A couple months ago I saw someone post on Facebook that they had just received their shipment from Gamejoule. The post included pictures of board games and smiling faces, so naturally I just had to find out more!
Upon further investigation I discovered that Gamejoule.com is a board game rental site—a Netflix for the board game world if you will. There are many brick and mortar stores that offer rentals and there are even some online sites that also offer this service, however I have yet to find one that can offer what Netflix did for the movie industry. A fast, inexpensive, reliable service that offers a wide variety of games delivered right to your doorstep.
After looking through all their FAQs and other information available on the site I liked what I saw so I decided to take Gamejoule for a spin. Here is what I found.
As I mentioned when you go to Gamejoule.com you can easily find a lot of information on how the service works and what to expect. Finding what games are available, what subscriptions are available and how much it cost is right at your finger tips. This is a plus as the more questions you can answer upfront on a site like this the more subscriptions you will get.
The bottom line of what I found out is there are three subscriptions levels available; Game Noob Bundle, Game Night Bundle, and Serious Gamer Bundle. Each one offering something a little different and at a different price point. From $9.99 to $19.99.
The sign up process was fairly easy, the only issue I ran into was when I clicked the “sign up now” button it didn’t take me to a check out page, it simply added the item to my cart. Once I figured that out I was able to complete the checkout process without further problems. You receive many confirmation emails along the way and once you have signed up for a subscription you will take a survey to help figure out what games you have and what you would be interested in. After the survey you will receive another confirmation email letting you know that the order has been processed and your games are on the way.
I was pleasantly surprised when the games got to me quickly (I think within a few days). I went for the Game Night Bundle which is $14.99+tax (so an even $16.00). Here is what I got:
Sheriff of Nottingham, Eight Minute Empire, and Sail to India.
After opening the shipping box (which not only included the games but a personal note from the owner, Amanda, welcoming me) I got into each game box and was once again pleasantly surprised. On the inside of each box lid is a QR code that links to a how-to-play video, what a smart and simple extra touch. As an added bonus a couple of the games I received were new and un-punched. I love punching new games!!!
I won’t go into details or reviews of the games sent to me at this time, but I will say Sheriff of Nottingham was a big hit!
You can keep the games as long as you want however every month you will be billed on your set billing date for your subscription, so sending them back on time is the best way to maximize your sub. When you are ready to send the games back you simple email their service department who will send you a return shipping label. Just put the games back in their boxes, plastic bags, and the original shipping box and you are ready to go.
After a short time you will receive a confirmation email that the games have been returned and a notice about the next batch of games heading your way. You will also have the opportunity to take a short survey about the service and the games you received. This helps them know what needs to be done better and what your gaming tastes are.
My thoughts:
I have really enjoyed my Gamejoule experience to this point. Their customer service has been timely and helpful. The price is good and the turn around is quick. This is a great way to try out new games before buying them or getting a stockpile of games for a game night. My only complaints are on the front end while selecting a subscription level (as mentioned above) and on the back end when returning the games. At some point they will want to automate the return shipping and have a button on your account page that you can click when you are ready to return the games. They may also want to look into letting customers choose the games being sent to them (as long as they fit the sub level and box being used to ship in).
I got a chance to talk with Amanda, the owner, and she is very passionate about the business, board games, and helping gamers have great experiences. I am giving Gamejoule 5 Super Meeples out of 5.
Check out Gamejoule for yourself by clicking this LINK or any of the images below.
