Another Plea to Publishers - with Tom Vasel

[@searose6192]

I was just thinking this morning how much I wish some games would include a little diagram of how everything goes into the insert,

[@intrepidfool]

Too often lately, I have had to search for a video or FAQ on how they expect us to store the game in the box. Every time this hapoens, I wonder how they could miss this step and it leaves me wondering if they properly vetted their game (rules, rulebooks, etc.). Little quality of life things that go so far to help the experience. (Like games without player aids. What? Why?)

[@ProfArmitage218]

I really liked that The Reckoners has pictures on the side of the box showing how all the trays and other components fit together in the box.

[@rumpleforeskin1275]

This series should be required viewing for everyone in the industry. How hard is it to make print, at the very least, the size of newspaper print?

[@peterlepicvert]

I hope publishers watch these videos and future games will improve thanks to your suggestions. I think some DT videos like top 10 rule books, top 10 inserts, top 10 most practical game designs, top 10 player aids, top 10 box designs, etc. would be fun to watch too.

[@tracieperez2629]

So many great points mentioned here. I appreciate them all, but I'm baffled the most by "not being able to fit components back into a box once they are punched out of the inserts...this one blows my mind.

[@williamburgos9993]

I love these series of videos you are doing! Keep them coming!! Regards from Draco Studios!

[@RyanAshley419]

Yes on the color thing! I was completely overwhelmed with Scholars of the South Tigris. Too many colors for us with eye problems. :)

[@StuartReid999]

Agree that backs of cards should be obviously different if they're from different decks (well done Tom Lehmann for Res Arcana, for example). And if the backs *have* to be the same, because decks are shuffled in together, or special cards added for certain player counts, make it really obvious on the face of the card how to separate them out again. Otherwise you can find yourself half-way through a game playing with cards that shouldn't be there...

[@benjaminspears8488]

Game length is a huge deal! If a game plays up to 6 players, I want to know the average time the game can be played with that many players.

[@littlekong7685]

Developers with bright/complicated designed backgrounds - BLACK text with a WHITE outline is always legible, on the same note WHITE text with a BLACK outline is also always legible. Now no matter what background the text is always broken into a distinct element that can be easily parsed from the surroundings and read.

[@revimfadli4666]

This! Even better if they have desaturating/"translucent" text boxes, best of both worlds

[@MarkStamp-o6p]

My game group used to have 6 or 7 people so I once bought a game that said it played 2-8 players. When I opened the rules it turned out the game was 2-4 players but if you had more you could play in teams of 2!

[@gadguard]

I was hoodwinked with the Arkham LCG. Why do I need to buy 2 core boxes to play 4? Why have the extra characters in the box when you can only play 2.

[@Chenzana]

I got excited once I saw Concordia Venus is for 6 players but then it turned out it's only if you play in teams

[@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous]

@@gadguard The original version of the Arkham LCG boxes said 1-2 players. The newer ones that say 1-4 have more than twice as much material in them. As for having more characters than can be played at once, I don't think most people would see that as an issue.

[@gadguard]

@@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous It's been like 8 years since I even touched the game. I could have sworn it said 2-4 players on it when I picked it up from my LGS. Hell I could just be remembering wrong as well.

[@bobsteel1981]

I'd also say: make sure that any card inserts can handle sleeved cards where possible. So many games don't have space for sleeved cards so the insert gets thrown away. I even have games what when the cards are sleeved and the insert thrown away, the lid doesn't even close fully (the Tiny Epics are terrible for this). Possibly another good feature would be: if you are intending expansions, either make the base box larger than needed so that it does accommodate the expansion, or even better make the expansion box large enough for all components from the base game too. Storing in one box is far better than having to have several boxes on the shelf.

[@ScytheNoire]

I hope you continue this series, because there is still a lot of other factors to cover. And then I hope publishers watch and take the videos to heart.

[@demonicbunny3po]

I feel on the topic of Box size/shape, it should be able to fit in a Kalex shelf in a multiple. The Kalex has become the standard shelf size for board game storage so it should be boxes should fit perfectly in a cubby. Like one tall, four wide. Only when the game gets to the size of not fitting in a Kalex shelf should you go for odd sizes since it’ll need to go on the top of the shelf anyways. As for storage, I feel like I’m today’s day there is no excuse for at least including enough bags for each component or a nice tray with lid to make setup easier. Seriously, you are designing a game to be played. Part of what can make a game not come out is setup and tear down time. Make it as quick and easy as possible!

