I could not buy the 1st ed Glory to Rome, no matter how cheap. That’s how much I dislike the amateurish graphic design. Instead, I made English cards based on the much nicer Polish edition.
2 Likes
I generally agree that art/production I dislike won’t stop me from playing a game, it’s definitely a hurdle, especially when it comes to purchasing a game.
Part of that is that I’m a very visual person, and want “beautiful things” on my table (subjective of course), but it’s also am easy “filter”. There are simply too many good games to play, let alone buy, them all. So having an easy “that’s ugly I’m passing” test just helps.
I say that as someone who games exclusively at home, and am therefore the sole purchaser of games.
1 Like
I’ve only played it on TTS and wasn’t looking at the cards in detail, but it didn’t seem terrible.
One that’s really blatant about it: Exodus: Paris Nouveau. There aren’t a lot of images of this, but you can get some idea from the cards in the middle here (next to the red and blue ones):
Each card is a composite of:
- number of runners (0-3; three separate images)
- how large they are in the frame (1-5)
- whether there are drones shining lights on them
- whether there’s fire in the foreground
So basically all the art they needed was the background, three human figures, the fire and the drones, and out of that they get a layout person to make 80 cards. It feels cheap. (Similarly the lady with the long white hair, seen inverted next to the “Leader” token above, is the exact same art as on the box cover.)
4 Likes
Okay, that’s definitely some cost cutting on art assets there. I remember seeing this somewhere and thinking the same thing. It does seem cheap and is off-putting.
3 Likes
When you start to reach Rocket Robin Hood levels of asset recycling, people really start to notice.
[EDIT] @COMaestro Roland MacDonald is one of my favourite artists in board games, particularly for characters. He’s not always used well; for example, the covers for both Undaunted games and Western Legends seem like gaudy composites rather than cohesive works. But he does some truly stunning stuff.
1 Like
Is there any of you that sort of likes that “not so good” art that has a very board gamey feeling. I am thinking games like Pillars of the Earth or Village. It’s not great by any means, but it has a feeling of… belonging there?
5 Likes
I can honestly say that I don’t look at art too much, I’m much more about the mechanics. I appreciate games that look spectacular, but unless the art is offensive I don’t think I’d ever not want to play something because of how it looks
I grew up on that kind of art… for me it’s just what classic (YMMV on that label) boardgames look like. But there are good and bad versions of it. New Hansa Teutonica is pretty good:
The details are clear, the background is a background and doesn’t blend with the game icons. The style is consistent. The font readable. The colors are clear enough and don’t “pop” too much.
I do like beautiful games, especially beautiful covers. But again what I think is pretty doesn’t necessarily convince the next person. I think quality of art and materials enhances a game for me and makes it more fun. If a game is really great, the art obviously doesn’t matter. But thematic art makes the game come together as a whole more easily. It supports the game while bad art detracts from it.
Art is incredibly subjective but as @VictorViper stated above there are some things about composition and colors that just draw the eye. Many of us can tell these things without explicit training. I think games are not just art though, there is a lot of graphic design here and good iconography is just as important as a pretty cover–even more so. The best game artists make both and are able to blend them into a consistent looking whole.
There is a reason Lacerda games by EGG are so expensive. On Mars has to be one of the best games I have from a art/design perspective (also the game itself is a piece of art–meshing together so many different systems and still achieving a consistent whole that can be played). I cannot think of another atm that is quite so consistent throughout the game.
We can tell when something is cheap because we know the recycled clip-arts and we see the repeated patterns and the bad blending of assets.
6 Likes
All this talk reminds me of a burgeoning geek cafe franchise in the UK. My opinion is that their chosen colour scheme is an assault on the eyes and I really wouldn’t want to do anything in it.
(back on topic) I’d take slightly wonky art in favour of good design and clear layout. Ideally both.
6 Likes
Clearly the supply chain crisis is hitting so hard in my homeland that stores can’t even buy coordinating furniture and paint.
4 Likes
The Dobble colour scheme
8 Likes
I was just thinking that
Which Quinns intimated in a podcast is a best seller for it’s publisher by a long shot.
1 Like
My friend used to work in the one that recently opened up here, until her and the other female staff made a complaint about being sexually harassed by another member of staff. I’ll give everyone 3 guesses about who got fired and who got to stay 
8 Likes
Scaled to a cafe scale just seems wrong
1 Like
Looks like a gym to me:
Planet Fitness (a national chain of gyms here in the US (and I guess Canada and Mexico))
3 Likes
Ah, they’re this year’s fashionable colours.
1 Like
Isn’t that the gym that you can never cancel?
1 Like
I’ve never had a problem. I signed up with a special offer ($120 for 12 months). They’ve never pressured me to renew it when it expires. And, as far as I know, I can call them up or walk into a location and reactivate the same account again, pay $120 up front and have a valid membership for another 12 months.
3 Likes