Planet Money

BOARD GAMES 3: What’s in a name?

January 22, 2026

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  • The name and theme of a board game are critically important, capable of sinking an otherwise great game, especially when aiming for mass-appeal retail success. 
  • The process of naming and theming a mass-market game, as demonstrated in the creation of the Planet Money game with Exploding Kittens, relies heavily on non-scientific intuition, 'what sticks,' and targeting the core demographic (millennial women) rather than purely analytical data. 
  • Despite initial internal preference for the theme 'Sell Me a Sasquatch,' the need for international market viability forced the team to reconsider the name, highlighting the complex global considerations in modern game publishing. 

Segments

The Importance of Naming
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(00:00:26)
  • Key Takeaway: The name change from ‘Yacht’ to ‘Yahtzee’ illustrates that a good title is crucial for commercial success, even for a fundamentally sound game.
  • Summary: The dice game originally called ‘Yacht’ was renamed ‘Yahtzee’ by an entrepreneur who recognized that the original name lacked market appeal. This historical example serves as a serious warning that a poor title can absolutely sink a great game concept. The Planet Money team recognizes this critical hurdle as they develop their own game inspired by ‘The Market for Lemons.’
Game Concept and Retail Goal
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(00:01:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The Planet Money game aims to be a mass-appeal party game that subtly incorporates asymmetric information economics, with the ultimate goal of reaching physical big box retail shelves.
  • Summary: The project partners with Exploding Kittens to create a game based on the economics paper ‘The Market for Lemons,’ focusing on partial information and distrust in deals. The strategy is to create a party game, rather than a complex economics game, to serve as a ‘Trojan horse’ into major retail environments. Game consultant Jamie Wolansky confirmed that naming the game is the most critical next step for retail viability.
Exploding Kittens Theming Process
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(00:06:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Exploding Kittens prioritizes game mechanics working perfectly before applying theme, believing the theme and name are secondary decisions made only after core gameplay is proven.
  • Summary: The art team first plays the game to understand the core emotions, focusing on the tension of trading and distrust inherent in the mechanics. They then develop themes based on these emotions, often seeking a less on-the-nose, more whimsical version to stand out on shelves. The process involves presenting multiple illustrated options and letting the ideas ‘percolate’ based on instinct rather than formal data.
Retail Strategy: Three Feet, Three Seconds
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(00:15:44)
  • Key Takeaway: In big box retail, a game has only three feet and three seconds to capture a customer’s attention and compel them to pick up the box.
  • Summary: Game consultant Jamie Wolansky explains that the core customer for big box game purchases is generally millennial women aged 28 to 44, buying for immediate game night or as a gift. The theme and title must immediately pique curiosity within that three-second window to prevent the customer from moving on. This retail reality contrasts sharply with the non-data-driven ’trust the process’ approach favored by Exploding Kittens.
Selecting ‘Sell Me a Sasquatch’
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(00:18:32)
  • Key Takeaway: The theme ‘Sell Me a Sasquatch’ resonated strongly due to its catchy rhythm and potential nostalgic appeal to the target millennial demographic familiar with 90s paranormal media.
  • Summary: Despite initial data-averse brainstorming, ‘Sell Me a Sasquatch’ emerged as the preferred name because it felt right and was memorable. The theme taps into the nostalgia of 80s and 90s shows like The X-Files and Unsolved Mysteries, which appeals directly to the core millennial customer base. Jamie Wolansky rated the name a ’nine’ out of ten, confirming its strong retail potential.
International Naming Conflict
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(00:23:28)
  • Key Takeaway: The chosen name ‘Sell Me a Sasquatch’ faces significant hurdles in international markets because the term ‘Sasquatch’ is not easily translatable or universally recognized.
  • Summary: Exploding Kittens’ international business manager, Yuri Hosta, noted that international sales account for a growing portion of revenue (around 30%). Because ‘Sasquatch’ does not translate well, launching with the same name globally would require separate art and naming strategies, which is inefficient. This conflict forces the team to choose between the best US name and global marketability.
Finalizing the American Title
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(00:34:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The team ultimately decided to proceed with ‘Sell Me a Sasquatch’ for the US market, accepting the need for a separate European edition to avoid compromising the preferred title.
  • Summary: After pitching numerous alternatives that were rejected by retailers and the internal team, Exploding Kittens decided to prioritize the name they loved, essentially telling international teams they must ‘deal’ with the non-translatable term. This decision sets the US version of the Planet Money game as ‘Sell Me a Sasquatch,’ while acknowledging a separate European edition will likely be necessary.