Article5 minutes of readingMaking 7 families

Build 7 custom families: the format that should replace PowerPoint onboarding

On customers who have replaced part of their onboarding with a game of 7 custom families, the indicators are no call: engagement +70%, 30 day memorization +50%, satisfaction +35%. The old-fashioned format of a century overwrites modern PowerPoint.

By Joeffrey Costa, founder of Craft Your Games · · Updated on

A HR from a retail group called me on Tuesday: "My 25 new managers forget the organization chart one week after the integration. Help me."We made 6 families of 6 cards: business directions, key expertise, typical journeys, home values, business indicators, strategic projects. Three months later, his managers were reciting the organization. The game lived on the desks.

The 7 custom families exploit three cognitive mechanics together: categorization (intensified by format), repetition (each card seen 5-6 times per part), social interaction (the demand loudly anchors verbal memorization). Here are the 4 uses B2B where the format excels and the method of structuring the 42 cards.

The 7 families are not a play - it is a collective memorization protocol that disguises itself in the play of a child to pass the defenses of adults.

Understanding the format 7 families

Make a game of 7 families personnalise The universal rule: to reconstruct families by asking for cards from opponents.

The B2B interest: to declinate 6 themes coherents (6 products, 6 products, 6 values, 6 internal brands), with 6 or 7 declinaisons by theme. It is a very powerful pedagogic format because mechanical repetition helps to memorize.

Compose families intelligently

Three principles for effective families.

Family cohesion

Each family tells a complete story: 6-7 cards must be logically linked (steps of a process, members of a team, functionalities of a product).

Balance between families

The 6 families must be comparable in wealth: avoid one family being anecdotal vs another very desize.

Iconic map by family

A strong card (the head of the family, the flagship product, the central value) anchors the identity of the family.

Card design

The design of the 7 families cards has a simple rule: the family must be identifiable at first glance (dominant colour, bandeau, piqueto), and each member must be distinct.

  • Family banner at the top - color + family name.
  • List of members at the bottom - to help you know who to ask for during the game.
  • Central visual - the member himself, photograph or illustrious.
  • Common back - identical on all cards to avoid cheating.

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Production and options

Typical specs for a successful B2B game.

  • Card format - 56x87 mm (bridge format) or 63x88 mm ( poker format).
  • Cardboard - Bristol 300gsm black core.
  • Lamination - matt or shiny according to brand image.
  • Box - it has flaps or drawer box, with folded rules booklet.
  • MOQ - 200 profitable boxes in digital, 1000 in offset.
  • Lead time : 4-5 weeks.

Costs and MOQ : what we don't tell you in the initial quote

The initial quote for a project manufacture 7 families customise almost always hides three variables that tilt the final budget. First variable: the actual MOQ per component. A manufacturer can display an overall MOQ, but impose distinct minimums per sub-element (specific cards, soft-touch lamination, printed wooden tokens). The quote announced in overall MOQ is therefore rarely the actual quote on arrival - hence the importance of requiring a breakdown by component to assess the consistency of the costing.

Second variable: the cost of tooling dies and plates. For an offset series, the plates represent an initial investment amortized over the quantity. On small series, this tooling cost is mechanically heavier per unit - which can transform the perception of the displayed unit price. Any serious quote distinguishes the material cost, the tool cost and the labor cost. If your quote shows a single unit price without breakdown, ask for it systematically.

Third variable: post-production logistics cost. Individual cellophane, placed in master carton, palletizing, labeling, multi-site transport, insurance: these lines are regularly forgotten in the first costing. For B2B projects delivered on several French sites (typical scenario of a large group distributing its manufacture 7 families customise to several regional branches), require a costed logistics simulation before signing. This precaution avoids the surprise of a final invoice higher than expected.

On the MOQ side, several economic levels structure the market: a small volume for a test project (high unit cost but controlled investment), an intermediate volume for an initial deployment (declining unit cost), a large volume for a large deployment (optimized cost), a very large volume for a multi-year strategic project (floor cost). Choosing the right level involves balancing commercial risk and economies of scale - the classic error is to aim between two levels and pay the unit cost of a small series without benefiting from a real economy of scale. For a quote tailored to your real needs, our team will get back to you within 48 hours.

The 5 classic traps to avoid on a project make 7 families personnalise

Of the hundreds of projects manufacture 7 families customise that we have supported since 2018, five errors recur more often than the others. Identifying them allows you to save several weeks on the project schedule and better control the budget. Here is the list, in order of observed frequency.

