“Shall We Play A Game?”: Loot Crate’s February 2015 Box

Before I get to the box itself, as a short introduction, while I had vaguely heard of Loot Crate before the NY Toy Fair I hadn’t really investigated too much. I was lucky enough to get a chance to talk through the box with some of their staff on-hand at the convention.

Loot Crate is a monthly subscription box designed for geeks and gamers. The theme changes every month, as do the contents. For around $20 you get a whole host of amazing things, which value at at least double what you’ve paid. In addition, there is a monthly draw of a massive crate jam-packed worth $2,000. February’s massive crate includes a DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter with Integrated FPV Camcorder, a Dremel Idea Builder 3D Printer, The Oculus Rift Development Kit 2, and three Lego Minecrate kits (Crafting Box, The Mine, and The Ender Dragon). The 3D printer alone is worth that box, as far as I’m concerned!

So, now that you’ve got the gist of LootCrate, let’s see what February has in store for all of us…

As you can imagine from the title of this article, the theme of this month’s Loot Crate is Play. “Playing keeps our imagination primed, which not only helps us feel younger, but inspires creativity.” The contents of this month’s crate are all about that. As standard, there’s always the monthly magazine with photos from last month’s crate and their happy fans, articles, breakdowns of what’s inside, and the contents of the giveaway box. There’s also a pin with this month’s theme, which is immediately going on my backpack.

First out of the box is a blank Munny. These are vinyl figurines from Kidrobot that meant for you to design any which way you want – markers included! There is even a contest for the LootCrate Munny figures with 11 categories to win. Not bad, unfortunately I am a terrible artist and can only manage cartoon penguins. (Don’t ask!)

Next out is the Looter Edition of the Superfight Card Game. This is by Skybound games and is a card version of the viral game. It’s a 100-card pack, though there are more available, as well as a 500-card core collection available online. You have heroes, villains, powers, and scenarios, and by majority figure out who comes out victorious. There are some pretty awesome cards in there: Keanu Reeves, Literally a Gif, Two Tribbles, Godzilla’s Stomach, and Is Really, Really Emotional are amongst some of my favourites. Definitely a good party game and an awesome alternative to Cards Against Humanity.

Another game included in the box is contained in an ominous black pouch. What it’s inside, you ask? Well, not Gwyneth Paltrow’s head, instead a dice version of Rock-Paper-Scissor, or Roshambo (as us more civilised call it). A good way to decide things in cold weather when you have no desire to remove your mittens. Yes, I wear mittens.

There is also a card with an exclusive code for LootCrate subscribed for Firefly Online. It’s an online strategic role-playing video game based off of the Firefly Universe. There are four different card artworks: a Map of the ‘Verse, a Light Bulk Science Vessel (which I got), a Callahan Full-bore Auto-Lock Assault Rifle, and a Buddhist Temple Concept Art. The code, though, is for The Cortex, an Overland transport vehicle. Score! The game is available on all platforms and starts this Spring.

As play doesn’t always include actual games, there was also this awesome print by Manny Peters. It’s of an old Atari blueprint of Pac-Man. Definitely worth framing, and a reminder of one of the greatest video games of all time.

Probably my favourite thing included in the box is the novel “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline. Yes, it’s book. I like to read. I haven’t heard of this book (apparently it’s going to be a movie soon), but according to the blurb on the back: “In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.” It’s got a pretty high rating on Amazon, and has now made it to the front of my reading queue.

From my favourite to my least favourite in the crate, the HEXBUG Scarab. There is some awesome shit in this month’s offerings, but that thing has made me physically ill. I don’t do well with bugs and all those quick moving legs…yeah, it freaked me out as promised. Seriously, some sick sadistic person has designed the pre-cursor to the Stargate SG-1 Replicator bugs and that is so not cool. It’s amazing, don’t get me wrong, beautifully designed and wholly accurate enough to make me scream and nearly run away. Good job, guys, and thanks for all my new nightmares.

Finally, the box that has contained all these goods is also a game itself! A note on the side says that it’s the “Crate Packing Simulator 2015”. There are pop-out pieces in the back of the monthly magazine, and one just has to unfold the box. I haven’t tried playing it yet, but the rules seem simple enough. Besides, don’t you want to “feel the rush and power as you pack up Loot Crates in this epic simulator.” Well, let me invite some fellow geeks over and we’ll give it a try.

I do have to say, for my first Loot Crate, they definitely started off with a bang. I’m really looking forward to getting to play with everything in the box properly! Well, maybe not that Hexbug.

Author: Bandit

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