Games Archives - SHOPPE BLACK

Published on January 14, 2021November 2, 2021

4 mins read

CultureTags, a Family Game For the Culture, By the Culture

In the midst of a global pandemic, consumers have been looking for positive ways to stay entertained. CultureTags™ has filled that void.

CultureTags is a game that tests just how well you know the culture guessing the meaning of acronyms before time runs out from categories including Black Twitter, Church, Daily Sayings, Songs and Lyrics, and more.

In just nine months, after a successful crowdfunding campaign, sales have already surpassed six-figures.

We caught up with founder, Eunique Jones Gibson to find out more about her business.

Eunique Jones Gibson, founder of #CultureTags

What inspired you to create CultureTags?

I wanted to create a game for the culture and by the culture that would invite people from all over to participate and enjoy.

What differentiates CultureTags from other games?

CultureTags combines the best of culture and communication into acronyms to truly test how well you know the culture! But in the midst of playing, you really get an opportunity to know the people around you, from the crazy answers they yell out to the nostalgic moments and experiences they might share after figuring out a #CultureTag that makes you reflect on “back in the day” moments.

What are some strategies that you implemented in order to successfully launch your product?

I went the crowd sourcing route because I wanted to make this like one big group project. I think that really contributed to the successful launch because I included everyone who wanted to play a role in bringing it to fruition.

Now those individuals are like ambassadors for the brand and it has truly helped accelerate the adoption, more so than I believe it would have if I would have just launched and asked everyone to purchase.

Your products can be found on Target.com and in Target stores nationwide. What did it take to get the attention of a major retailer?

Grabbing their attention can be attributed to the buzz and excitement we were able to create online through social media through the IG live game nights and posts from people far and wide talking about the game.

Also, Target and their supplier diversity team is actively pursuing great products and people who align with their values and goals. They were huge advocates for the game internally.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?

I try not to box myself in. I didn’t see CultureTags 5 years ago, but I was open to where my gifts and mission to celebrate culture and community would take me.

I’d love for there to be a CultureTags game show, more expansion packs, and editions that incorporate other cultures and I’m open to developing more games and ways for us to be reflected in a positive light.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

KEEP GOING! Focusing on knowing when to push, when to pause and when to pivot. And build a dope village of individuals who have no financial stake in whether you lose or win. People who will hold you accountable as much as they will push you!

Tony O. Lawson

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Published on November 1, 2020December 3, 2023

3 mins read

Black Owned Card Games: A Celebration of Culture and Creativity

Black owned card games are a vibrant celebration of culture and creativity. They offer a refreshing departure from the often homogenous offerings in the mainstream gaming industry, providing refreshing perspectives and challenging stereotypes.

These games are more than just pastimes; they are vibrant expressions of Black creativity, ingenuity, and storytelling. They offer a tapestry of cultural experiences, from hilarious party games to thought-provoking trivia contests.

Black Owned Card Games

Brilliant Or BS?

Put your BS detector to the test with Brilliant or BS? the unpredictable bluffing trivia game for adults and teens that will keep everyone guessing.

Black Owned Games

Trap Snatch

Trap Snatch is a card game created by Fam Foolery. It is a guessing game where players try to get their teammates to guess the word on their card the quickest without using trap words.

One Gotta Go

One Gotta Go is a party game where players take turns revealing cards with four options, and everyone has to decide which one doesn’t belong.

Sawa Trivia

Sawa Trivia is an African pop-culture trivia game that tests your knowledge of history, geography, arts, cinema, sports, and technology. It’s a fast-paced and exciting game for 2-6 players.

Black Owned Games

AUXGOD

AUXGOD is an adult music party game that challenges players’ knowledge of popular music. The game is played with a deck of cards that contain prompts and challenges related to music.

Heard It All Before

Heard It All Before is a music sampling party game that tests your knowledge of hip hop and soul music. Players listen to song snippets and race against the clock to name the original songs and samples.

Black Owned Card Games

University of Dope

University of Dope is a card game that celebrates hip hop culture through debate and laughter. It is a disrespectful party game for hip hop lovers that can be played with up to 6 people.

Black Owned Card Games

Discretion Game

Discretion is a card game where players try to avoid saying any of the words on the game card.

Black Owned Card Games

Culture Tags

CultureTags is a party game that tests your knowledge of popular culture. It is a fast-paced, guessing game that is perfect for family and friends. The game comes with over 4,000 hashtags that are divided into several categories.

Black Card Revoked

Black Card Revoked is a hilarious and fast-paced trivia game with over 800 questions and 200 response cards that challenge players to celebrate their knowledge of Black pop culture.

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Published on June 5, 2020October 19, 2020

7 mins read

This Black Owned Trivia Game Will Call You Out On Your BS

Brilliant Or BS? was created by Kimelia Weathers, youngest daughter of legendary film star Carl Weathers, better known as “Apollo Creed.”

Ok, that was BS. Kimelia is actually a TV challenge producer who turned her joy for hosting game nights for her friends into a career developing challenges for reality competition shows.

Now, she has her own trivia game that proves that it’s not what you know, it’s what others think you know! We caught up with her to find out more about her business and entrepreneurial journey.

What inspired you to start your business?

One of my absolute favorite things to do when I’m with my friends or family is to break out the board games for some friendly competition. I’ve always appreciated how games can bring us together and help us forget about the troubles of the world, even for an hour.

I began hosting regular game nights but got tired of playing the same old games every week. It wasn’t until I saw the success of an independent card game like Black Card Revoked, that I realized I had all the skills to create my very own classic game too!