[@MesserBen]

Thanks Tom. This series is amazingly helpful. I hope publishers are listening

[@davidhitchcock6398]

Thank you for doing these 2 videos! Readability of board/cards/rules (often play in low light at pubs), ease of picking up pieces, and a big one for me is space needed to play( game pic on back of box helps here). Again thanks!

[@timothyyoung3193]

"There's a pretty much humongous amount of colors in the world." -Tom Vasel, 2024

[@ShuffleUpandDeal32]

lol

[@Naru-Maki]

I hope ALL publishers will look at this! Great video 🎉

[@jtt8886]

Inserts should make it easy to get the components out. If I need a butter knife to extact the cards or chits, then the insert is too tight.

[@jareks8945]

This series is one of the best things The Dice Tower has ever done! Our industry could use some standardization. The size of the boxes is an obvious thing: I would like to have just a few, all compatible with the most popular shelf sizes. It would help both the gamers and the sellers. Card sizies are another thing. We don't need 124 different card sizes (plus 6 different names for the same size based on a producer). 4-5 sizes should be more than enough. Board games have already become a mainstream hobby. We should be making people's lives easier, not more complicated.

[@yamikaga]

Publishers. PLEASE add a component list to your games. Your game will more than likely get traded or sold aftermarket, and having a readily available component list greatly helps figure out if everything is there.

[@matt_stowball]

Thank you for talking about the importance of accessibility for all manner of players

[@asura899]

Three other issues which comes to mind - Put enough pieces in the game for each color. I don't want to play with only two specific colors when there are six in the game. And often just few pieces more would be needed -Use only card sizes which already have also sleeve sizes for them. There are lile nearly 20 different sizes already and then I get a game and the card is way too small or like a little too big - Let me know on the box that I can play it with more players if I buy a second or third copy

[@theMCGuiREreview]

You know I love these last 2 videos in this Plea to Publishers! I have literally called out every single point in these 2 videos in my own reviews. So I am highly excited to see a video made like this that can pull substantially more views - I am hopeful publishers will take this as free consulting and act accordingly. Some of these things are almost common sense and still to this day, are approached the wrong way. Its mind blowing as the items you call out in these videos will add more intrinsic value at release and overtime.

[@speedandstyletony]

If cards are a part of the game they either should fit well into a tray in the box OR have tuck boxes. I hate it when nothing is given!!! Bags do work but are not the same as dedicated boxes/tray slots. On tray slots make sure they are deep enough to hold ALL the cards.

[@revimfadli4666]

And the box or tray should still fit sleeved cards

[@hendrikrasmus]

There are so many games with not enough dice. There was a period of time when games didn't give enough dice to perform a high dice count roll in a normal game, not to mention having an extra big roll or having enough dice for the table that gathering them for the roll would be easy.

[@kyleweeks2941]

Fantasy flight cough! Cough cough.

[@Spudkitty513]

Good stuff here! I would add ... please have an online option to print extra copies of forms like scorepads, character sheets, etc.

[@Moviefanforever5679]

another fantastic video Tom!!

[@ceciliamorningofmylife1137]

I would love if every expansion was clearly marked as expansion on the box! I shouldn’t have to start googling the game in the store to find out. Also it would be great if card sizes are some kind of standard so there are sleeves that fit.

[@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous]

Can you actually name an expansion that doesn't state, probably somewhere on the back of the box, that it's not a complete game and that the base game is required? Or that even has a box-back description that doesn't mention or imply that it's an expansion? (I imagine companies like to keep their covers cleaner.)

[@singtheirnames]

I appreciate when the box or insert leaves room for sleeved cards.

