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September 12, 2025 49 mins

Ever bought a game just because it looked cool? In Episode 248 of Crowdfunding Nerds, Andrew and Sean explore the concept of "game shaped objects"—games that lure us with their aesthetics but might not see much playtime. Why do we sometimes buy games that end up as shelf trophies? 

 

Join us as we dive into the tension between art and marketability in game design. Sean shares tales of gifting games like Codenames that become more of a conversation piece than a pastime. What does this reveal about consumer psychology and the role of aesthetics in purchasing decisions?

 

We also discuss the critical role of playtesting and embracing feedback to refine a game’s experience. Plus, we explore how games compete not just with each other, but with all leisure activities for our attention. Tune in for insights on balancing form and substance to create games that are both captivating and commercially successful! 

  Thank you to our sponsors! HeroTime1.com - Get a 3% discount off your Hero Time Manufacturing order using code: CrowdfundingNerds101 BridgeDist.com - We recommend Bridge Distribution & Fulfillment for US fulfillment and Amazon fulfillment. We use them for our own projects, too! Hive Interactive Pledge Manager - http://crowdfundingnerds.com/hive We recommend Mailerlite for building your community [Affiliate] - https://www.mailerlite.com/a/6K95GNejWHMV CrowdfundingNerds.com/Academy - If you are looking to DIY your crowdfunding, we have highly impactful courses that teach you how to build, excite, and prepare a crowd to fund you on Launch Day! Check out our website at crowdfundingnerds.com and join our bustling community on Facebook.  Stay Nerdy!
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