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How to analyze a game by the look

4 replies [Last post]
Sat, 07/16/2011 - 20:03
larienna
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Joined: 07/28/2008

I was wondering if any of you had any tips or strategies to analyze how a game work by simply looking at it or looking at the back of the box. No rule reading.

The goal is to be able to easily identify if you would like or not the game by simply looking at the box. I am trying to dress up a list of criteria that could help the identification:

Organization of space: The way space it divided and organized can often tell a lot about the game. You will have a different game if you map consist of only a few square rather than a full grid of small hex.

Information Density: If components like cards have many or few information, it might give some insight about the complexity of the game. The presence of text against only values can also have an influence.

Components list: The list of components can also help visualize how they could be used on the board. The quantity and the variety of the components could help make some deductions.

Any other ideas?

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Sun, 07/17/2011 - 04:51
#1
hulken
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Joined: 04/18/2009
If your only input from the

If your only input from the game is the gamebox. Then I would include the name of the game, the games tagline and the text on the back of the box.

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Sun, 07/17/2011 - 07:32
#2
larienna
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Joined: 07/28/2008
The name of the game is not a

The name of the game is not a good criteria because most game's theme does not fit with the mechanics.

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Sun, 07/17/2011 - 10:55
#3
bonsaigames
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Marketing

This is the kind of thing marketing execs have spent decades trying to figure out. Brand Recognition seems to outstrip all other methods of advertising. This is why you can't watch an hour of television without seeing a McDonalds commercial especially shows for younger audiences. The younger you can identify your brand with someone, the greater the chance they will become a loyal consumer. There are many amazingly successful ameritrash games that have incredibly simple boxes, because American consumers have grown up with them.
Since you likely haven't spent a decade building a brand. You can start by winning recognition through reviews, awards, demo teams, conventions, etc... Build your brand through word of mouth and you can stick to simple box and component design (I submit most Rio Grande Games as examples).

"If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor you will find a broad hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

of course...

"If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull****!"
- Anonymous

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Sun, 07/17/2011 - 12:03
#4
Kirioni
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Joined: 09/20/2009
Tactile Information

I would add in, on the component side of things...

Box weight-price ration (are components wood/plastic) Is this game one in which they invested in high quality components (that won't wear out, or not)?

Are there many components, or few? I am a person who favors games with simple components and deeper strategy, so a huge component list is a "turn off".

Moving the box around in my hands, does it feel like an empty space with things flying around, or like they took time to secure things? (again a tactile organizational feeling, to be compared with the back of the box organization.

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