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Top 5 #shelfie tips you wish you knew

2/28/2017

Wutanfallhaus
BOARD GAME NEWS
Volume 1 • Issue 7

Let’s face it: #shelfies are a big deal, especially if you’re hoping to boost your presence on BoardGameGeek’s social media. But it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Check out the top 5 shelfie tips the fellows at Wutanfallhaus have put together so you can become a shelfie champ.

For those who are just getting up-to-speed on board game social culture, a shelfie is, at its core, a photograph of your personal collection of board games. Whether or not those games actually rest on a shelf is hotly debated among gamers, but one thing is certain: the quality of shelfies separate the true gamers from the posers.

No. 1: Your copy of Monopoly shouldn’t be visible
Sure, we all own it. Most of us even own more than one version, but NEVER under any circumstances include it in your #shelfie. Jim Gaffener, a member of the BGG Facebook page since 2007 remembers his fatal flaw. "It was only partially visible,” he says. “Really just the corner of the box!" Gaffener received 152 comments about whether it's okay to like Monopoly but only received 2 likes: one from his mom, and another from CDarrow89 who replied, "nice!"

No. 2: Explore the worm's-eye view
Everyone's seen the straight-on, fill-the-frame kind of pic. But crawl on the floor and suddenly you've got a unique angle that will make it look like you spent hours creating it. Your collection might look minuscule next to your life-size Lego statues of the Avengers, but your audience will appreciate the nuance you've brought to your shelfie. And who knows? While you're down there you might just find that red road piece you lost from Catan last month.

No. 3: Purchase a Kallax
All board game enthusiasts know that real street cred comes from owning a Kallax or eight. Those beautiful 5x5 grids of shelving glory can hold more games than you could possibly play in a year, and provide the brand power your shelfie needs in order to reach share-level status. "I don't always share other people's shelfies," says Jonathan Goldsmith "but when I do, they rest on a Kallax."

Bonus: Check out BoardGameShelveswithScott for a 20-minute in-depth shelving review!

No. 4: Leverage all your resources
Here's one that goes without saying: many of us don't actually own all the games on our shelves. Before taking your shelfie, make sure you call up a few friends and ask to borrow some of their favorites. Stock up on empty boxes from Goodwill. Print out the box art of the hottest new games so you can tape them on old Amazon boxes. And don't be afraid to purchase a couple from Target that you plan to return later. Empty space in your shelfie is humiliating. Don't be that sort of lamer gamer.

No. 5: Use your words
It wouldn't hurt to spend five or six hours scrolling through BGG's instagram gallery to take note of the captions people use. Avoid overused ones like "It's small, but growing" and "FINALLY got organized." Instead, use original captions like "I LOVE BLOODRAGE!" and "You'll never guess which game I just added!" You'll stand out like a leaf in the forest!

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Asmodee buys favorite snack company to monetize game nights

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Asmodee buys favorite snack company to monetize game nights

2/21/2017

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Wutanfallhaus
BOARD GAME NEWS
Volume 1 • Issue 6

HANOVER, PA—French gaming company Asmodee acquired snack food company Snyder's-Lance Inc. in an overnight negotiation early Tuesday morning. The idea was reportedly conceived after CEO of Asmodee NA Christian Petersen nearly choked on a token from 7 Wonders that he had mistaken for a pretzel.

"It's just habit, you know?" says a meeting attendee who wished to remain anonymous. "When you're making game-altering decisions, you just grab whatever's closest."

Business analyst Bill Burningside thinks there was more thought put into the acquisition, especially since the board game market has the potential to get saturated. “Food is consistent income even if the board game industry takes a nosedive.”

Adding Synder's-Lance to the Asmodee Group opens up huge opportunities for the already-monstrous gaming company. Several employees have confirmed that coupons for free crackers and pretzels will be included with purchases over $35, and an Asmodee Snack Catalogue will be included in every game box.

“Imagine game night without snacks,” says analyst Alan Z. Alonzo. “Now imagine it with snacking made easy. That's what this is.”

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Rio Grande purposefully produces ugly cover to hide awesome gameplay

Stonemaier Games likely to use convenient box size

CMON Changes name

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Rio Grande purposefully produces ugly cover to hide awesome gameplay

2/14/2017

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Wutanfallhaus
BOARD GAME NEWS
Volume 1 • Issue 5

PLACITAS, NM—It's no surprise that board game company Rio Grande is in production for yet another title, Cultural Revolution, which is a Eurogame based on the economy of China from 1966 to 1976. But what is surprising is that they're taking a unique marketing approach this time around—they've selected art for the box that has absolutely nothing to do with the game itself.

Abraham Diaz, a faithful member of BoardGameGeek.com, thinks Rio Grande is strategically avoiding running out of the product. "Can you imagine the frenzy they'd create if people couldn't get their hands on this fantastic game?" says Diaz. "People would go into another blood rage!"

"They're definitely playing the long game," opines Josh Yule, one of the game previewers. "The gameplay is awesome, but you don't want it to be a flash in the pan. Word of mouth sells way more games over time than beautiful box art."

Another anonymous reviewer said they almost shipped the game back without playing. "It's so ugly, I almost threw up," says the reviewer. "But when I reached out to Rio Grande, they assured me that the choice of art was intentional. Turns out it's a blast to play! Just have to throw out the container first."

Copies of Cultural Revolution will be available in the U.S. starting April 1.

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Stonemaier Games likely to use convenient box size

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Stonemaier Games likely to use convenient box size

2/7/2017

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Wutanfallhaus
BOARD GAME NEWS
Volume 1 • Issue 4

ST. LOUIS—A groundbreaking new feature came to light in a recent interview with board game designer Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games concerning his upcoming title, Charterstone.

The legacy-style game introduces several cool mechanics to the genre (which we agreed to avoid discussing and spoiling the awesome experience). But the most anticipated feature was hinted at when Stegmaier mentioned the prototype. It lived in a Ticket to Ride box.

"Not our first choice, but it worked," says Stegmaier. "It's a shame it's so. . . normal. But it fit pretty well. And my cat enjoyed sleeping in the lid."

We probed deeper about the look of the final packaging, but Stegmaier declined to comment further. His reticence to disclose details leads us to believe that the game will in fact be the first in their lineup that has a standard box size.

Consumers are excited about the possibility of the box size development and hope it continues. Local gamer Joe Stevens noted the fun, engaging and beautiful games the company has produced so far, such as Viticulture, Euphoria and 2016 smash hit Scythe. "I might finally be able to stack a Stonemaier game with the rest of my library!" he says. "Can't wait!"