The Game of Life is a classic board game where players ages 8+ spin a wheel to travel across life’s milestones.
What is Life?
Help inject fun into the world by reintroducing everyone to board games. Specifically, by getting people interested in the Game of Life.
The Ask
Board games mostly make their debut during game night, a long cherished tradition among families that isn’t slowing down. In 2023, 82% of Americans had family game night. The love for board games remains strong, especially for families wanting to spend quality time with one another.
When Does The Board Come Out?
The Problem
Life doesn’t have a seat at game night
Among a survey of 1000 Americans we noticed that the top games for game night included one of two traits - skill or replay-ability.
Take Uno for example, a game where everyone has their own strategy to win and you can play over and over to get at least one win.
Furthermore, the Game of Life is perceived to lack skill by being a game that is up to luck.
Skill and replay-ability in gameplay have one thing in common: competition
Tears at the dinner table over a draw 4 in Uno
Tables getting flipped left and right when the game doesn’t go your way
Anger getting the best of you when getting sent to jail in Monopoly
Life’s lack of skill offers a unique game experience
While there was a lot of negative sentiment online about Life’s simplicity, this is also a point of point. Games of luck mean you don’t have to focus on your next move.
“There is one single virtue: you can focus your attention on something completely different than the game itself (like having a conversation with the other players) while still playing optimally!”
“Most of the fun is the banter between players, and the shenanigans around the game. Which one of us would end up with 12 kids? Which of us would hit every awful square on the board and be absolutely wrecked by life?”
Source: Board Game Geek Reviews
The Opportunity
The Game of Life spans generations, and that’s true for families playing it together. Family members offer different perspectives because they’re at different stages in life. On one end, some have reached milestones similar to those featured in the game. On the other, children may not yet understand how babies are made or what a midlife crisis feels like.
Connecting with the Target Audience
Life recommends itself for those ages 8 and up, meaning its target audience starts at tweens. It can be increasingly difficult for tweens to share aspects of their lives as they discover the world. Caretakers can be just as confused with navigating quality time with them, but they seem to try anyways.
“So... for those of you with kids who are maybe 8 and older: How do you spend “quality time” with your kids when they don’t necessarily need to be entertained by you anymore like when they’re little?”
Insight: Curiosity about life doesn’t expire
No matter what stage of life you are in, you are always learning as you and your loved ones grow. In early life, it can feel as though you have countless questions about the world and your identity within it. As you grow older, you may not have all those answers, but you gain experience and a curiosity about how others navigate life from their own perspectives, especially your children’s.
Strategy
Keep the Conversation Going
Creative Idea
Talk About Life
Highlighting the funny conversations from kids, made possible from the pieces that make up the game.
OOH
Interacting with parents (the ones buying the game) through strategically placed signage in specific aisles in Target (where the game is sold).
In-Store Experience