[@sidneyleejohnson]

I appreciate when the box or insert leaves room for the FFG standard that Sleeve Kings adopted (100 micron and slightly more sleeve height) for their premium lineup. Then again if I can reorder any cards I have from any game from a industry supported process at a reasonable price (plus shipping) I wouldn't need sleeves in the first place. Imagine if such a printing process could be installed at a local retail game store. Could we in fact be able to walk into the store prove our rights to re-print a card from a game we own and ask them to just reprint the card that wore out or had a coke spilled all over it, or had Dorito stains at a reasonable charge? Given how frequent folks are willing to buy an expensive 3D printer, could consumers be able to purchase a printer capable of printing our cards (could the right paper be made available to do so?). Could for example buying a game come with the reprint rights to reprint replacement cards? I feel like an entire industry has sprung up (sleeving) around a problem that could have had a completely different solution. Instead of trusting consumers with an ability to reprint cards or offering them the Avalon Hill Parts catalog approach to card replacement we're left with this notion that we need to protect our cards to avoid buying the entire game over again or out of fear the game will go out of print and the option to purchase replacement cards along with it. IMHO Sleeving should not in fact be the answer to this problem, OEMs agreeing to share the card designs with quality card printing solutions should be considered. Of course that approach needs flushing out but surely its better than doubling the space required for premium sleeves and the added weight such take. I'm sure I would be obsoleting a ton of expensive premium sleeve supported inserts to achieve that solution but I think its high time we start talking about card re-print rights. Altered TCG is somewhat opening the door to this notion of print on demand but I think we need to take that a lot farther.

[@go_golden]

​@@sidneyleejohnsonholy master's thesis on sleeves out of nowhere lol

[@sidneyleejohnson]

@@go_golden Thanks!

[@darbyl3872]

Here's a problem that no one talks about: Put the box info on the rulebook too! I can't count the number of times I've been asked if one more player can join, and the box is open, with stuff stacked on it, and extra pieces inside of it. How hard is it to make a full and complete rulebook that states player count, playing time, difficulty, etc. ? This stuff is so basic, but the average publisher is clueless!

[@McBehrer]

... do you have to consult the box to know how many players can play the game, and how long/difficult the gane is, once you've already played it or even looked at the box for even half a second?

[@darbyl3872]

@@McBehrer Excuses and deflection are what I expect from publishers. Et tu comment section? Why would I mention it as a common annoyance if it was not?

[@KabukiKid]

Tom should write the "Game Publisher Bible." ;-) These are rules all publishers should obey.

[@Manigo1743]

They would go out of business if they followed those rules. Anything made should only be good enough for people to buy it. That goes for board games too.

[@boardgamerluck]

I would've never backed Tidal Blades 1 Deluxe had I known the size of that box!

[@JimmySquiky]

I'm trying to sell it atm 🤣 It also have the lie issue that it's written 1-4 on the box but the 2 player mode is pretty bad unfortunately.

[@unlimitedrabbit]

Give us inserts where the components won't fall out of their designated spaces when the box is stored on its side. The Grand Carnival reprint has a lid for the top layer of the insert and space for all of the On The Road expansion's content but the foundation tiles just have drop slots and will easily fall out if its box is turned on its side.

[@natts]

A guide to the area size of table space that the game needs would be useful on the box, not just the player range, play time and minimum age. Game mechanisms would be nice too.

[@Goreliann]

I'd add a couple things and with over 100 comments, I don't know if these have been mentioned before. First of all, regarding cards, expansion pack cards should always have some way of differentiating them from the base game. Sometimes you need to weed out an expansion for first time players so if you're teaching the game to someone new, you should be able to pull out the expansion easily. Secondly, regarding bags. If you're going to include bags to help us organize the game once punched, the bags should be a reasonable size. So many times, the included bags are huge and not conducive to neat organization at all. I realize that different people will organize the box differently, but if you intend, for instance, cards to go in a bag, that bag should be close to the size of the cards without it being so tight that they're hard to get in and out of them.

[@ekurisona663]

someone should make a board game about bad board games 😂

[@CG_Hali]

My newest gripe these days is the lack of a board game. Like, so many games I look at from 2023 or coming soon (or KS) don't have a board. Don't know if that's for cost-cutting but if I freaking have to keep laying a ton of cards, give me something to line them up onto. Even if it's a cheaper board, I'll take it over not having any player or main board.

[@ShuffleUpandDeal32]

I feel the eyesight thing too, lol. I wish some rule books were easier to read, writing should be bigger in many cases imo.

