Why your board game TITLE matters!
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- Опубликовано: 6 ноя 2023
- Brass Birmingham; Pandemic Legacy Season 1; Gloomhaven, Ark Nova, Terraforming Mars.
Five of the most highly ranked games on the board game geek website. But what do we think of their titles? Do they share any common features? Could we create a model for generating a perfect board game title? Does such a thing exist? 
Игры
Oh my gosh I didn't know the second meaning of Isle of Cats until just now! (and it took me a couple times of saying it to figure it out)
"Cape Horn" bloody hell lmao
"A title is like a handle. You can't lift a case very high if the handle is bad."
-Paraphrased from a quote by one of American International Pictures founders.
11:33 The Ticket to Ride saga in Spanish is still referred to as "Aventureros al Tren", so it always makes the reference to Trains, even though the latest entries for New York, London, etc don't feature Trains
The Polish "Ticket to ride" title makes a reference to a popular Polish song from the 70s ;)
I would recommend the book "Don't Call It That: A Original Naming Workbook" by Eli Altman. I'm a branding and product designer, and it provides a good framework for naming brands, products or offerings. I've used it for solo-workshopping board game-related stuff as well.
Great video, Adam! Thanks for all your hard work :)
Surely it's "An Original Naming Workbook"? 😄
Thanks for the suggestion Timmy!
I feel like I’ve hit just the right title for the card game I’m designing (descriptive, succinct, hasn’t been used yet, easily translates), but I’m trying to decouple myself from it so I can listen to feedback. This vid is helping me remember to be realistic and smart about it, even if I end up killing a darling or two.
Glad it helped! :)
Great video, Adam. I think you're missing an image at 11'55" (Pedal to the Metal)?
@@bruceknight3720Thanks Bruce. Frustrating!! Too late to change it now. Should be an image of Formula D :)
brilliant video as always, thank you adam. its similar as said if anyone reflects on good films the title has such a role to play to delivering the essence of the item in snap shot.
I've started revisiting an old table top project with the wip title 'Shut up & die'
So titled on account of having constraints on speech while being a mostly cooperative experience and the behaviour of opposition being determined by the roll of a die. It amused me but now im not sure if it's perhaps too confrontational for a mostly cooperative experience, though it was part of the point, initially.
Sorry for slow reply. My gut feeling is that “Shut up and die” is too confrontational and will turn a lot of purchasers off. You might get away with it in the adult party-game genre (NSFW etc) but even there it seems aggressive rather than “naughty”.
It’s a clever play on words of course, but that doesn’t matter if the customer’s immediate reaction is negative.
@@AdaminWales I suspect you may be right. I'll stick with it until i'm nearer a ship date then I can check opinions before deciding, but theres always another title that could fit and hint at the concepts at play. My thinking when i came up with it was that it was fitting for the game as in the game you are your own worst enemy and build the dungeon you have to crawl through. The name was the dungeon master shouting at the player. But it is aggressive and while its a darker gloomier theme i dont want players to feel dark and gloomy when playing, I want them to be in a good mood and having a laugh, albeit with darker humour perhaps. If think its an interesting aspect that people have a wip name and then a release name. A name can really impact the tone of a game as its being designed. I've heard of a designer who starts with the cover art. I guess its different flavours of mood boarding. Trying to design to a vibe.
Great video!
Fascinating and entertaining. Image missing at 11'55" I think (Heat)
Should be Formula D vs. Heat: Pedal to the Metal …. Annoying but too late to change.
yet another great video, Adam and it's indeed a topic I struggle with. always trying to come up with a clever pun that works as a title.
I'm really unsure what I should do for my furniture themed board game.
I'm thinking "Second Hand Furniture" leaning into both the literal meaning and a clocks "second hand" meaning you have to be quick. But it also seems to straight forward? Maybe a tagline could improve it
I had also considered a longer "Is this item still available" to reference the default Facebook message when buying from Marketplace (which is what my game emulates)
To me “second hand” is a negative sounding phrase. It gives negative connotations from the start. This is why second hand stores sometimes use the term “Preloved” - much more positive.
Furniture is a boring word. Passive. “Furnish” is much more active and engaging.
“Is this item still available” is a clever reference but too long, and not memorable.
I don’t know your game at all - so take my advice or ignore it! But how about these titles:
Preloved
Thrift
Thrift Store Tycoon
Furnish
Chair Raids (… Charades)
Furniture Frenzy (…alliteration)
Tabletop Treasures
Upcycle
Fixer-upper
@@AdaminWalesThanks, and you're right that Furniture is a boring word, but "Decor" seems too broad. I also wanted to avoid using the word "thrift" because to me that feels more like thrift-shop, but my game about the transactions between individuals on FB Marketplace/Gumtree
Ah, Oh My Goods. A great game in medieval setting that imo doesn't fit with such silly pun. Its previous name, Royal Goods, sounds more fitting albeit a bit boring.
And omg so true about finding your chosen name on google first to check if it hasn't been used already. I picked a great game title until I found out that it's a fashion/make up brand name out there.