Mar 18th, 2025 Tuesday Cloudy
If you are standing in front of a full shelf of board games that you have never seen before, which one(s) would you like to pick up and look at first?
My answer to that question can be easily predicted: the cute-looking ones.
This is regardless of the size of the game boxes. Some games occupy a larger space, with numerous components, miniatures, and booklets, whereas others are more compact, conveniently fitting into a small backpack. You can find in either category games with chilling covers (e.g. monsters, wars) or adorable graphics (e.g. cats – you see that coming, right?). Between a gigantic box of dark-themed campaign game and a portable box of bakery-themed party game, my hands certainly reach to the second one, if only to be rewarded for a moment of good mood.
This is also not about the mechanics of the game. One might think that games with cute designs must be for younger population, yet most of them involve complex strategies that even well-educated adults would not be able to figure out effortlessly. For some of them, the rules are not hard to learn, and kids in elementary school certainly CAN play and enjoy them, yet they are sophisticated enough that winning requires careful planning and a bit of luck. I would like to say that these games are super machines beguiled with furry costumes 😛
“Flamecraft” is just such a game. On the surface, it is a game about building shops, placing charming chubby dragon helpers in shops, and gaining resources and rewards. During your turn, you can either visit any shop in town (except the one you just visited) to gather goods/coins, or turn in specific goods to enchant a certain shop and reap all the benefits. As a community engine building game, supplies are bountiful and quick to acquire, and competitions are friendly (you never hurt other players – in fact, you pay them if you run across them!). All the names are thematic – shops like wishing well, draco bell, oh my gourd just bring smiles to my face, and dragons named honey, fondue, potato, and blossom make these creatures more like pets than powerful magic beings 🙂
However, after five plays, I still struggle to nail down an optimal approach. The pros and cons of different options seem so well-balanced that it is difficult for a single player to dominate the game, or for a solo player to beat it every time. It is fascinating, and keeps me wanting to try again. Maybe after ten plays I will eventually master the challenge 😛
But why are there so many games seemingly made for children, though actually targeting adults?
Because they are more accessible and inviting. At a family gathering, a brightly-colored game can engage everyone – the more serious gamers fret over each step and calculate scores in their heads, while the casual ones admire the delightful art, having fun announcing “I am introducing hot dog to draco bell” and laughing. The same experience cannot happen with an equally complicated game of apocalyptic theme.
Besides, who would object to cuteness? After all, we all have a soft spot in our hearts, and few, if any, would not feel a sense of joy upon seeing little balls of baby animals. I have met a lot of folks who refuse to participate in any bloody-themed (e.g. war/disease/zombie) plays, but I have not known of anyone who would not agree to play a cute game.
Perhaps, at times, we all need some doses of heart-warming sweetness in our life.