Introduction
Stretch goals are an incentive for customers to purchase additional content for a board game. They are a way for the Board Game designers to offer value to their customers, and often come in the form of extra cards, boards, pieces, and components that augment or expand the game. Stretch goals give players the chance to enjoy a more expansive gaming experience without having to buy a brand-new version of the game. They can also incentivize people to spend more on games they already own and love as they are able to get additional content by pledging more money during pre-order phases. Most popular board games have had related Kickstarter campaigns where reaching certain pledge levels can reward players with stretch goals that add new elements and excitement to their established favorites.
Approaches to Introducing Stretch Goals to Retail Board Games
Stretch goals can be a fun and exciting way to add an extra dimension of challenge and excitement to retail board games. There are a variety of ways to incorporate stretch goals into such games.
One option is to set the game’s difficulty level prior to play, with an increased goal or difficulty levels that may only be achieved after other basic objectives have been met. This keeps the game challenging and allows players to continue working towards higher achievements once they’ve tested their mettle against the initial challenge. This also allows for multiple layers of difficulty so that experienced players can further deepen their play experience by tackling progressively tougher objectives.
Another approach is introducing special in-game rewards for completing specific tasks or achieving certain milestones within the game. These rewards could include limited time promotions such as discounts on in-game purchases or other tangible prizes, allowing players to earn something valuable for their efforts beyond just satisfaction from solving a puzzle. Alternatively, tiered player rankings – based on accomplishments such as reaching particular level thresholds or defeating particularly tough opponents -can be introduced with increasing levels providing additional benefits as players experience more of what the game has to offer.
Finally, timed events could also be created with associated in-game unlockable bonuses awarded upon successful completion of these real-time challenges, adding an even greater degree of urgency and competition among loyal players looking for opportunities to prove their skill within the game environment.
Ideas for the Types of Stretch Goals to Include
• Exclusive miniatures or figurines for the game
• Additional player boards or mats with unique artwork
• Pre-painted plastic tokens, pieces, cards, and other components
• Expanded rules or additional content to increase replayability
• Uniquely designed card sleeves and box inserts to protect cards from dirt and wear
• An alternate board design tailored to different play styles or strategies
• Additional scenarios with unique objectives and strategies
• Specialized gameplay components such as dice, meeples, or currency pieces
• Custom-designed modular map tiles that change the playing environment elementally each time you play.
Creative Strategies for Incorporating Stretch Goals
Stretch goals are a great way to motivate players and create excitement by adding an extra challenge to a game. In recent years, they have become popular in retail board games as well. Here are some creative strategies that retailers can use to incorporate stretch goals into their retail board games:
1. Increase the number of expansions available with board games: Many times, players like to purchase additional expansions in order to make the game more interesting for everyone. By creating additional content or components specifically for the game, it adds value for potential buyers and it also lends itself more easily to creating stretch goals that appeal to players without feeling too overbearing or restrictive.
2. Allow players to complete challenges and objectives during game play: This encourages cooperative play as well as individual achievement and rewards players who aim higher with achievements based on completion of an ever-growing goal list. It would be beneficial if these challenges change over time so there is always something new available.
3. Linked events: Encourage interplay between different resources by linking or tying them together through specific one-time events that must take place before certain goals are met (this could include visiting stores, playing special mini-games, etc). Doing this allows for more of an interactive experience rather than just a single-player race towards the endgame.
4. Use leaderboards and leaderboard competitions: Leaderboards help track progress but if you can also have weekly or monthly leaderboard competitions where top scorers win something extra in terms of exclusive goods/rewards/grammar points etc., then this creates a spark in motivation even more so than just simple score tracking.
Pros and Cons of Implementing Stretch Goals
Pros:
– Adding a stretch goal to retail board games can incentivize people to purchase the game by providing them with an additional reward for doing so.
– Stretch goals usually involve more content or elements to the game, which can add value and provide added excitement for gamers.
– It can also help increase the public’s engagement with the game by providing unique and novel content.
– It may also help manufacturers to save money on production costs required for larger batches of items due to the possibility of backers benefiting from group sales opportunities.
Cons:
– However, depending on how complex and expensive the new stretch goals are, implementing too many could be costly and risky for manufacturers.
– There is also a risk that gamers may become overwhelmed by too many new ideas and rulesets during gameplay, resulting in confusion and lost interest in the game.
– Finally, there is a danger that creating too many stretch goals can result in people feeling like their investments have been a waste of time and money if they don’t get rewards from all those stretch goals after all.
Examples of Board Games in Retail Stores with Stretch Goals
Yes, there are a number of board games in retail stores that come with stretch goals. Risk ” Legacy (published by Hasbro) is an example of a game with ‘unlockable’ features, also known as “stretch goals”. Through gameplay, players can unlock new rules and components through “episodes” which further progress the story of the game. Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) (published by Fantasy Flight Games) is another example of a board game with stretch goals. Players can upgrade their heroes over several gaming sessions and unlock powerful new allies, items, and special abilities to achieve victory. An even more extreme example is Battlestar Galactica ” The Board Game (also published by Fantasy Flight Games). Players can unlock hidden weapons caches, gain extra fuel reserves and expand their strategic options as they play through episodes to further the story of their game.
Final Thoughts
Yes, retail board games often include stretch goals. Stretch goals give players additional items (typically bonus components or extras) that they may not have initially received if they had purchased the base game. This added value is a great way to entice customers and can help increase sales for a game.
When creating a retail board game, it is important to consider how best to use stretch goals as part of its marketing strategy. The goal should be to create realistic and achievable stretch goals that will attract attention from potential customers and keep them engaged during the entire buying process. To make your goals more attractive, consider offering rewards such as additional game pieces, character upgrades, special cards or even improved artwork for the box covers or playing boards. Players are always eager for new content and rewards in their gaming experience so by offering extra goodies with your game you can generate interest and boost sales. Additionally, you could work with any existing license partners who have already made an appearance in the base game to offer additional bonuses or tie-in promotions via stretch goals exclusive to your product range.
Including some sort of early-backer incentive may also be beneficial as this could encourage people to purchase before release so they get the most out of their investment but also increase sales before launch! Whatever design direction you choose for your retail boardgame stretch goals make sure it incentivizes buyers and builds hype around the product while helping to generate strong engagement rates throughout its entire journey from development, through launch and afterwards!
I love playing all kinds of games – from classics like Monopoly to modern favourites like Ticket to Ride.
I created this blog as a way to share my love of board games with others, and provide information on the latest releases and news in the industry.
