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Board Game Designers - Include Contents List w/games

6 replies [Last post]
Anonymous

I'd like to make a desperate appeal to all Board Game Designers and Publishers to include a List Of Contents in all the Board Games they create and/or market.

As a Board Game Seller for both new, old and vintage games, one of the worse things both myself and many of my customers find, is the lack of what is exactly included with a game.

Terms like "Deck of Cards", or "over 300 die-cut Counters" and other non-specific terms make it (in many cases) almost impossible to know if a game is complete or not.

Thanx

Chris.....a.k.a. Smorgy

Anonymous
Re: Board Game Designers - Include Contents List w/games

Smorgy wrote:
I'd like to make a desperate appeal to all Board Game Designers and Publishers to include a List Of Contents in all the Board Games they create and/or market.

As a Board Game Seller for both new, old and vintage games, one of the worse things both myself and many of my customers find, is the lack of what is exactly included with a game.

Terms like "Deck of Cards", or "over 300 die-cut Counters" and other non-specific terms make it (in many cases) almost impossible to know if a game is complete or not.

Thanx

Chris.....a.k.a. Smorgy

I can see how it's useful to include that. Unfortunately, except for those self-publishing, designers will rarely have much input into packaging. Another problem in the "over 300 counters" case could be that they do them by weight, to avoid counting, and thus don't know the exact number but just that there will be at least enough to play. This is the case with Puerto Rico's colonist chips, which are usually over-supplied by 2-6 per copy (woe betide people who assume they just have the number for the max. no. of players!).

Richard.

Anonymous
Board Game Designers - Include Contents List w/games

Hi Richard and thanx for some insight into the game making process.

I'm sure some will consider the request for having a Contents List as having little meaning in the long run ... i.e. since the monies (assuming you all make some money ) is in the "new" end of the game and not in the "used" end ... but you'd be surprised at how often there becomes a "following" (of sorts) of certain designers' games.

There are many who will play a game, like it quite a bit, find out who designed it, then try to get games that particular designer also created ... and, assuming they are still alive, could mean additional sales of newer games they designed.

Having a game without knowing the exact contents, keeps many games off the market (hence, unplayed and unseen) and, indeed, in many instances causes good games to be thrown away (horrors of horrors).

It may behoove designers to become a little more involved in what actually goes into a game in its final form (if possible)

Chris.....a.k.a. Smorgy

Anonymous
Board Game Designers - Include Contents List w/games

Just want to add this: retailers LOVE it when you list the contents on the back of the box. It's one less question a customer will ask them, it's one less question they can't answer, it's one less reason to put the box back on the shelf and choose another. "Includes: some pages in a book, some cards, a board" ddoesn't really do it. "Includes; complete 12-page rule book, 2 32-card decks, full-color fold-out game board" &c. is more like it. Food for thought.

FastLearner
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Board Game Designers - Include Contents List w/games

I'd also suggest that people are looking for at least two different types of information from that components list on the back:

1. Am I receiving sufficient value for my money? If the game costs $35, what physically am I getting for that money? One board and 6 pawns sounds like a rip-off at that price.

2. Is this game too complicated for me? If the components list is too long or it sounds like there are a lot of weird pieces, non-"gamer" buyers may very well reject the game as being too complicated.

A tough balance, I think: too few components at a given price point and they won't buy, and too many components for a particularly large market and they won't buy. Some marketing tricks can satisfy both, and it's well worth keeping in mind.

-- Matthew

Anonymous
Board Game Designers - Include Contents List w/games

Well I always give publishers a full list of components with the first contact about each game I submit. But yes I really hate buying a game that dose not list it's components.

khsoh
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Board Game Designers - Include Contents List w/games

A component list is essential if I lend out a game or if my kids play a game. For some games, such as AH's Titan, the number of each type of piece is important since discarded pieces cannot be reused in a session, so losing some pieces can quickly make the game unplayable.

The component list should at least be available on-line as an after-sales service.

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