by Bruce Whitehill
An editorial published May 2006 in Knucklebones games magazine
Game inventors and other creative people are always trying to “think outside the box.” Game players are most concerned with what’s inside the box. But what the public sees, is the box. It’s that piece of covered cardboard packaging that holds the key to the treasures inside. The box art and creative copy are often the main (sometimes only) elements promoting the sale of a game. Maybe you can’t judge a book by its cover, but you won’t buy it if you don’t like the title, or maybe don’t like the look of it.
Some major game companies seem at times more concerned with what the box looks like than what’s inside. When I worked at Milton Bradley Company in the mid 1980s, I had to present a product to the head of MB England, who was in the U.S. looking for products to take back to the U.K. I was two sentences into a description of the game placed before him, when he interrupted and asked to see the cover. I explained that I was not involved in doing the cover art, only the game play, whereupon he abruptly got up and left the room—the demonstration was over. By the way, those were the years that Milton Bradley never produced a game in a green box, because MB president James Shay did not like green (or didn’t think it looked good on the shelf, or wouldn’t sell as well).
At that time, most game boxes had the same information on all four sides of the box. When I suggested putting different data on each side, in order to provide the consumer with more information, I was told that the store clerks wouldn’t know, then, in which direction to stack the games, and consumers wouldn’t know they were looking at the same game from different sides. Now, some enlightened companies put lots of different information all over the box sides, and even on the inner box.
Certain information should be on every game box, and this is where American companies need to adopt the European standards. Besides the obvious—the title and “second line copy” (that one line sales pitch under the title)—the first piece of information should be the name of the inventors (or “authors,” as they are called in Europe). Major U.S. companies have been reluctant to list the inventor because the company feels that the games are collaborative efforts of artists, designers, copyrighters, and so on. Certainly a lot of people are involved in the final effort, but the idea and development of a game is usually a result of the inspiration and proficiency of one person or team. That person should receive credit for the work. The late, acclaimed prolific American inventor Sid Sackson is probably better known in Europe than in the U.S. simply because the European manufacturers put his name on the box. (Luckily, the current U.S. licensor of Sackson’s games, Face2Face, is doing so, proudly). How would the game manufacturer feel if the company name were not on the box? Plus, the public is more likely to recognize the name of a known inventor then they are able to remember what companies produce certain titles; a study years ago showed that many or most Americans didn’t know what company made Monopoly.
Three things that appear in a small area on almost every game box in Europe tell you the number of players the game is designed for, the suitable age range of players, and the duration of play. Most American companies indicate the number of players and age range, but they all should. As an aside, I get a kick out of companies that list their game as being for ages “9 to 99.” My father is 96 and still plays bridge; I’ve been tempted to buy him a “9-99” game and let him know I’ll replace it when he outgrows it.
What’s missing on most American game boxes is the approximate length of time the game should take to play. Is it 12 minutes or 120 minutes? It doesn’t matter if a game marked “20 minutes” takes you thirty-five, but it certainly does matter if a game which is not marked winds up taking an hour and a half. (By the way, players, you might need to add 20 minutes to the first time you play, including deciphering the instructions.) If a game is properly playtested, the average duration of play should be well known.
What’s missing on all game boxes? Well, maybe it shouldn’t be on the box (or instructions) because it sounds limiting, but at least every game reviewer should cover it in a critique: in a multi-player game, what is the optimum number of players? Some games marked for “2-6 players,” for example, are pretty boring for two or too tedious for six (you wait a loooong time between moves); the manufacturer is trying to extend the market, since the game can be played by different numbers, even though it is best with a certain number. And some games listed as being for two to four players are great fun for five or six, but the game comes equipped with only enough score pads or pawns or whatever to accommodate four. A good reviewer should spot this and tell buyers you can add an extra token or paper and pencil. And maybe the information should appear on the box as well.
Two more things about game boxes:
1. They shouldn’t be any bigger than they have to be. Once again the Europeans outbox the Americans by packing smaller containers with more materials. Some packaging is downright clever! On the other hand, putting some sheets of paper and a few dice in a box and then expanding it to 2” deep because a dice cup has been included leaves some buyers feeling cheated.
2. The side panels (the “aprons”) of the bottom part of the box should be designed as well. Obviously this is not something prospective buyers will see until after they’ve made the purchase (which is why the bottom of the box should be used to show a picture of the gameboard and information about how to play!), yet it is another opportunity to provide additional information to the consumer, or, through illustrations, set the tone of the game. But I have an ulterior motive as well for wanting to see illustrated box bottom aprons. As a photographer, I take lots of pictures of people playing games, with the box lid turned upside down on the table. Hence, in the picture, the title of the game being photographed (as well as other text and illustrations) is always upside down, since when a lid is removed, it is invariably turned over—check it out next time you’re in a roomful of game players. If the aprons on the box cover were printed upside down (as one apron sometimes is on some Ravensburger FX games), then the game title and company and other information would be right-side up when the lid is upside down.
Game boxes (should) give you the information about what’s to be found inside, who the inventor or author is, and for whom the game is suitable. And, as the boxes showcase the talents of some very gifted illustrators, these artists also should be given named credit on the packaging, or, at the very least, should be allowed to sign their work. The game box is the opening to what may be an amazing or amusing, stimulating entertainment for one or more players, ages six and up, for ten minutes or for hours and hours.
