Thank you everyone for participating, we had fun reading everyone’s entries.

Check out the winning entries!

Sally T. from MI-

Alphabet Game – Must find/see something starting with each letter in alphabetical order.

Bingo – using travel Bingo cards

Telling story where each passenger says a sentence.

Taking turns picking songs to hear from ipod

Red Car, Blue Car, Old Car, New Car – Find one of each and win

Rolling Categories – Think of a secret category (billboards, pickup trucks, cars with something on roof…) and count out loud every time you see something from the car window that fits into your category.  Everyone else tries to guess your secret.  The correct guesser goes next.

John C. from NY

Another one is license plate math. When we are behind a vehicle in traffic the first one to add, subtract, multiply, or divide the numbers on the license plate earns a point. They all do the same procedure per round. A parent usually keeps tally of the points. Then when we stop the person with the most points wins. We do tournaments on long trips. Added to the fun is trying to catch the numbers when a car passes you.

We do the Alphabet game also, color code, trivia about certain areas we are passing through, and try to spot shapes in the land formations, signs, whatever,  filling out a graph as we go.

Radio roulette: using scan on the radio, be the first person to name the song/artist playing at the time. Change channel once someone names it  Ultimate winner: dominate the entire span of the dial.

Famous people a to z: you name a famous person, the next person needs to name someone whose first name begins withe the letter of its last name (Paul Neumann, Nicole Kidman, Kim Zimmer, etc)

Those two keep us busy!

1.  How long have you been inventing games?

Ever since I was young.  I would rewrite the rules for games trying to make them better.  Or I’d steal parts from one game to use in another.  But it wasn’t until 1988 that I had my first published game, “Spit It Out” a tongue-twisting family game.  It took me until 2000, and about 1/2 dozen published games later, that I decided to try board game inventing as a full time career.

2.  How did you get started in the game inventing business?

In 1987, discouraged with my current job, I had a game idea, and looked in my local phone book and, as fate would have it, there was a game company listed there “The Game Works”.  I called and the President of the company answered  the phone (not a surprise as it turns out since it was a small company with only 2 office employees).  He didn’t want my game idea, but we struck up a friendship which got me started doing some writing for him, which became a part-time job, and later a full-time job.  Some 3 dozen published games later, I’m still doing it and loving it.

3.  Tell us about the process of inventing Shake ‘N Take

I knew of this summer camp activity that used a series of numbers or the alphabet.  It was fun but had a few flaws, I thought.  So I took that design, and started tweaking things here and there.  Adding the second die, really solved a lot of the original problems.  Then I was fortunate enough to have Out of the Box take the production components to a whole new level.  It’s turned out great!

4.  What inspires your game designs?

I’ve always believed the best game designers were great observers – people who really looked at the world around them and asked, “what if…”.  So all my games comes from something I’ve experienced or witnessed and asked that question about.

5.  Do you have any advice for aspiring game designers?

Don’t pin all your hopes on just one game idea.  If you’re creative enough to come up with one game idea, you’re creative enough to come up with a half dozen game ideas.  This increases your chances of success: better chances of getting a product made, and better chances that your game will sell well.

6.  What is the best thing about working in the game industry?

The people.  Everyone in this industry is committed to play and the importance of that in our lives.  So lots of positive vibes and encouraging communication on a regular basis!

Being a game publisher isn’t all that different from being a book publisher. Some game companies design all of their own games. We find that we get better games and more variety by working with outside game inventors. In an average year we get about 700 game submissions from all over the globe. Some are from experienced inventors and others are from novice inventors. Anyone can invent and submit a game to us. About 600 of these 700 are not a fit for us from the beginning. Many are great games, but just don’t fit our needs for one reason or another. Most commonly, they are too long for our quick to learn and quick to play model, they are adult oriented and not good for kids or families, or they are just not ‘Out of the Box’ enough. With the remaining hundred or so, we will ask for rules, then if we still feel they might be a fit, we will ask for a prototype. We generally do several months of testing before we finally decide that the game is a fit for us. If a game makes it though this rigorous testing, we will license the game from the inventor and begin working on product design and development.

