Last week, I wrote about and gave you a peek inside Comic Bento, a subscription box that brings a small pile of new graphic novels to your doorstep every month. Well, the fine folks at Comic Bento also run a second subscription box, and this one is geared to gamers. Tabletop board gamers, to be precise.
Board Game Bento, today’s sponsor, has a different theme each month, and they guarantee at least $80 worth of games and accessories in each box. A monthly subscription (with a month-to-month commitment and the ability to cancel anytime) will set you back $50 + s/h. Committing to a six-month subscription reduces that price a bit. So this box is pricier than the comic book version (and many other monthly subscription boxes), which obviously means you’re taking more of a risk.
So what’s inside? A nice mix of games, mechanics, and play styles. Not all of the games are super brand new, so if you’re already a gamer and have a decent collection, you obviously run the risk of getting a game you already own. But that’s the risk with any blind box service, to be honest.
However, unless you have a particularly robust collection or are like several GeekDad contributors (who shall remain nameless) and have a Kickstarter obsession, you’re probably safe. The games are generally from smaller, independent publishers and started out on a crowdfunding platform. Which–to me–makes them all the more exciting. These are games that might not land on “hot” lists but still deserve table time.
I had the opportunity to dig into the October 2017 box, Thinkers, which included four games that focus on “forward thinking and careful decision-making.” Inside were:
- Dreamwell by Action Phase Games
- Vye by Sandhat Games
- Innovation by Iello
- Quartex by CSE Games
All four games are gorgeous and appeal to the abstract/strategy gamer in me. I can’t wait to get them all to the table. They’re all either suitable for 2-4 or 2-5 players, and the identified playtimes are 20, 30, 45, and 60 minutes, which is a nice spread.
As I said, Board Game Bento guarantees at least an $80 value. The four games in this particular box retail for about $100. Some boxes also include accessories, such as dice or other ephemera, so your mileage may vary from month to month. However, a one-month subscription would make a great gift idea for any gamers you know. Because let’s be honest: who doesn’t love opening a mystery box?
If you’re in the market for a new subscription box, you may want to check this one out.
(Thanks to Board Game Bento for their sponsorship of GeekDad. All opinions regarding this service/product remain our own.)
