I imagine it's a marketing thing; a more "premium" product might appeal to more people (some who might not otherwise be interested if it didn't look nice) and can probably make more profit (which can be critical for a small manufacturer to stay afloat). I'd probably still buy the low budget version if given the option though!
this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2025
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Generally good, but it seems like a lot of publishers mistake “nicer” for “bigger components and more plastic bits”
For example the super-deluxe Kingdom Builder is horrible to play because they greatly increased the board size and player area (crazy table hog), the cards are annoying to deal with because they’re huge, it’s really expensive, and now a fun 30 minute game is a 2 hour slog.
It has better table presence but … they kinda ruined it.
On the other hand a lot of games really needed just a bit more polish on the artwork (I’m looking at you, Glory to Rome, Brass, Global Mogul, and unfortunately many Mac Gerdts games.)
Have you seen the Glory To Rome Black Box edition? I think it had a limited run, but the design and artwork are absolutely beautiful! It’s such a contrast to the main version’s artwork!
I have a copy. It is some of my favorite game artworks in contrast to the original.
Very polarizing though. A lot of people hate it.
I will buy a game just because it's pretty. Give me more of hat rainbow art. Lisa Frank, the game.
Wingspan is probably the game I bust out for people who don't play board games that much. It's a simple game that looks pretty, and I'm okay with that
I suppose it's similar to videogames and movie special effects, right? If it's just flashy with no thought beyond that then it's just going to wind up being expensive and soon outdated, whereas a strong and effective art style can do much more with less
I was somewhat drawn to Wingspan because of the aesthetics while I was lookong to buy a gift for a couple of friends recently, but the reviews of the mechanics put me off a bit. I have since acquired a copy for other reasons and while I have not yet played much, it does seem over complicated for what it's doing. I bought The Fox in the Forest for the couple instead and they seem to like that. It is very compact but everything has a lovely elegant style to it that was part of why I chose it
I mean, compare Foundations of Rome to Foundations of Metropolis. I think 'Rome' is a great example of these niceties taken to excess, whereas Metropolis is easier to fit - on your shelf and in your budget.
I think the pairing shows that the answer can be (or, before the tarrifs, could have been) both, but the way the industry and expectations moved, your 'Wingspan' example became Standard, rather than Deluxe.
I'm mostly happy with it, I like nice looking games, i like nice feeling components. In general i don't think there's a point in having those without great gameplay, but then again I bought Wyrmspan for the sole reason of 'ooh pretty dragons!' and was honestly surprised that I enjoy playing it too. Not that I expected the gameplay to be bad, I just don't like competitive games.
I think the trend is simply game creators adapting to the market. There are more people who like and are willing to pay for nicer prettier games right now, that's all. There are presumably also games being made that focus on mechanics only, just less than before?
It's good