Board Games - How to Properly Name Yours

New Prototype Box -Remnants

Well, here I've thrown a monkey wrench deep into the development of the new game. Nothing disrupts the flow of work like changing the main title or name of a game. Obviously, I'll have to change everything.

Hmm, what to do? Let's unpack this thing. 

Okay, let's face it, I've never been crazy about the name Millennium because it's such a common and overused word. But, that's the name that came to me out of the blue so I embraced it for lack of having a better choice at the time (a working title). Although, I'll admit it sounds futuristic and all-encompassing. Yes, good traits but too general in scope.

Now, enter a video game by the name, Descenders, and suddenly a light bulb moment. Why am I using Millennium, which only describes a length of time as opposed to what the game is about or what its characters do? Millennium is just a period of a thousand years. In this case the new millennium, the year 2000 and beyond. And yes, that simple detail is built into the story but it doesn't say anything specific about the game, its protagonist, or its characters.

The name Descenders, describes what the game is about because it's an extreme downhill mountain bike race. That works nicely but more importantly, it creates a hook within the title. 

The name Millennium offers no details about the new millennium. Other than the tagline, Glory Beyond The Ages. That's a good hook but it's not specific enough. 

The new name, Remnants is more specific because it describes how the characters are defined and what they are known as. That's a stronger hook all by itself with just one word. 

And so it's easy to see why I'll have to change the name from Millennium to Remnants. The word remnants has a built-in curiosity that provokes questions and that's priceless. I also considered using Defenders, but again, that's a very overused word in gaming. 

An alternate word for defenders is Defensores, in Latin. I like how Defensores sounds and how it looks but even in Latin, it seems a bit trite. Luckily these are just prototypes and changes of any kind go.

So there you have it. A quick lesson on how to best name your game for greater impact. Try to choose a word that describes the main concept or theme for a catchy hook that resonates in more ways than one.

Are you having trouble with the name of your game? Does it lack that catchy hook? Let me know in the comments and I'll post it here to see if the gaming community at large can find a better solution. 

Come on, be brave. It's all in good fun and a great way to tease out the best name for your board game or card game and it won't cost you a dime.

Play on gamers!

For my next post, I'll feature the back of the box with the revised copy for the new Remnants name. It's still in flux but I think it's much better already than what I originally had. This is almost as important as the cover, if not more because in effect it is sales copy in the guise of game information.

Check it out soon. You can sign up for private email updates in, upper right column.