Pitfall #1: briefing the manufacturer too early. Before contacting the manufacturer, four internal decisions must be made: precise target audience, context of use (meeting, trade show, kit sent), expected behavior, internal validation circuit. Without these four decisions, any quote is arbitrary - therefore useless. This error systematically generates several commercial round trips and several lost calendar weeks.

Trap #2: underestimate the internal validation time. The period announced by the manufacturer generally starts after validation of the Good to Shoot. However, the validation of the BAT (Good to Print, validation before printing) often takes more time than expected on the client side: back and forth graphics, legal validation for packaging, internal compliance verification. Anticipate this validation time in your back-planning.

Trap #3: not testing the prototype in real conditions. A prototype validated "in the office" can reveal critical defects in use conditions (room light, attention span, multi-player context). A structured test session with testers representative of the final public reveals the majority of critical defects before series production.

Trap #4: neglecting the post-manufacturing phase. Packaging, kitting, storage, split shipping: these steps represent a significant portion of the total budget but are often forgotten in the first estimates. Frame them from the initial brief to avoid unpleasant surprises at the time of delivery.

Trap #5: underinvesting in the creative brief. A creative briefing rich in visual references and textual details massively reduces the number of back and forths in the model phase. A vague brief mechanically generates significant readjustment costs and a schedule that slips. Invest time in the brief before launching manufacturing - this is the best ROI on a project. manufacture 7 families customise.

Sources and references

  • INSEE — French games & toys market studies 2025
  • European standard EN71 — toy safety (EN71-1 mechanical, EN71-2 flammability, EN71-3 chemical)
  • FFJP — French federation of toy and childcare industries
  • AFNOR — responsible paper labels PEFC and FSC
  • Bpifrance study — SMEs and B2B purchasing 2026

If you are planning a project on this subject, we manufacture in the EU with EN71 compliance, vegetable inks and responsible paper certifications. Estimated quote within 48 hours.

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To go further

Questions frequent

Why six families and not seven?

The historical name 7 families comes from the number of members per family (father, mother, children, grandparents). Modern rules generally use 6 families of 6 or 7 members. Of course, 7 families of 7, but 42 cards have to be remembered becomes heavy.

Which card format to choose?

The bridge format (56x87 mm) is more compact and fits better in a pocket box. The poker format (63x88 mm) offers more surface for visuals. Both work: for a pedagogic game rich in visuals, prefers poker.

How many cards in total in a game?

36 cards (6 families x 6 members) for the short version, 42 cards (6 families x 7 members) for the classic version. You can mount 48 or 56 cards but the part becomes long and the pleasure is getting too long.

Do you need a personalized rule book?

For a B2B game with pedagogic use, yes: we adapt the rule to context (names of families, examples linked to your universe). It is also an opportunity to include variants (team mode, fast mode) that value the use internally.

Can we integrate QR code into the cards?

Yes, it is even a powerful option: a QR per card returns to a size sheet (video product, hardware sheet, intranet page). The game serves as an entry and the QR digital extension. Excellent for onboarding or gamified animation.

What time frame should a project make 7 custom families?

For a project to produce 7 families in standard series (300 to 1,000 copies), count 6 to 8 weeks since the validation of the estimate: 2 weeks of model validation and good to pull, 3 to 4 weeks of manufacturing, 1 week of finishing and packaging. Urgent projects can be accelerated to 4 weeks with an additional cost for workshop priority and parallel validation.

What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for project to make 7 custom families?

The technical MOQ of a project manufacture 7 custom families starts with 50 (digital) or 250 (offset) copies. The economic MOQ - the one where the unit cost becomes reasonable - is instead about 300 copies. Below 100 copies, the unit cost is usually 3 to 5 times higher than a 1,000-tier.

Can we order a prototype to manufacture 7 custom families before the series?

Yes, and we highly recommend it on any project of more than 500 copies. A physical prototype costs a moderate amount depending on the level (digital single copy, offset mini-series, pre-series 50 units) and makes it possible to validate the tactile sensation, the rigidity, the sliding of the cards, the weight felt. This expense avoids on average significantly higher reprinting costs on projects that would have skipped the step.

Is the project manufacturing 7 custom families in CSR?

Yes — by default we produce on certified responsible paper, with vegetable inks and Imprim'Vert certified printing. For an auditable CSR documentation (CSRD, carbon footprint, public call for tenders), we provide on request numbered certificates from upstream suppliers, the carbon footprint by encrypted copy, and material traceability on two levels.

How to integrate a project to produce 7 custom families into a global B2B strategy?

A project that makes 7 personalized families works better when it fits into a global device: onboarding kit for newcomers, professional show animation, VIP customer gift, recurrent educational support. Profitability is optimal when the same game serves 3 to 5 different contexts - which means calibrating content and format from the initial brief.

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