The Sound Game

We were clear from day one that we wanted a sound wave on the box to communicate that That Sound Game is a sound based game. Cam(co-owner) and I actually recorded ourselves saying the name of the game and provided the sound wave file to our graphic designer. He then used a simplified version of this to create the logo.

The sound wave runs through the theme of the game and onto the cards themselves. The card design then forms part of the logo allowing us to have continuity of the brand all the way through the game.

The space on the original cards has allowed room for info graphic/design for our expansion packs and also allows the necessary space for braille to be placed on the cards. We have been working with Vision Australia on the braille placement and aim for all of our expansion packs to have braille on them as the norm and available in mainstream stores. Our goal is to be the first game in the major stores globally that has braille printed on the expansions as a design feature making it truly accessible.

The dice design has evolved as we received feedback upon launching that it was not colour blind friendly. We have been able to adapt the dice to include the letter of the category, overlaid on the colour so that this is no longer an issue. This change went into circulation in our 2nd print run. We are now on our 20th print run.

It was important that the game is reusable and waste is limited. We have created a reusable scorecard with a water-based and removable marker. Thus removing the need for paper and pencil or pen. We also do carbon neutral shipping to offset the carbon emissions of our e-commerce shipping.

That Sound Game has been picked up by major stores around the world such as Walmart (Canada), Barnes and Noble (USA), Target (USA), Waterstones (UK), John Lewis (UK), WHSmith (UK) to name a few. The feedback from our distributors at these pitch meetings has been that the purchasers all said ’I know exactly what that game is when I look at it and we want that game’. This is exactly what we were going for in terms of branding and box design.

The cards are functional ensuring that when a card is picked up, the hand does not cover the clue on the card and the textured card design means that the cards don’t slide off of their respective category piles. The card design has also allowed for the expansion of the game, with it’s now 4 additional packs that allow for a change in gameplay. The negative space on the card has left room for the overlay of the braille, so that the cards are functional to all.

The game has had all the international safety testing completed and is certified globally.

The reusable elements and commitment to carbon neutral shipping serve as a tick of approval for sustainability, although a long term goal is to eventually become 100% plastic free. We aim within 5 years to go plastic free.

That Sound Game recently won Game of the year at the ATA awards and is the most successful independent game to come out of Australia ever. The game is 100% Australian owned by Cam and Nat the 2 female creators.

Pictionary, Taboo, Cranium and Charades have led the way in terms of team-based activity games, and yet there has never been a sound-based game to sit alongside them. These style of party games have a proven formula for success and appeal to the masses.

To put it simply, That Sound Game should have already existed.

That Sound Game fills a gap in the market where players have to tap into the auditory parts of the brain to create both simple and complex sounds. It’s not just a matter of mimicking a sound (1 point card), but also using multiple sounds and a range of movements to convey complex words or scenes (3 point card). Add to this not being able to use your hands, plus a range of strategic lifeline cards and you have yourself a truly unique, hilarious, extremely loud, think outside of the box party game.

Upon its launch, That Sound Game sold out worldwide in 4 days and has significantly grown in the last 12 months with the introduction of 4 expansion packs, a family version and 5 translated versions (French, Italian, Spanish, German and Portuguese). The plans for late 2024/2025 include a Thai version, the introduction of 2 more expansion packs and the transition to all expansion packs containing braille. This will be an industry first and shows our commitment to inclusivity.

That Sound Game achieved 2.2m in revenue in its first year trading. This year it is set to do over 6m in revenue. 98% of this income is from international sales and profits are spent domestically in Australia. We have been working with mostly Victorian based graphic designers, videographers, photographers, stylists and talent in order to produce the supporting assets for our brand. In 2025 we will be in a position to start employing a small local support team for administration, social media and fulfilment.

Cam and I are Queer creators, female, neurodivergent and Cam is a person of colour, as such we champion and mentor minority groups in the industry and raise money for relevant causes such as our current campaign for Pride month, with 5% of our sales income going to BlaQ a First Nations organisation that was created to shine a light on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ community. BlaQ works towards a future where all First Nations Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, sistergirls, brotherboys, queer and non-binary people can feel safe.

In terms of our environmental impact, we try to limit waste through the reusable elements of the game such as the scorecard and water based marker and we pay for carbon offsets for our shipping through our partnership with https://www.carbon-direct.com/

The thing that we feel most proud of however, are the daily emails that we receive from people around the world - Thanking us for bringing their family and friends together, getting their young adult children away from the screen, helping to foster connection and for the belly aching laughs that bring joy to their home.