The Excitement of Unboxing – Babies, Board Games & More!

It’s 11:30 PM at night, and I can hardly sleep. No, my nearly 5-month-old daughter, Sloane, is fast asleep. My black lab, Mozzie, is under our kitchen table in a heap. So why am I still up? Adrenaline. Excitement. The joy of unboxing something 8 months in the making.

Tonight, I opened up the initial prototype shipment of the Gamestormers card deck. Although I’ve never been one for the “unboxing video” genre, I think I get it now. There’s something tangible about holding a product in your hands that you’ve looked forward to for ages. I never set out to design a professionally printed card game, but once the idea began to grow and evolve, I knew I wanted to explore every opportunity to get it in people’s hands.

In very fitting fashion, the first card I turned over happened to be Sloane the Summoner, named and designed in honor of my newborn daughter. I cannot wait to show her the card tomorrow and see her toothless grin stare at the strong character modeled after her.

I’ve been very fortunate to have exciting “unboxing” videos the past year. Last September, we “unboxed” Mozzie from the breeder. This April, we “unboxed” Sloane, our little girl. And, with each new addition to our family, more literal unboxing followed. Mozzie gets a monthly Pupbox that contains age-appropriate toys, treats, and ideas for play. He looks forward to each box so much that he’s convinced ANY package that comes in the mail is for him. I had to make sure he did not attempt to eat the Gamestormers shipment today, heh.

Before, during, and after her arrival, Sloane has been engulfed in “unboxing” experiences. Her grandmothers find oodles of outfits and entertainment for her to “open,” and we seemingly crack open box after box of diapers for her each week. One could say babies are the ultimate unboxing video, and you would be hard-pressed to find another time in your life when so many contents are taken out of cardboard.

For me, unboxing the Gamestormers cards represented a number of feelings. Relief. Triumph. Excitement. I could exhale knowing that I hadn’t made a major error on the 137 unique cards in the deck. I could feel a sense of accomplishment in getting a professional run of cards made for people to try out. And, I could feel the anticipation of knowing people would soon get their hands on Gamestormers. Below is that unboxing.

If you’re reading this, thank you so much for experiencing this moment with me. I hope you have or have had some “unboxing” moments in your life, whether literal or metaphorical. Make sure to cherish those moments of excitement, and seek out more opportunities to feel that sensation again.

And, believe me – this will NOT be the last Gamestormers unboxing. We’re just getting started.