The game design process begins with a name and perhaps a theme. This is both one of the most fun and most difficult parts of launching a new game. One very unique aspect of Out of the Box is that we are an entirely virtual company. That means that there is no main office. Everyone works directly from his or her home. So, when we meet to discuss game design, themes and names it is all done via virtual meetings. In some cases, we stick with the name that the inventor chose for the game, but in most cases, we look at hundreds of names and themes before we choose one. This process can take as little as a month to as long as two years to complete. Once the theme and name are established, the box and components have to be designed. For some games, like card games, this means lots of graphic design, for others like Ninja versus Ninja, this means designing and creating ninja figures and dice. This is always interesting and fun, but can be quite challenging at times too.

Once the game is fully designed, production takes anywhere from three to six months. During this time, we are teaching the game to retailers and sending out press copies.

So, that is a general overview of what it is like working for a game company. If you have other questions, leave comments below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible!

Considering the large number of great ‘family’ style games available, it seems like choosing a game to play with kids and adults should be easy. However, when you are standing in the game aisle looking down the seemingly infinite stretch of games, it can be downright intimidating.  The best way to find great games for your group is to visit a store that that focuses on games, either a specialty toy store with a good game selection or an actual game store. These stores generally have wonderful staff that can help you find a unique game to fit your situation. If you don’t have a store like this in your area, you can still find great games at your local big box store or online. Start by reading reviews written by parents. Amazon.com has loads of reviews, but you might be better off starting with a more reliable source like Wired Magazine’s Geek Dad or greatdad.com. Look for reviews where the reviewer talks about playing the game with kids, not just letting the kids play on their own. Games with a hidden educational component are great, but avoid games that are outwardly ‘educational games’. Such games tend to turn off the kids and can be boring for the parents. Choose a topic that the kids are particularly good at to give them an edge. For example, if you are playing with kids who are great with words, choose a word game. In general, try not to stray too far from the suggested age range. If the children have played a lot of games before, going up 2 or 3 years probably isn’t a big deal, but if you want the kids to be able to play the game without your help as well, sticking at or around the suggested age range is a good idea.

When you are playing with different age ranges, making the game feel fair is important. What I mean by ‘feel fair’ is that everyone is equally challenged and has an equal chance of winning. Sometimes that means slightly altering the rules to accommodate younger players.  The key to doing this in a way that feels fair is to explain the rule changes to everyone before the game starts and to adjust as the younger player improves. This may mean giving an adult more cards in a speed card game, or lowering the winning conditions for a younger player. Kids don’t generally have a problem losing if they feel like they had a fair chance of winning.  One thing to avoid is ‘letting’ a player win—that doesn’t feel fair to the winner or the loser.

Finally, there are many ways to personalize a game to your group. We all fondly remember playing blackjack for pennies or M&M’s as a kid, well this can be done with just about any game. Add a small prize, like the winner gets to choose their seat first at dinner or for every coin you collect, you get a small treat. Another way to create a tradition of playing games is to keep a log of the games you played and who won. It could be in a book or on a giant poster next to your game collection or running a small game tournament. However you choose to do it, fun is always the ultimate goal.

Playing games with kids can be a great way to bond, relax and laugh at the end of the day. Just choose games that are a good fit to your group, play them in a way that feels fair to everyone and add in your own twists to personalize the experience.

We arrived on Friday and set up the biggest booth we have ever had. It was awesome, because there was tons of play space, so we could set up almost all of our games. We also had a separate area just for the Giant Word on the Street. Doors opened at 4pm and the families flowed in. Families in Green Bay definitely know how to play! Our booth was totally full the whole three days! We also had some legendary games of Giant Word on the Street.

We want to thank Gnome Games for setting up the event!

How did you get started in the game inventing business?

There were 2 things that got me into the game inventing business.   One happened to be a friend who told me that her father was a game inventor.  I asked her if she could make an introduction for me.   I had never invented a game in my life but I wanted to meet this guy.  His name is Jim Winslow.  Jim and I arranged to meet in New York City in a fast food court with the understanding that it might be a one-shot hello/goodbye & never to be heard from again.  Well, we’ve been working together for many years since then and sold many fabulous games together.  The other thing that got me involved into the Toy Industry were some kids’ songs I had written in my other career as a composer/songwriter.   I was introduced to some wonderful women in the Toy Industry, Maureen and Laurie Trotto.  Maureen and Laurie saw that my song could be the basis for a toy.  We had the concept optioned by Hasbro and then I was hooked!

How many games have you invented and had published? 

