Promo Packs and the Power of Free Games

Published at Jul 20, 2026

Carlsbad, Calif., July 27, 2026 -- You’ve probably heard the buzz about one of our various free game initiatives here at The Op Games over the past couple years. Whether that’s our giveaways on BoardGameGeek, handing out promo packs on the street, or throwing free copies of Flip 7 off the balcony of our Gen Con booth (for legal reasons, this is a joke). And you’ve probably thought to yourself…

“Are they crazy? Are they trying to lose money? Why!?”

Well the answers to that are yes, no, and it’s complicated.

Okay, well, it’s actually not that complicated. Our VP of Marketing, Brian Greenwald, explains. “The best way to get someone excited about our games is to have them experience them firsthand, full stop.”

Brand Manager Amanda McKee notes that because free things are so uncommon these days, we often have to work overtime to make people believe that the game really is free. “I’ve had numerous interactions (usually at non-gaming events) where people look at me like I’m crazy when I try to give them a free game or promo pack. They look confused and often say no at first thinking that I’m going to trick them and ask for money or something. I often have to actively yell ‘I want nothing from you besides to spread joy and laughter!’ and then they laugh at me and take a game.”

And if the game resonates with people, this can kick off the coveted word-of-mouth domino effect! Our Game Developer, Alyssa Swatek, remarks, “Time and time again, we hear stories of people playing one of our giveaways and then immediately going online to buy a copy for themselves and sometimes additional copies for friends and family.”

 

A common fear with giving away product is that it will take away from sales. But as McKee explains, that isn’t the case: “We can see a direct correlation between getting games in hands and an increase in sales and game recognition.”

 

This strategy originated at Gen Con 2024. Our marketing team was brainstorming ways to bring attention to a little card game called Flip 7. We knew how good this game was, but we also knew that it was likely to be overshadowed by the shiny $70, highly-anticipated, big box releases that Gen Con is known for.

 

According to our VP of Party Games, David Blanchard, that conversation went something like this:

“Isn’t it crazy that almost every time someone plays Flip 7 for the first time they either say some variation of ‘where or when can I buy this’ or ‘I can’t wait to show my friends or family this game; they’ll love this’?”

 

“Yeah, it’s almost like we just need to get the games into the hands of people and they’ll spread the word naturally...”

 

“It’s too bad we can’t just give a bunch of games away.”

 

“Wait a sec – why not?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, why can’t we just give the game away?!”

 

“Sounds expensive.”

 

“Worth it.”

“Since the success of handing out Flip 7,” remarks Swatek, “we’ve continued creating promos for upcoming games to build excitement around new releases.”

 

But not just any game can be given away as easily as Flip 7. That’s where promo packs come in! Promo packs are smaller versions of a game, designed to give you a feel for how the full game will play.

A game like Telestrations is too expensive to give away in full– but you can still get the feel of the game with our single-pad promo!

 

McKee adds, “Promo packs also allow us the opportunity to include unique content that can then be combined with the core game.” Swatek explains, “Another consideration is whether a promo can increase player count when added to the full game. Tacta is a good example: creating a standalone 2-player pack helps introduce people to the game, with the intention of getting players excited and encouraging them to want the higher player count version when the full game launches. The Tacta promo was intentionally designed with two different colors that can be added to the full game, increasing the player count from 6 to 8 players.”

 


Oh and did we mention we pack these promos by HAND? 😅

About The Op Games
The Op Games is a family entertainment company and leading publisher and manufacturer of board games and puzzles for over 30 years! Our diverse portfolio includes award-winning and best-selling titles such as FLIP 7™, TELESTRATIONS™, BLANK SLATE™, HUES & CUES™, TAPPLE™, and more. The Op Games continues to partner with marquee brands and licensors such as Hasbro, Disney, Marvel, Nintendo, and Warner Bros. The Op Games is passionate about bringing family, friends, and fans together to create memorable experiences through play! Learn more at www.TheOp.games.

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