Toysline, founded in 2019, is a distributor of games, toys, and crafts with roots going back to 1951, when Magda Sebastián and Bartomeu Boada started a handmade doll business in Barcelona. Over time, the company evolved into distributing model kits under the name Commercial Brit-Line in 1979. In 2019, with a desire to return to their origins, they launched Toysline, focusing on educational, eco-friendly, and creative toys.
We spoke with Mireia Boada, Business Developer at ToysLine and representative of the third generation of this family business, about the challenges and needs that board game distributors face regarding their products’ instructions.
We appreciate Mireia’s generosity and sincerity in her answers:
Mireia, how often do unclear or poorly written rules affect the sales and reception of a game?
Ugh… much more than we think! When a game is appealing aesthetically, but then the gameplay is difficult to understand, it ruins the entire user experience. As a consequence, it also affects the brand, because the player associates that negative experience with it, and it’s often difficult to re-engage them.
I also think it greatly influences repeat purchases. For example, if a store buys five units of a game and receives comments that the instructions aren’t clear, it’s very likely that the specialized store will decide not to buy it again. In the end, the game rules are the foundation for the product to be used correctly.
What are some of the common challenges you face with translations?
I think there are two key aspects: high costs and the type of language.
Costs, of course, are always a problem for any publisher. Large companies may have in-house translators, but small publishers must outsource the service, and it’s often very expensive.
The type of language used is also fundamental. Often, translations are too literal in terms of vocabulary, and adapting a more colloquial language, closer to experienced players or even suitable for younger ones, can be complicated. Each sector has its own language, and adjusting translations to the theme and target audience is a more subjective and complex challenge than a simple literal translation.
Printing rulebooks can be expensive. How do you balance the need for quality rules with production and distribution costs?
That’s quite a complex question… Finding the perfect balance without compromising economic viability is complicated. The margins we work with are very small, and when adding the cost of instruction books, expenses increase considerably.
Some solutions could be printing with lower quality, but, from my point of view, this detracts from the game’s value. If you buy a game with a spectacular box, natural wooden pieces, and thick cards with a glossy finish, but then find rules printed on a white sheet with a generic black font, the entire gaming experience is affected.
It’s really a significant problem within the industry.
Rulebooks add weight and volume to board games. How do they affect shipping costs and pricing decisions?
To be honest, it’s an aspect I hadn’t delved into that much. It’s true that I always consider volume, as the rules must adapt to the game’s explanation needs, but at the same time, they must fit inside the box.
Often, we design the rulebooks with a predefined maximum size, which conditions their structure and content. I don’t have an exact calculation on how the weight and volume of manuals affect distribution costs, but now that you mention it, it’s a factor that deserves more detailed analysis.
Some companies are moving towards digital rules and QR codes. Have you seen if this affects consumer preferences?
It depends on the game and the consumer. If it’s a very basic game, around €10, and more of an impulse purchase, I think it can affect it. This type of game is usually bought after a quick glance in the store, choosing the first thing that looks good.
On the other hand, for more elaborate games, with a higher price or level, I think players value enjoying a good experience much more, from preparation to game development. In the end, a good presentation and well-designed rules are key to making the gaming experience as immersive as possible.
When a rulebook has errors or unclear instructions, how does this affect distributors? Have you dealt with cases where it was necessary to reprint a rulebook? How was it handled?
This not only affects but can literally “kill” a game for multiple reasons. A simple spelling mistake can make you lose sales, cause customers to request returns, or even force you to reprint and manually manipulate each unit to include corrected instructions, in addition to managing the resending.
It happened to us once, and we decided to take the loss instead of facing the magnitude of everything involved in fixing it. It’s not just the cost of reprinting (which is already a problem), but the entire process and complications that come with it.
Do you think work is being done on the accessibility of manuals for people with disabilities? Have you seen an increase in demand for alternative formats?
I think some progress is starting to be seen, but there’s still a lot to do. After all, the concept of “playing” is something totally universal. Having options to adapt instructions to consumer needs seems like an idea that was almost “utopian” before, but I see it becoming closer and more real.
Many games are perfectly playable for people with visual impairments, but if there were audio instructions, they would be 100% accessible to them. And this is just one example: there are many more ways to improve accessibility. It’s not just about facilitating access for people with disabilities, but also adapting games to other audiences, such as older people. In fact, we’ve detected an increase in this target in the sector, not only playing with children or grandchildren but among themselves. Having options like larger text or always having audio available could be a great improvement for them.
