#186: When A Game You Developed Gets Nominated For a Toy Of The Year Award with Christian Castro

Making It in The Toy Industry with The Toy Coach

Calling all game people! In this week’s episode, we delve into the captivating world of game development with Christian Castro, Director of Product Development at Relatable. Christian's conversation highlights the story behind "Search Party Chaos at the Park," a first-of-its-kind 3D board game that's been nominated for the prestigious Toy of the Year Award.
The game, a family-friendly cooperative experience, introduces a unique blend of storytelling, search-and-find gameplay, and stunning three-dimensional pop-up structures. As we explore the development process from ideation to TOTY nomination, Christian unveils the challenges faced, the creative collaborations undertaken, and the milestones achieved. The undertaking of this complex project was well worth it in Christian’s eyes, as the result was a game-changing (hopefully award winning) board game experience that bridges the gap between flat board games and immersive three-dimensional play.

EPISODE CLIFF NOTES:

• TOTY Award Overview: What are the TOTY awards and what are the benefits of a nomination or a win?
• Dimensional Gameplay: "Search Party: Chaos at the Park" stands out for its fusion of search-and-find challenges and cooperative gameplay, as well as a 2D and 3D board game experience, giving the game major replayability.
• Search Party Unboxing: Christian walks us through the moment of unboxing, where the three-dimensional paper amusement park pops to life, creating an exciting and captivating initial impression. If you’re listening to the podcast, be sure to check out the YouTube video to watch the unboxing in real time.
• Importance of Audience: When asked to share a word of wisdom Christian shares this – understanding your audience is vital when developing toys or games, ensuring the final product resonates with its intended users first and foremost.
• Meticulous Development: Christian details the intricate process of creating a Search Party: Chaos at the Park, a game that marries storytelling, illustration, and engineering, highlighting the challenges and triumphs along the way.
• A Proud Moment For Relatable: Our guest Christian, shares his pride that Relatable is being recognized for a family-friendly game like Search Party: Chaos at the Park. The company, formerly known as What Do You Meme? Has primarily been known for their adult party games...until now! This TOTY nomination for a family game product is an exciting and proud moment for the entire team!
  

If you plan to submit your own game for a TOTY nomination, this is an episode you should dive right into. We kick off with an overview about the award itself, and share where you can find more information on how to apply. Our guest provides insights on what it takes to actually BE nominated, encouraging you to push the envelope on your next toy or game creation to snag a future TOTY nomination for yourself!

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