[@PowerPandaMods]

13:46 - As a board game developer, sometimes you have to make a call on this. If it's technically possible to use 15 of a component, but in your playtests no game has ever gotten more than 7 at a time, even when you're intentionally trying to max out the component, then you put 8 of that component and a note in the rulebook that other pieces can substitute in if needed. Otherwise, the CONSUMER is the one paying for those pieces that they will never use. Games generally release in $5 increments, so if I can cut half of the components, which will probably never be used, and release the game for cheaper, then everybody wins.

[@Minyobi083]

Agreed on color. Pieces being different shades of blueish green and greenish blue have casued me to quit a few games altogether.

[@SenseiJae]

Can you provide an example? I usually run into blue/purple, yellow/green and red/orange/brown and not being able to differentiate.

[@revimfadli4666]

​@@SenseiJaecatan's red and orange are serious offenders

[@CMarie2415]

Castles of Burgundy

[@CMarie2415]

Sea Salt grey or black

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

I have yet to see a game come with an insert that will keep everything in place when moved around.

[@thedicetower]

If they have lids, they do.

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

@@thedicetower - The problem is that some games may have some trays with lids. But then they leave the card sections open. I have yet to see one with everything covered. Wait! That's a lie. Mind MGT and Final girl are exceptions.

[@luisecmf]

Dwellings of Eldervale does it pretty well. Oathsworn does too.

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

@@luisecmf - I want to play Dwellings.

[@cubist12]

I'd add - resource counters vs. resources. I know it's cool to have metal money and sometimes having those tangible resource pieces, but some games go way overboard, and it makes setup and management a chore. Pieces can get everywhere and you lose track of ones you've used and ones you've received. Having a little counter on your personal board (especially with slots to keep things steady) can really make everything run smoother. Why not save on production cost and setup time a little?

[@joep1780]

Agricola Boar(pigs) and the Stone. Always get them mixed up because they look nearly the same.

[@messengeroddeath]

Another great video!

[@Zayfod]

Board game colour choice is a HUGE issue for me, there are far too many game that use a 'thematically muted' pallet that means my combination of terrible eyesight and visual processing issues makes the pieces and tokens blend in perfectly to the board, so I just have to ask the other players where stuff is every turn. "Chaos in The Old World" I'm looking at you especially with your muted brown on brown design. From experience in UI design, one technique to help avoid this is to test if your colour scheme is still distinct as desaturated greys.

[@joegamer6382]

I suggest that The Dice Tower or someone else do something to encourage publishers to follow Tom’s rules. One example would be to publish a checklist that publishers can easily reference to review whether their game is player-friendly. Another example is to create an award, such as “Player-Friendly.” Yet another example would be to create a spreadsheet showing where publishers shine and where they are deficient. Without some incentive, publishers will continue to pinch pennies to the detriment of players getting the most enjoyment from games. The more player-friendly a game is, the more it will be played, and the more others will be inclined to purchase the game. As a result, following Tom’s rules will actually result in more sales and profit.

[@tetsucat13]

Spot on Tom. You tell them. !

[@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous]

3:04 - Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies / 5:25 Arborea / 9:54 [I don't know] / 11:08 I don't know, but I'd guess Obsession / 14:24 Sidereal Confluence (If there's no listing here, then the game name was on the screen.)

[@simonb9898]

One thing that totally boils my urine is the backs of cards being symmetrical, meaning I can't tell if it's upside down unless I turn it over. STOP IT!!!

[@Squatch_needs_no_heroes]

I love these.

[@dominicparker6124]

Beyond the sun was very obviously play tested in TTS because the board requires everyone to sit in the same seat, and the text is tiny and 'over there' most of the time

[@DanGrossDrums]

I _think_ you mentioned this in the rules (I know you at least asked for all components/card types to be displayed/labelled) but the box stuff helped remind me: please put the manifest in the rules, not _just_ on the back of the box. Nothing more frustrating when trying to ensure you have everything then having to check the back of the box....

[@ronaldbell7429]

Readability is a big problem for me with RPGs. The pages have this cool mottled brown background and the text isn’t fully black. So I can only read the things with the brightest light. It’s very frustrating

[@manuelkooijman5757]

There is so much info now on board games that a picture of the game on the back does not matter to me. Sometimes now I just think “let me take a photo and I’ll look a video at home first before I buy”, if I don’t know the game.

