Bodacious Board Games

Michelle Hirano

August 30, 2020

Love board games? Come on this journey with me to judge board game packaging. For readers 8 and up.

Board games bring me so much joy.

When I was 12 or so, my aunt and uncle showed my brother and I how to play The Settlers of Catan. Since then, I've been playing board games with my family, friends, and anyone else I can drag into my favorite hobby. Although I love board games that encourage strategic thinking and social deduction, I've noticed that some of the most beloved games are not the most aesthetically pleasing. I decided to judge some of these board game boxes based on my tastes (check out my Hotlympics article to see some more fun photos I doodled on).

Note: As always, this is just for fun, no board games were harmed in the making of this article.

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1. The Settlers of Catan

Let's start with a classic. I love this game, and as mentioned earlier, it was one of the first games that got me into board gaming (that and Monopoly Boston edition). I've never been a fan of the box it comes in, though. I feel like it's too red and yellow — two colors that I learned are related to the fast food industry — so now the box just reminds me of burgers. Great game, not my favorite box.

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2. Pandemic

Too soon? Too soon. The game is not my favorite, but the epic roles illustrated with a backlight and the professional-looking font did lure me in.

Photo Credit: Amazon

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3. Monopoly

It's pretty interesting to see how older games have continued to be family favorites. I will say that making the mascots of each game (in this case, Mr. Moneybags) more "computerized" doesn't sit well with me. I don't know if I am just getting older, but I like the old 2-D version of Mr. Moneybags more! Sue me!

Photo Credit: Amazon

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4. Candyland

Here's another instance where I really relate to the older version of this board game. I feel like the colors here are too jewel-toned, whereas before they were more pastel and candy-like. These colors remind me more of Candy Crush, which may be a smarter marketing move, but it just doesn't make me think of delicious and sweet candy.

Photo Credit: Amazon

5. Azul

Inspired by the beautiful Portuguese tiles, this game's pieces are all individual tiles with similar patterns as the ones shown on the box. I love the box — I think it's so eye-catching and vibrant. This box interests me, and now I own the game, haha.

Photo Credit: Target

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6. 7 Wonders

One of the most fun games I've ever played, so much so that my partner and I bought the 2-player version. It' a bit more of an old-school box, but the artwork is so lovely, and gives the feeling of ~wonder~ and epic-ness.

Photo Credit: Amazon

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7. Trellis

The only game on the list I have not played! Usually games that are described as zen don't interest me, but the colorful flowers and the cute font gets my attention.