Asmodee Publishing is one of the biggest names in tabletop gaming. They're behind immensely popular board games like Catan and 7 Wonders. Their reach and influence has gotten to where they own digital tabletop platforms and are producing feature films based on their properties. They've even done limited printings of resource packs to help fight breast cancer. Now, the publisher is revealing a new board game label to help new potential players find their best titles, simply called Unbox Now.
According to the official press release, Unbox Now will be a collection of Asmodee's best-selling and most accessible board games. Collectively, these board games have won over 140 awards internationally. These board games will launch with the new label in the United States, shortly releasing both physically and digitally across the globe, all with brand new branding, websites, and social media channels.
As for why Asmodee is going through the effort with Unbox Now, their answer is quite illuminating. Asmodee's Head of USA Distribution, Andre Kieran, stated the following:
With thousands of products to choose from, it can be overwhelming for consumers who are new to board games to know just which game is right for them. With Unbox Now, that question is an easy one to answer: you know that when you choose an Unbox Now board game it will be the best the industry has to offer, easy to learn and play, and enjoyable for all ages. More than 214M players around the world already enjoy games from the Unbox Now selection. We are uniting them under one brand to make product-discovery easier than ever for consumers, and we plan to help create cross-sell opportunities for retailers via an extended marketing campaign, supported by in-store visibility.
It's an argument that holds valid concerns regarding getting players around the table and engaging with the game's rules. This is something Unbox Now will attempt to alleviate with having their most popular titles catch the eye of new players leave a positive first impression, being able to understand and play the game in minutes. Asmodee stated that, according to an extensive study, 54% of players said that learning and explaining a board game's rules affects how often that they play board games. While there were no citations given to this study, it does explain why just about anyone can pick up a card game like Uno, but can bounce off something as complex as Gloomhaven.
As for which of Asmodee's games will be printed under the Unbox Now label, there are eleven in total. They are as follows:
- CATAN
- Rivals for Catan
- Pandemic
- Ticket to Ride
- Ticket to Ride Europe
- 7 Wonders
- 7 Wonders Duel
- Carcassonne
- Splendor
- Dixit
- Azul
For more information about Unbox Now, you can check out their official website right here.
