Smart Games

Designing new SmartGames is every time a challenge. The complete design process itself is a giant puzzle, where each element has to fit in and every one at Smart contributes.

The challenge is to find a game that is in line with the existing SmartGames, but still is distinctive enough. We want to create something that feels familiar and meets expectations while being brand new and surprising.

This year we went ‘back to basics’ like never before: creating thinking games with simple game rules. In this way, while playing, you can focus entirely on the game.

One of the most important aspects of our work is choosing the right combination of game rules and game components. We sublimate all possibilities until we have found the ideal mix of both that brings out the essence of the game.

• Lots of people get discouraged by a challenge which looks too complex. But a game containing only 4 or 5 puzzle pieces is much more appealing to them, because: “How hard can that be?”.
• Using few game parts makes it possible to make a very attractive game by having more room for attractive materials and print techniques. In the end the quality of the parts are far more important then their quantity.

This systematical choice for quality is retrieved in every phase of the product development. From the choice of the concept over the selection of the challenges to the graphical design of the packaging and the booklet: every detail is processed with lots of care. Also the testing of the games by children and adults is an important factor. Their feedback contributes to get all challenges in the good order from easy to difficult. But, the most important thing we find out with these test-rounds is whether a game is ‘fun’. Because that is the reason why we design games and toys. Therefore we truly hope you will enjoy playing SmartGames as much as we enjoyed developing them!