Toy and board game company Hasbro is entering the subscription box market with Hasbro Gaming Crate. The box is offered in two options: a family-friendly version and one geared more toward party games for adults. It includes three games, delivered every three months for the cost of $49.99.
Focusing on brand-new games instead of classics, the games are curated by Hasbro experts and include some crate-exclusive titles. (Hasbro’s website notes that these exclusives “may” become available for public purchase in the future, meaning the company could be using the crate to gain valuable insights on which games to invest in.)
The first Family Crate will be themed “family staycation” and features crate exclusive Mask of the Pharaoh, which was originally manufactured by Japan’s Gift Ten Industry and called Mask of Anubis. A physical board game that incorporates virtual reality, Mask of the Pharaoh players wear an included VR mask and use an accompanying app to explore a pyramid in ancient Egypt. (This feels like a marvelous new take on VCR board games — anyone remember Nightmare?)
The first Party Crate is themed “FOMO” (okay) and will feature Speak Out — a game where players wear a mouthpiece while trying to communicate phrases.
Plans for the subscription boxes were announced earlier this year, and Hasbro built a new team within their gaming segment to exclusively focus on the crate service. Board game subscription services already exist (Awesome Pack and Board Game Bento among them), but this is the first from a major toy brand. Hasbro’s game business has been robust in recent years, with revenue in the division increasing 9 percent in 2016.
The first crates will ship this fall in the US, and sign up is available as of today.