[@tylerwarner3677]

Nice. More of these please?

[@ShuffleUpandDeal32]

I agree, too many games have improper inserts, boxes that are too big, one size fits all boxes, etc. They can do better imo. Take Bargain Hunter, small card game, no insert that I recall, and I can fit like 8 decks in that box. Why such a big box? Should have been a Fuji Flush sized box, lol. Some have inserts that for some reason aren't deep enough for the cards and stuff when there was more than enough room to do so...looking at you USPC! lol

[@bobhegyi766]

This and your previous "Plea to Publishers" should be required viewing by all game makers.

[@jazzgod21]

my mom has macular degeneration. number one reason she doesn't want to play a game, or play it a second time is almost always due to visual problems from hard to see designs

[@GoranTurda]

For me number: 1. Rulebook make it clear and simple and understandable, elaborate a bit on it to make it clear (not vague to interpretations and guessing what it means) 2. Index/Reference to all words and symbols with images. 3. Storage inside 4. Box size, there is too big and there is too little and just right is perfect. etc...

[@proceduralgames]

Jenga was correct. Putting Jenga back in the box is a pain. It should be a bag.

[@olanmills64]

Even though I agree with what Tom is saying, I enjoy the plastic burger container that Burger Boss came in (though it also came with a cube-like box you could put the whole thing in)

[@Ribby00]

Great list

[@terry3733H]

some games specify ## min per player, helpful🎉 Using the box as marketing to draw wide range of gamers vs. presenting specific info to clarify expectations...?😊

[@CMarie2415]

Low light is huge! All games should be tested in low light conditions. There are a lot we skip bc of lighting. We play at night and I dont want to have to blast my eyeballs right before bed just so I can differentiate.

[@danielkaiser7245]

I just picked up a copy of Apex Theropod Deck Building Game and I don't know what they were thinking in the new printing when it came to text size on the cards. My old man eyesight isn't that great but if the point of the card is the text on the card you should be able to read that text. The pictures are nice but using what seems like 4 or 5 pt text size, where I cannot read the text, just so you don't cover the artwork seems a bit counter productive. I can overlook some bad components but when it impacts the ability to play the game there is a big problem that someone should have addressed before the game was printed. Maybe when doing the card layout on a computer scale it to 100% and see if you can still read everything and a reasonable distance?

[@Regimeta]

PLEASE design the inserts for sleeved cards! Its fine not to if there is clearly not enough space, but I absolutely hate having inserts with leftover space that could be used to make the spaces for cards just a tad bit bigger!

[@SenseiJae]

The only issue with this isthat for those who don’t sleeve, the cards can slide around and get banged up.

[@LegoAssassin098]

​​@@SenseiJae I feel like that's a much easier problem to solve by adding spacers or using deckboxes or some other solution

[@rumpleforeskin1275]

Yes! I stopped buying Loony Labs games for this very reason

[@cobtyrannon2479]

I just want to add, that sleeves are not sleeves. I usually use 120micron sleeves, because the are stiff enough to offer protection against bending and feel nicer. Some inserts that claim to be sleeves compatible can't handle the extreme expansion, those sleeves need.

[@RyansReels]

Most inserts are useless and a hassle. One of the best feelings is trashing a useless insert.

[@djmurp2]

Size of box is important too! Don’t need a ticket to ride size box for a little card game. That being said, make sure everything fits too. Just be reasonable

[@niasee]

Make sure everything fits AFTER getting all the components out. I don't plan to put the punch out tiles and tokens back in the cardboard

[@SonofSol1]

I also like a little extra room for expansions, I like to keep them in the 1 box if possible

[@ccggenius]

Unfortunately, they DO. they're paying for shelf space in the store, it's marketing.

[@andrewellis712]

He said this one…

[@SisyphusX]

Wasn’t the last “publisher tips” Top 10 list like 6 years ago? Always happy to hear Tom - but would have liked to see Zee and either Mike and/or Chris in the conversation.

[@McBehrer]

no? He put one out like 2 days ago

[@sarumon17]

They’re referring to a top 10 list, but I’m also not sure they’re correct because I distinctly remember Camilla and Chris complaining about player aids in some sort of top 10. Maybe it wasn’t for publishers directly.

