BOARD GAMES 3: What's in a name? - Planet Money Recap

Podcast: Planet Money

Published: 2026-01-22

Duration: 36 min

Guests: Jamie Wolansky, Stephanie Pesta, Yuri Hoster

Summary

Naming a board game is crucial for its success in the market. The episode explores the process of naming the Planet Money game, showcasing the challenges and considerations from appealing to big box retailers to international markets.

What Happened

The episode begins with the legend of a Canadian couple who sold the game 'Yacht', which was later renamed to 'Yahtzee' by a game entrepreneur. This anecdote sets the stage for the importance of a game's name. Planet Money's team is developing a game inspired by the economics paper 'The Market for Lemons' and faces the challenge of naming it to appeal to mass-market retailers. Jamie Wolansky, a seasoned game consultant, emphasizes that a game's name and theme can make or break its success in big box stores, where customers make quick decisions based on three seconds of shelf time.

The team partners with Exploding Kittens to create a party game that incorporates economic concepts of asymmetric information and trading. They brainstorm various themes, including 'Misfit Mascots', 'Sell Me a Sasquatch', and 'Cats as Salesmen', each with unique illustrations and potential appeal. Exploding Kittens' Stephanie Pesta explains that the art and design team focuses on the emotions and excitement of gameplay to inspire these themes.

Despite initial enthusiasm for 'Sell Me a Sasquatch', the team encounters a setback when considering the international market's unfamiliarity with the Sasquatch concept. Exploding Kittens' international team, led by Yuri Hoster, highlights that a significant portion of their sales come from Europe, where Sasquatch is not a recognizable figure. This prompts a reconsideration of the theme to ensure global marketability.

The team goes through a creative brainstorming process, exploring alternative themes and titles. They even consider humorous and whimsical options like 'Sell Me Something Stupid', which involves trading wacky items at a swap meet. However, these ideas fail to capture the essence of their original vision.

Ultimately, they circle back to 'Sell Me a Sasquatch', deciding to focus on the U.S. market where the name has strong nostalgic and cultural resonance. Jamie Wolansky provides insight into the importance of appealing to millennial women, the core demographic for big box retailers, and emphasizes the need for a catchy name that resonates within three seconds of shelf exposure.

After much deliberation, the team decides to move forward with 'Sell Me a Sasquatch' for the U.S. market, while acknowledging potential challenges in Europe. They plan to work with Exploding Kittens to find a creative solution for international markets. The episode concludes with a call for listener submissions of cryptid ideas for the game, engaging the audience in the creative process.

Key Insights

• The board game 'Yahtzee' was originally called 'Yacht' and was renamed by a game entrepreneur to increase its market appeal.
• A game's name and theme are crucial for success in big box stores, where customers typically decide on a purchase within three seconds of seeing the product.
• Exploding Kittens, a game company, found that a significant portion of their sales come from Europe, influencing their decision to consider international marketability when developing new games.
• The team developing 'Sell Me a Sasquatch' decided to focus on the U.S. market due to the cultural familiarity and nostalgia associated with Sasquatch, despite potential challenges in European markets.