If you’ve delved deep into the fiery core of your local major retail store, you’ve likely encountered them. Positioned neatly in rows alongside classics like Monopoly and near the endcap brimming with expansions for Cards Against Humanity, a fresh and rebellious category of products awaits – the so-called “light hobby board games.” These games resemble their weightier counterparts from the past, but with a smoother, more polished veneer.
Renowned game designer Eric Lang (Blood Rage) harbors no objections to their presence; however, he believes that contemporary consumers merit more – and perhaps, better. This conviction led him to propose a game concept, alongside his co-creator Ken Gruhl, to the century-old board game giant Hasbro.
“In my view as a designer,” Lang shared during a recent discussion, “I aim to demonstrate that the distinctions between what we label as ‘mass market’ and ‘hobby market’ are largely artificial constructs. People are people. Fun is fun. Depth is depth. While individuals may have varying thresholds for complexity in games, there isn’t a clear, singular boundary separating mass and hobby markets. These distinctions have been primarily dictated by retail buyers.”
“In Life in Reterra, players engage in drawing tiles from a shared pool of resources to construct a settlement post-apocalypse. Unlike Clue and Monopoly, this game offers a plethora of components ensuring a unique gameplay experience each time. Lang highlighted that just the initial card hands alone boast over 11,000 diverse combinations, ranging from straightforward to intricate. Reterra deliberately aims to integrate itself into players’ routines, evolving into a pastime they revisit to explore its intricacies repeatedly. It matches the complexity of traditional hobby board games but presents itself in a distinct manner.”
Over the past four years, Lang dedicated a significant portion of his time to instructing average consumers on new games. By immersing himself in the world of individuals unfamiliar with games like Clue or Monopoly, he aimed to unlearn his industry knowledge and shed the jargon that has permeated the hobby, partly due to the influence of the largest board game enthusiast site, Board Game Geek (BGG).
“BGG serves as a haven for taxonomy enthusiasts,” Lang remarked. “Each game mechanic is meticulously categorized. So, when I mention BGG terms like ‘Worker placement,’ it may seem cryptic to the uninitiated. While it holds value for BGG enthusiasts, I consider such terminology off-limits if my goal is to reach a broader audience. It doesn’t mean I can’t incorporate such mechanics, but I must not assume prior knowledge and reassess the purpose of these mechanics.”
Lang emphasized, “Simplification is just one approach to penetrate the mass market. It’s about ensuring intuitiveness and leveraging familiarity with non-hobby games rather than niche games. When making comparisons, I draw parallels to mobile games, vintage Facebook games, or classic games, avoiding assumptions about the audience’s familiarity with BGG terminology.”
This meticulous approach extends to the manual of Life in Reterra, which surpasses the brevity of many conventional mass-market game guides, some of which barely span a single double-sided page.
“There’s a prevalent belief that you lose readers after one paragraph,” Lang noted. “With this game, if someone purchases a box prominently labeled ‘strategy game,’ we can presume they seek a strategic experience. We won’t lose them after one paragraph; instead, we provide ample white space, numerous illustrations, slightly larger text than usual – making no assumptions whatsoever.”
While already accessible in France, the upcoming release of Life in Reterra promises a 12-page manual – a significant departure from the concise guides typically found on store shelves. What sets this manual apart is its enduring utility beyond the initial playthrough.
“The novelty of this game,” Lang elaborated, “lies in our guidance through the first three games. We direct players, ‘After your initial game, flip two of these tokens and witness the game’s transformation. Now, flip all five tokens and observe the extensive changes.’ We lead them along the path of discovery… offering a structured approach for their initial games. This approach stems from my background in video games – teaching players complex concepts through hands-on experience.”
Pre-orders for Life in Reterra are currently open, with a slated release date of March 31.