[@needsanameedit4982]

We need a way to know when a board game is going out of print at least 6 months in advance and also have a way to purchase a copy if we want it. I can't find a reasonably priced original Small World outside of ebay used options.

[@BoardGameBuzz-ct5pt]

:D It seems quite impossible.. I'm a designer and my game sold out in just 6 months (I printed 1500 copies). If I had known that my game was that successful, believe me, I would have printed 10K copies of it :D

[@danacoleman4007]

Lol. Talk about first world problems. There are literally thousands of other games to play. Besides, that game stinks anyway.

[@piratedoggames1332]

I was recently looking at the game Carthage. On the box it says it's for 1-5 players. Unfortunately, the app needed to play it solo is no longer available. That publisher needs to update their box.

[@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous]

How recently do you think that box was printed?

[@piratedoggames1332]

No idea, but it's been in my LGS for around a year that I know of. Everywhere online, it still lists it as a 1-5 player game.@@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous

[@FrancoisLandryCorbin]

I'm always baffled when I see obvious omissions to these simple ease of use talked in this video. Sometimes, it feels like some publishers never played the final version of their game because if they did, they would have obviously caught these omissions.

[@firefavo]

Clear rule ! Rules with all usual section (overview, piece list,… ) ! And exemple of play !

[@JimmySquiky]

In Marrakesh by Stefan Feld I forgot you could use water to move faster on the boat track because there's no reminder on the board. 😬

[@jsievers]

YES!!! FOR COLORBLIND!!! PREACH!!!!!

[@Sgrand80]

sorry to worry bout the total number of humans in the world compared to color blind is not feasible. you are at probably 5% to billions.

[@luisecmf]

Long box shape - Quacks of Quedlingburg big box. Super long, wont fit a regular Kallax square.

[@tibortoth2529]

As like Concordia or Through the Ages... Stop making long rectangular boxes.

[@JonathonV]

Delta is a fantastic game but it commits two sins according to this video: the retail version has the Kickstarter version’s components on the picture on the back of the box, so the pieces look totally/ different; and the pieces in the retail version have two completely unrelated circular tokens that are virtually identical, except that one type of token is about 1mm larger in diameter (it bugged me so much that I replaced it with a different kind of token before our first game, because I knew it would be a source of confusion). As I said, great game, but they really needed to think of their players! Another thing for publishers to be aware of is whether the theme of the game is respectful and faithful to the cultures it directly and/or indirectly represents. Thankfully, today there are all kinds of cultural consultants you can chat with, but we’re seeing some older and fairly popular games having some theming that in retrospect was offensive or in poor taste, but that wasn’t taken into consideration when the game was originally made. Thanks for the video, Tom!

[@mikaelhansson9613]

Colour blind friendly games is a thing I care about as slightly colour blind. Lots of gamers are getting old! I mean, Ticket to Ride could do that almost 20 years ago.

[@JasonSmithPsychedelicTherapist]

I knew he was going to show Arborea!

[@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous]

It's hard to estimate game time. We all know some of those numbers are nonsense, but how much time a game takes can vary a lot by group.

[@AdamJorgensen]

Great video. My pet peeve is circular game boards. They're pretty much the worst experience in terms of readability for EVERYONE at the table. Don't give us circular boards, they suck! In terms of card size, it's also worth noting that using tarot size cards then asking people to shuffle them is a bad idea. They're not a good size for shuffling, please don't use them for cards you want us to shuffle!

[@Noel_Maymes]

When Tom mentioned Box size and dimensios, my mind IMMEDIATELY went to Tidal Blades Deluxe Edition. Same for player count. I really wanted this game, but when you look closer, the 1 player and 2 player count is a variant that requires you to have played or at least strongly suggests you to do so. Because of the way I have to store this game due to its size, the player count that is kinda wrong and requires you to have 3-4 exactly, no lore, no less and the amount of table space it requires with setup, its by far my biggest game on my shelf of shame. It‘s near impossible to get the right conditions for this game.

