CYBERPUNK Board Game Box Packaging - It's All About Hooks

 

Remnants Box Bottom

Okay folks, here's the back of the new box, as promised. Lots to unpack here so let's get into it.

The most important thing is the copy on the left column. Similar to the back of a book, this is all about sales copy that takes you right to the sales page on the manufacturer's website, for example.

That actual link has yet to be determined because the game is unfinished and not for sale yet, but, you get the idea. I tried my best in this limited space to cover all the important points that make this game unique and sales-worthy.

Let's face it, I'd need to write an entire book about this to be thorough but I'll have to keep it short here. As you can see, I've packed the back of this box with lots of good stuff. All that good stuff translates into many different hooks that should lead prospects to the buy button. That's the short of it and that's the result you're after, obviously. 

HOOKS

I've also stuffed 2 promos for the books on the bottom right. These are important because upselling, so to speak is part of the deal. I've included a promo for the first book in the series plus a peek at the collectible hardcover. 

What makes the hardcover collectible? Its unique design plus the fact that it includes all three stories in one book and also includes awesome photos. In a perfect world, the title should be blind-embossed or have some sort of metallic embellishing, etc. But for now, this jacket is good enough as is.

The characters up top are also hooks because they are what make the story meaningful and exciting. An example for an odd video link follows (another hook).

That's followed by a short summary of the game in the gray box. This is a crucial hook and the equivalent of a strong headline and sub-headline.

HOOKS

That's followed by another hook stating the theme of the game that provides a visual tone and what players can expect with this extraordinary game. Take a read and see if it works for you.

On the right column, you see the game board and below it, many of the components and card decks included in the game. These are all additional hooks that intrigue players.

The bottom line is simple. The back of your box must entice, inspire, and motivate prospects, your audience to find out more about the game and eventually buy it. The goal is for curious gamers to get into the theme and imagine themselves playing the game and having a great time.

AND MORE HOOKS

You want to create a burning desire in your audience that leads to a sale, hopefully, now rather than later. That's why you need more than one hook. You need as many hooks as you can configure and fit into a small space without over-crowding the box. Not an easy task, but it's always possible with a bit of planning.

Let me know what you think in the comments. I've also finished a short promo video that I'll post here soon. It's just a teaser so it doesn't include gameplay instructions. But instead, it's designed to intrigue gamers so they can find out more details about the game on the blog. Your blog should be the equivalent of a long and never-ending advertisement, but without looking or sounding like one. 

Welcome to the world of marketing, my friends.

Re-Boot, Re-boot, Re-Boot - A Breakthrough With The Millennium Board Game

Sound the alarms! Baaaaack it up! Beep, beep, beep...

Scratch the vinyl record right here folks!

Stop the presses!

WTF!?

Okay, okay, enough with all the bad cliches. Let's get down to the real reason why I'm being so ridiculous. No, I've not been hitting the bourbon bottle. (Hmm, maybe I should be.)

I'm back with a bunch of changes to Millennium. All for the better, mind you, no steps backwards, ever. I had a change of heart on the East Coast and West Coast versions of the game. As good as that was in theory, I figured why re-invent the wheel?

No, I've not been hitting the bourbon bottle.

Instead, I'm switching to a six-fold game board, a new 9 x 12 tall box so everything fits nicely and I've ditched the black box design for a more traditional and thematic cover with Andrea rescuing an injured boy. She's also looking towards the front as opposed to giving her back to the viewer. Not sure what I was thinking other than trying to create a reveal but that just works in the movies.

Although, the biggest change is that Millennium is now a cooperative game. Other than all that, it's the same frickin' game. Go figure.

Call me crazy, but that's what I should've started out with from the beginning. It is an Apocalyptic story and so teamwork is a natural fit where everyone looks out for each other as opposed to every person for themselves. I am trying to make this a positive game with an edge as opposed to a "winner take all" POV where mayhem, pessimism, and greed rule the day.

Yes, going against the grain is always a risk.
But doing what you believe in can also have its rewards. It's about looking at the glass half full.

I think there's enough dark news to go around and I want Millennium to be different. I want it to come across as a hopeful game where Earth still has a bright future ahead of it, despite the grim outlook just because of a handful of tyrants around the globe.

Talk about a whole new feel to the game, this really narrows down the theme because it's all about rescuing as many survivors as possible in order to win the game as a team. There's just much more at stake this way and the game is more engaging and more fun.

Here's a preview of the new box:

Updated Box Cover

It's come a long way and I just might change this scene and show Andrea running from an explosion with the boy to make it more exciting and more dynamic. Although, I do like this scene or where she's waiting for the train. There are just so many choices to make and settling for one is never easy. But as you go along, the game develops into something different and if it's a better idea, you just have to go with it.

Once I get all the main events and cards in place, it'll be all about small details and how the game plays out, step by step. It has to feel just right. The pacing should be smooth but brisk without too much lag time between players.

