Why naming a board game is more difficult than designing the rules themselves
Planet Money collaborates with Exploding Kittens to develop a mass-market board game based on the economics paper The Market for Lemons. This episode reveals the high-stakes process of selecting a name and theme that can survive the competitive environment of big-box retail shelves.
The team behind the project discovered that while creating a functional game mechanic and rule set was achievable, branding the product for mass appeal presented unexpected challenges. The goal was to integrate economic concepts subtly into a party game format.
By partnering with Exploding Kittens, the producers aimed to gain firsthand experience in the retail industry, documenting the complexities of bringing a product from concept to physical store shelves.