With the support of friends, family, and an online community of generous supporters, I was able to bring the game to life through a Kickstarter campaign in 2019.

Black Owned Trivia Game

How did your background working with TV game shows help you develop this product?

As a producer on TV game shows, I’ve learned which elements make a game not only fun to play but also fun to watch. My job is to constantly come up with new ways to challenge contestants, so I set out to develop a game I knew my friends and I could have fun playing for hours.

I made an early version of “Brilliant or BS?” using notecards and tested it with a few different groups and coworkers. The initial response was amazing and since then I’ve seen that people of all backgrounds enjoy the game because it appeals to our basic human nature.

What differentiates your product from the other games that exist?

Brilliant or BS? is a party game unlike any other. It’s the only trivia game where you don’t need to know anything to win. Once a question is read, each player secretly inputs an answer then explains to the group how or why she knows her answer is correct.

Players earn points by predicting who actually knew an answer and who was just pretending to know. The fun comes in being creative and trying to trick your friends while also avoiding being fooled yourself.

Where do you see the business in 5 years?

In 5 years I see the game being a global sensation with various international editions and expansion packs available. Beyond what’s sold in stores, there’ll also be a TV show or digital series featuring celebrities playing the game in front of a studio audience.

My dream is to watch my favorite funny people (Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, etc.) play Brilliant or BS? and try to fool one another by making up crazy stories.

Black Owned Trivia Game

What is the most challenging and the most rewarding thing about being an entrepreneur?

The gift and the curse of being a first-time entrepreneur in a new field is that there is no blueprint to follow. On one hand, you can chart your own path, but on the other, there’s no step-by-step manual for success. There are definitely growing pains that come with starting something for the ground up.

I launched the business with only the help of my husband, so it’s just the two of us handling everything from product design to marketing to fulfillment. Luckily, we’ve been able to turn every loss into a lesson and utilize what we’ve learned to grow the business every day.

They say “build your own dream, or someone will hire you to build theirs.” The most rewarding thing is going to bed every night knowing I invested in myself and making my dream come true.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Ignore the voice in your head that tells you it’s not possible just because you’ve never done it before. We’re all put here to fulfill our purpose. Focus your energy on something that you love to do that also helps others. If you have an idea that won’t go away like an annoying itch, keep scratching!

That’s usually the universe telling you you’re on the right path. Also, learn to swallow your pride and ask your friends to help. When you have a dream, you’d be surprised how many friends and complete strangers want to help you succeed. You just can’t be afraid to speak your dreams into existence and accept help along the way.

-Tony O. Lawson

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Published on March 15, 2019March 15, 2019

6 mins read

This Black Owned Educational Game Celebrates African History and Culture

As a parent it can be quite challenging to find items such as books and toys that are representative of your child’s heritage. If you are looking for a Black owned educational game, your choices are even more limited.

That’s why we’re pleased to introduce Very Puzzled, a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle that includes a wide variety of African landmarks, monuments and attractions.

We spoke with Patrick Adom, the founder of Very Puzzled to find out more about him and his company.

What inspired you to start Very Puzzled?

My main inspiration has been my daughter who is now 7 years old. I have always tried to provide her with toys, books, clothing, music and films etc that are representative of her culture.

I named her after a John Coltrane song, I want her to appreciate the richness of Ghanaian, African and African Caribbean and African American culture and all African cultures through out the diaspora.

What has been the most challenging and the most rewarding thing about owning your own business?

So far I haven’t had any major challenges. Having an actual physical product available in shops based on an idea that I had is really rewarding.

The biggest reward is having the sense that I am doing something that can be life changing for myself and my family and that there is the potential to build something significant and leave a legacy for them.

It is also rewarding to know that I’m giving my daughter the confidence and proof that she can also take her own ideas and achieve the things that she wants to.

What event occurred or action taken has had the biggest impact on your business?

Making the commitment to start and sticking to it. The moment that I decided that I can do this and that I am actually going to do this that was really important.

How did you fund the business to get started?

I boot strapped the business with my own money. Start-up costs were quite minimal to start and I had some savings. I have loans and credit cards that I could have used but I didn’t want to get into too much debt.

The idea was to start small test my idea and see if there was a market for what I had and then to continue to grow and develop additional products.

I have looked at business incubators and accelerators and things like crowd funding and kick-starter etc, however, where I am at the moment these initiatives take a lot of time and effort which I feel distracts me from focusing on other core business tasks that I need to do such as producing new products and getting stocked in more shops especially the big multi chain retailers in Africa.

What business skill are you good at and which would you like to develop more?

I don’t believe that what I am doing requires any specific business skills, I think common sense and a belief in yourself and the ability to keep going even when things are tough are some of the most import skills to have.

Having said that, I think that the ability to negotiate is very useful being always prepared to ask for discounts to try and get the best deal. I like to haggle and bargain with suppliers. I think am quite good at this.

What am not so good at is keeping receipts and filing records. I also need to continue to push myself and make more of an effort to go out of my comfort zone and actually attend more events to speak to people.

Where do you see the business in 5 years?

The idea is to have a factory in Ghana that will produce the puzzles and provide employment. The aim is to have a wide selection of complimentary products and a brand that people really like.

I would also like to get more involved from a manufacturing side and even start to make items for other businesses.

I would also like to support other start-up businesses and help reduce some of the barriers to start-up and help to develop the market in Africa by making things more affordable and easier to access.

-Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson (IG @thebusyafrican)