Here's where playtesting with different groups comes in handy because every person will have their own experience with the game and hopefully they can offer suggestions to improve it.  I know that if I can get this game to the point where it plays out with plenty of tension and adventure, it will be a terrific game to play.

"Quite a longshot to launch a board game that way ..."

At that point, I'll have to try to find a publisher willing to take a chance with it and if that doesn't work, I'm on my own. Quite a longshot to launch a board game that way but you know, that's part of the appeal of designing your own games. It's a heck of a challenge to succeed at any level but especially rewarding if you can jumpstart one on your own and get it rolling at a steady pace.

It all remains to be seen, but I do have good expectations even though I realize that Apocalyptic themes are not exactly a rage these days, but I'm counting on Millennium to change all that. That's the dream and it's not impossible so in that case, I'm already in deep so no turning back at this point.

"Idealogy is king but trinkets are a close second."

My take on this theme may be just what board games need to kickstart a trend. You never know and the only way to find out is to be all-in. You can't put out a half-ass game, book, or anything else. You have to go for broke.

This board game is no small feat for one person, but if I can get Millennium out there as I envision it, I think it will succeed. If it does, it's all gravy from there because all my other games in development are much simpler and faster to finish.

It's a marathon, to say the least. Hey, it's either this or watching re-runs of Star-Trek. (My secret is that I can do both at the same time.)

Bottom of Box

Here's a sneak peek at the bottom or back of the box. I could write a whole book about this but in my next Post I'll try to tackle all the elements it takes to design a good back for your box. As you can see here, it's very cluttered but that's almost a given. I could organize it a bit more but there's just so much you need to include that it's always difficult to fit everything in a comprehensive way.

I'm also using a loss leader because I need all the advantages I can get. I'll get into that too and discuss a bit about sales gimmicks and how to make good use of them without seeming like a carnival barker.

You can see some of the bells and whistles here and let me say that regardless of your amazing plot and themes and your overall concept, players always love trinkets. That's what I call them and I'm not far off describing some of these game pieces. Other than an emotional angle, you also need tanglible objects. Idealogy is king but trinkets are a close second. Yes, grown-ups like toys too.

Enough said for now, I could go on and on but this article is already too long. Attention spans are not what they used to be.

Stay tuned for much more about the latest developments with Millennium and how I'm tackling each phase of this game from start to finish.

It's turning out to be a Master Class in package design and board game marketing and hopefully you'll find a digital version on Amazon after I finish this game.

Voila!

Essential Elements When Designing The Back of Your Game Box

The back or bottom of your game box should feature key elements of your game but more importantly it should include a hook that will entice potential customers to buy.

In my case I've included in the Millennium game 4 custom artworks featuring 3 female action heroes from the Playing Cards. Since most gamers are male, you can't go wrong including several "hotties" if for no other reason than just to confirm that guys are pigs.

That's the lead image and lead offer, or the hook that pervs like me, you know, males prefer. It's simply an offer we cannot refuse. Imagine grown men going gaga over manga style artwork. Ridiculous but true.

Okay, enough of that. You get the idea. After all it's not like any women are reading this blog post. But it did cross my mind to include a black female hero for a change. And in fact they all are an important part of the game's ending. Especially Andrea, the half Cyborg, platinum-haired heartthrob.

All these chicks kick ass and look good doing it. What would an Apocalypse be without them?

Okay, back to the box. Here's the back of Ticket To Ride, which happens to be a popular game with global reach. It's a good strategic game and I see the romanticism in it and the nostalgia it evokes. This is the Europe version of the game.

As you can see the back of this box is also very busy with graphics and text. There's just no getting around that. There's so much to say and so little room to fit all of it. Here they've maximize every square millimeter of space.

The back doesn't have to look as pretty as the front of the box but it must pack all the important details about the game or at least a general overview of the story plus plenty of graphics.

The Ticket To Ride box displays the game board and most of its bits and cards. This is something I'm still considering for my box. It's almost a no brainer to include the board but I don't think it's as sexy as female super heroes.

If Millennium gets any traction I'll make room for the board because it is an interesting board. But for now I'm counting on the custom artwork to attract some attention and hopefully work as a flashpoint for sales.

You never know but changes can easily be made with on-demand digital production so it's not a big deal to replace or reconfigure the artwork, which essentially translates into a soft sales pitch.

Always focus on your story and the hero's goal. It's all about that every time. Otherwise you're just playing with little trinkets like clueless children.

That's one reason I like the Apocalypse theme because even children can relate to it without freaking out over it. Let's face it, these days kids grow up hearing and experiencing some of the scariest news we 've ever heard or seen. So for them a game like Millennium is not such a stretch or something out of touch with reality. In fact it's more of a learning experience than anything else.

I know my two boys (11 and 13) get it. They might know more about the End of Days than I do. Which is why they are very important consultants for the game and why Millennium is such an engaging and fun game.