I don’t know. I think I’ve invented about 50-150 games, but there were some that were versions of other games and some that were done with partners, so its hard to say exactly. I’ve had about 20-30 published, but again, it’s hard to say exactly, because some were in Europe and some were with agents versus working directly with the publisher.

Tell us about the process of inventing Bug Out. 

I invent different games at different times, but I often try to prepare for big shows, like Toy Fair. In this case, it was December of 2009 or January of 2010 and I was preparing products for presenting at Toy Fair. I generally try to keep my games simple and intuitive. I like easy play patters that don’t require a lot of explanation. I usually start with a basic type of game, like matching. I also design a lot of games for younger kids.

What inspires your game designs?

Lately I have been thinking a lot about vertical dimension, so not just making a flat game. Also, even when it is a kids game, you have to sell the adults, so it has to be fun for adults too. Finally, I like to include a twist or a surprise, something clever.

Do you have any advice for aspiring game designers?

Go to the store and look at what is out there first. If you already have a design, could it stand on the shelf with the other products? If you don’t, try to design something new that could be on the shelf with the other products.

Any other thoughts you want to share? 

I’ve really enjoyed seeing the videos and reviews of Bug Out. It is so interesting to see how people use the game.

The Games
• Try to match your game to your group. For example, a wild party game might be perfect for three couples on a Saturday night, but might not be as much fun with Grandma and Grandpa on a Sunday afternoon.

• Know the rules and game components before your friends or family come over. Even if you are playing an easy to learn game, like The Chain Game, many game players prefer to have rules explained to them rather than read to them. You get to be the referee so it helps if you are prepared to answer questions regarding the rules of the game.

Your Guests
• We already mentioned trying to match your guests to the type of game you are playing, but also try to match the number of players to the type of game you are playing. If the game requires teams, try to have an even number of players. If the game is only for 2 players, invite only one person, or have other games for the rest of the group to play while 2 are playing the 2 player game.

• Try to find people who enjoy games and won’t be constantly distracted. Even if you are playing a game where people can come and go, like Backseat Drawing, it will not be nearly as much fun if one of your players constantly leaves the room to answer his or her cell phone.

The Environment
• Choose a location with good lighting (particularly if your players are older). Make sure that you have enough chairs for everyone and a big enough table. Round or square tables work best, but an average rectangular dining table or coffee table will do.

• Snacks, drinks and games go together! Make sure to pick snacks that aren’t greasy or sticky and have plenty of napkins on hand, so you don’t ruin your games. Pretzels and M&Ms are good choices.

• Music always helps make it feel more like a party, but choose something that isn’t distracting, and keep it low enough that players can hear each other talking.

• Consider locations other than just your living room. Coffee shops are an easy option, many game retailers have a gaming room, and most libraries have “talking rooms,”—all make great gaming locations. For adults, bars with good lighting work well too.

• Games work any day of the week and any time of day, but setting a time late on a week night can really put a damper on a great party game. Also, you may want to set an end time. If you get a great party game going, your guests may never want to leave!

Ole Miss Game Day- April 14th, University, MS
ChimaeraCon 2012- April 6-8th, San Antonio, TX
MepaCon- April 20-22nd,  Clark Summit, PA
PrairieCon- June 1-3rd, Manitoba, Canada
OddCon- April 20-22nd, Madison, WI
PretzCon- April 20-22nd, Bellevue, NE
MarCon- April 6-8th, Columbus, OH
Animaritime- June 29- July 1, Moncton, Canada
GnomeCon 1- April 20-22, Savannah, GA
XCon WORLD V- May 18-20, Myrtle Beach, SC

Our second Name that Alien contest winner was Wendy Donner Harris with the name C-4.

Our third Name that Alien contest winner was J.C. Chupack with the name Ashtral.

Our fourth Name that Alien contest winner was Jason Troutman with the name Seezar!

Our fifth Name that Alien contest winner was Kiersten Bliss with the name Chewblecka!

Our sixth Name that Alien contest winner was Mary Denise Mapp with the name Trivver!

Our seventh Name that Alien contest winner was Kraig Kasten with the name Fletnikks!

Our eighth Name that Alien contest winner was Skye Salveson with the name Palpatikk!

Our ninth Name that Alien contest winner was Torben Sherwood with the name Starwarts!

Our tenth Name that Alien contest winner was Rick Ray with the name Tripol-i!

Keep those fun names coming!