Over the holidays, we spent a lot of time playing board games with our kids.
The classics came out: Monopoly, Othello, Scrabble, Trouble, even chess.
Most are older than I am — some by centuries.
What I love is how these games endure. Not just survive, but thrive.
Take Connect 4. We have the classic version and a travel-sized one. There are plenty of others — even an aptly-named “Giant Edition” for the back yard. The concept is dumdum simple: get four in a row.
But that simplicity is exactly why it works. Kids can learn it in minutes, yet their grandparents still enjoy the strategy. (Even as winning gets rarer and rarer.)
These game makers protect their turf carefully. Try searching “Connect” plus “Four” on Amazon. You’ll find plenty of knockoffs using different names to skirt trademark protection.
While the dog brain loves familiar patterns, the tank brain craves new challenges. Classic games nail this balance. The basic rules are simple enough for the dog brain to grasp instantly, but the strategy keeps the tank brain happily engaged — year after year.
Some interesting patterns emerge:
- The best games are dead simple to learn
- Core mechanics rarely change
- Innovation happens around the edges
- Brand protection is fierce
- Knockoffs struggle to compete
Even Monopoly, that marathon of property trading, keeps on evolving:
- Special editions for every franchise (Harry Potter, Pixar, Mario Bros)
- Different board layouts
- New playing pieces
- Digital versions
- Speed play, party and junior editions — new ones every year
But the game at the core remains unchanged since 1935.
That’s a really long game.
Action for today: Look at your product’s core function. What could you preserve while innovating around the edges? Maybe the best next version is far from full reinvention, but a brilliantly iterative option.
What’s your product’s sneak move?
Laurier
P.S. My youngest just took up chess, the rules of which haven’t changed since 1475. Despite this (or because of it), more people play now than ever before. Talk about old-school cool!