Our favorite booth at GAMA Trade Show was the Terror Bull Games 10 x 10, which was there solely to promote the company's first game release, War on Terror. The colors, costumes, and booth dressing all drew attention to the controversial topic of the game, a reflection of the strategy that allowed the company to sell out its first run of 5,000 in just a few months after its release last November. No other exhibitor got more out of a 10' x 10' booth.
The game and marketing strategy are designed to elicit press coverage, and it's worked. North American coverage has included the Onion, Forbes, and Playboy, and
Controversy has, of course, been part of that coverage, and has impacted the company's ability to reach the trade. The GAMA show was its first trade show, after being banned from
The game retails for $55.95, and includes an Axis of Evil spinner, an 'Evil' ski mask, Rules of Engagement, 65 Empire Cards, 47 Terrorist Cards, counters, money, a 75 x 50 cm. board, and more. The object of the game is to liberate the world, freeing it from terrorism. Players can play the role of empires using terrorists, or the terrorists themselves. Alliances, secret deals, and the hunt for oil are all part of the play. The game is for two to six players 14 and up; game play averages three and a half hours.
A strong anti-war stance and a sense of humor are foundations of the game, reflected not only in the company's booth, but in a board map that includes an empire headquartered in the
Terror Bull was in the States seeking trade distribution; it's selling direct to retailers in the meantime.