And yes, I've tinkered with the box cover once again. No worries, it only gets better. I'll post the new box cover in a few days. I've been really busy finishing up the board and some playing cards and a bunch of tokens too.

I don't think this work ever ends but I am on schedule to order the prototype in July and improve it from there until November when I go all out with marketing just in time for Christmas.

I also decided to forego Kickstarter. It's just not for me or this project. I'm pretty much developing and funding this project on a shoestring budget with mostly free artwork and while I would like to take Millennium to another level, that will take more time.

Right now I'm just testing the waters by myself to see if the game gets any traction through blogs and limited advertising on social media. If it does, I'll certainly consider tooling up with more customized artwork and game pieces.

As it stands right now, I think that for the retail price of about $39, Millennium is a great deal and a really good quality game at that price-point.

Play on, folks.

Freedom - From the Millennium Board Game. Love the hair and boots!

Andrea from the Millennium Board Game. Meow!

Penelope - Very hot!

Game Board Nerd Alert!, Nerd Alert!, Nerd Alert!

Okay I couldn't resist so I finally gave in to my temptations and revamped my game box. AGAIN!  If there is anything I know to be certain in graphic design, it's that no design is permanent. Designs evolve over time and making changes is just part of the game.

Besides, I'm really winging it here. I go by the seat of my pants and instinctively make the changes I know will matter most to my overall concept.

In this case, I already had trains as part of Millennium's backstory but I thought trains should be the centerpiece of the game instead and so I added an Amtrak train to the box. It doesn't dominate the design because the concept does not revolve around trains but it is quite prominent.

What does this do to the rest of the game? Don't ask. But of course I had to re-do all my card decks, mats, etc.

Yes, I had to reboot and re-tool my entire design but hey, that's how it goes. No worries, no regrets. Whenever a design can be improved, it should be changed to reflect a better outcome.

At this point I'm considering this design to be "final." Meaning I'll most likely print this on my first prototype to see how it looks live and in living color.

It's hard to tell how graphics will really look on screen regardless of any Mode settings or filters at your disposal. There's nothing like the real thing so I'll give this design a chance to debut and see how it looks and performs.

I also flipped the artwork to match the perspective of the train moving from left to right. Just trying to avoid a Ford Mustang moment if you know what I mean. Plus I added a small banner indicating this design is a collectible first edition.

Not to sound presumptuous or anything. Lord knows I've failed plenty but you have to swing for the fences every time. Nobody cares about your blood, sweat, and tears. They just want to play an interesting and fun game. Period. Nothing else really matters to players at any level.

Bottom of Box

They just want to play an interesting and fun game. Period. Nothing else really matters to players at any level.

But, as you know, the box cover, it's artwork must engage and at the very least should be compelling enough to trigger some kind of curiosity. If it doesn't. It's back to the drawing board.

You can't see all the details from this image but there's a homeless man and his dog in the lower left corner. I think that adds another level to the story and besides, several playing cards feature dogs so I can't go too wrong with that detail.

The biggest challenge in any design is to keep it minimal and clean. That's always hard to do when you want to fit in so many elements. The trick is to pare down and stick to only the most relevant images, maybe a handful of images and then trim from there.

Always easier said than done but I think I'm pretty close to a comprehensive design concept for the Millennium box. I'm not so sure about the background cityscape. I do like it but I know I'll eventually try something else. Maybe something simpler. I also removed a grunge filter, which added some nice sepia tones. As much as I liked that filter, I wanted a cleaner look and feel so I got rid of it.

These are the hard choices you have to make.

These are the hard choices you have to make. I eliminated that filter because of printing concerns. Once I see the actual printed box I might add that filter back into the mix but for now I think it's a bit too much for the overall design. Less is more in this case.

The bottom of the box is another story altogether. Since Millennium is a relatively unknown game, the main objective is to play up the game concept and above all put a positive spin on the game's outcome.

Players don't like going out in a blaze of glory. They want to win and feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction by the end of the game. In essence they want to be hero's through the main character. At the very least, players want to feel like they are a part of the game and that they've made the right choices that have played out to a desired outcome.

So the back (bottom) of your box should entice or tease players with some eye candy. Trinkets, cars, chits. Showcase whatever you have as part of the playing experience. Make sure to list the contents of your game and all the legal disclaimers.

While the front of your box highlights the main concept and story of your game,  the back focuses on benefits of playing the game and the game's unique pieces. Designers tend to pack the bottom of the box with way too much information and graphics, but this is acceptable. Again, stick to the basics and try not to crowd or overwhelm your design.

I hope to run another art test this week and most likely will order my first prototype after the test results. I already know which areas of the design need attention and tweaking but until I actually play a live game it's hard to get a feel for the pacing and functionality of the game.

Plenty of details still up in the air. Lots to do so I'll get to it.

Play on!