[@BoardGamesBricksHobbies]

9:42 Race for the Galaxy shakes nervously 😅

[@BoardGamesBricksHobbies]

@@ezes.5125 I don't actually find the symbols in RftG confusing, I was making a joke. 😔

[@yarondavidson6434]

Pretty much agree with all of the points. Just, a (minor?) thing, on the color issues for non-colorblind people. Which I do agree is a genuine issue, I had multiple games that I just don't play (in certain groups, or at all) because players were just unable to differentiate between colors that were too close. Even if the difference is clear to me, it doesn't matter if it's not clear to someone else. But... when you talk about people with color blindness, and then immediately refer to also people who don't have the problem, "normal people" is a really bad term, implying that people with color blindness are not normal. Not a huge problem, it's clear you didn't intend it as an insult and the meaning was very obvious in context, but still would have been very easy to phrase differently. (In pretty much any context, when you talk about some specific sub-group of people and then about "normal people", you're probably doing it wrong if you don't use it very intentionally)

[@ccggenius]

The insert should be able to hold sleeved cards, ESPECIALLY if the back of the game box has a cross-promotion FOR sleeves... I'm looking at you, Dixit.

[@culturia3555]

Please! SLEEVES! A lot of games don't have space in be box of you sleeve your cards! Please note that in your next video! I know that in US games are cheap. But in countries like Brazil, to sleeve a game is almost a necessity.

[@gamingpond]

A pet peeve of mine is when score tracks don’t put numbers on every space. I know you think it’s ugly, but I don’t care, it’s more functional.

[@SonofSol1]

Sea salt and paper did a good job for colour blind

[@_Cervantez]

KNARR uses the same system 👍

[@CB-yh3db]

What Tom says is so darn obvious. Have a decent size box, make good logical rule books, put the player count and duration of the game on the box………….and yet, these mistakes still get made today. Part of the problem might be a lot of publishers are small and new to creating games. Often designers have great ideas of board games but don’t know about graphic design, layouts, box sizes, shipping logistics, etc.

[@needsanameedit4982]

Every publisher should have an online resource where I can get all the text information about a game if I need to enlarge and print out bigger player aids or rule reminders, don't put it in the box just give it to me so I can tweak it on a case by case basis.

[@DTeazee]

Oh the frustration of bumping your terraforming mars board….

[@sidneyleejohnson]

Try bumping the wargames from decades ago... or examples of those that are still played today : World in Flames. Modern board games have nothing on these wargamers in terms of negative impacts on bumping...

[@edwindrood2816]

Yup

[@TrueAussieBogan]

Good work Tom, hopefully Many new and existing publishers pay attention to these plea's as i second all of them! AS AN ADDITIONAL NOTE for boxes if not or in addition to adding in the rule book... PRINT ON THE BOX either on the inside lid or internal outter side of the box. how it goes back together! "My Fathers Work" does this well! Clear picture on one side of the box how it stacks back inside, but under the lid so it doesnt get in the way of the pretty box cover. Lawl: typed this before seeing the 'storage' section. i Should have trusted in you tom, got ahead of myself.

[@speedandstyletony]

No, Jenga was the correct term in that it all comes crashing down because it won't fit!

[@jasonnewell7036]

"Pick up pieces" and "do things slide around" made me instantly think of Giants. Fantastic game, but those logs are annoying. That and the hats don't fit properly on the Mo'ai.

[@TheOldMan-75]

Eldritch Horror is the absolute worst when it comes to card backs. We play this twice a year and every single time we have to figure what each of these decks are used for.

[@lastburning]

When designing a thumbnail, you should make sure it's readable and recognizable even as a very small image. Thumbnails are tiny on people's screens. The text in those speech bubbles is way too small for example.

[@estherpettigrew3042]

I don’t want to play a dexterity game when I’m not playing a dexterity game!!! 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@ekurisona663]

hey tom - this would be an interesting exercise from the other side - things that reviewers should consider doing in their reviews - 'reviews' are all over the place on youtube and you literally never know what you're gonna get when you click on a 'review' - i imagine there are tons of things in the 'review' space that drive publishers, customers, and gamers absolutely crazy!

[@39Lords]

The worst part of wandering towers is the limiting color choice for players based on player count.

[@larrye]

Box and insert design is probably the most difficult part of game production. It's a lose-lose situation. No matter how it's done they're going to receive criticism. Is it large enough to hold sleeved cards and maybe an expansion later? It's a spacewaster. Did they design a custom fancy insert? People just throw it away when an expansion comes.