA's signature design philosophy has always balanced two ideas that rarely meet: portability and permanence.
Our Roll-Up Backgammon and Magnetic Chess collections were designed to travel effortlessly, while our Playing Cards and Timeless Classics collections transform familiar games into objects worthy of remaining on display.
From a hotel room in Paris to a coffee table in New York, the idea remains the same:
Wherever people come together, there is room for a beautiful game.
From Hanau to the World
What began in Hanau has travelled far beyond Germany.
Today, MELIA games can be found in private homes, hotels, museums, concept stores and luxury retailers around the world.
Collaborations & Bespoke
When Two Stories Meet
Some of our most meaningful projects begin when another brand, institution or organisation brings its own story to the game.
Through MELIA Collaborations and our bespoke programme, we create individual editions combining our craftsmanship with distinctive identities – from subtle embossing and personalised leather to entirely bespoke colour and material concepts.
The game remains timeless. The story becomes personal.
Our Ambition
The King of Luxury Games
We don't believe luxury is defined by how precious an object looks.
It is defined by how thoughtfully it is made, how naturally it becomes part of life and how long people choose to keep it.
Our ambition is simple: to create the world's most distinctive collection of handcrafted luxury games – one timeless game at a time.
MELIA – The King of Luxury Games.
Have a question, a collaboration in mind or want to create something bespoke?