Flavor text
Encyclopedia
Flavor text is the name given to text
for action figure
character backgrounds, playing cards, or within the pages of a role-playing game
's rulebook. While appropriate to the product's or game's story concept, it usually has no effect on the mechanics
of the game, but instead serves to add realism or characterization to the item in question. Flavor text is often the last text on a card or on the rear of a toy card or package, and is usually printed in italics
or written between quotes to distinguish it from game-affecting text.
Flavor text was popularized by the dossiers of 1980s toys, primarily G.I. Joe
filecards and Transformers
tech-specs, but is now more commonly associated with games such as Magic: The Gathering
. Games featuring flavor text include:
In most cases, the flavor text attempts to add depth or background to the item, providing a form of context. This helps to establish the (often fictional) universe to which the item belongs.
A unique spin on flavor text in a card game can be seen in the long-lived Star Wars Customizable Card Game
. Many cards with flavor text also include special keywords (such as Spy, Hologram, or Bounty Hunter) that can be spotted by other cards for bonuses or penalties. The flavor text on character cards is also one of the few ways of distinguishing that character's species
(which is an important factor in most decks).
. This is most frequently seen in puzzles which are non-traditional, lacking literal instructions on how to solve them. Part of the challenge for such puzzles is determining the solving method, which is often non-obvious and can involve cutting and folding paper, deciphering shapes or patterns using braille
or Morse code
, substituting rhyming words, etc. The flavor text for such puzzles, unlike the flavor text for card games, often provides crucial hints at the approach to take. The hints may be thickly veiled, but can not easily be ignored.
A common and well-known occurrence of flavor text in the context of puzzles is the title of crossword
s. Most crosswords have a theme, and the title often hints at what the theme is. The puzzle can be solved without figuring out the theme, but knowing the theme often expedites the solving process.
Written language
A written language is the representation of a language by means of a writing system. Written language is an invention in that it must be taught to children, who will instinctively learn or create spoken or gestural languages....
for action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
character backgrounds, playing cards, or within the pages of a role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
's rulebook. While appropriate to the product's or game's story concept, it usually has no effect on the mechanics
Game mechanic
Game mechanics are constructs of rules intended to produce an enjoyable game or gameplay. All games use mechanics; however, theories and styles differ as to their ultimate importance to the game...
of the game, but instead serves to add realism or characterization to the item in question. Flavor text is often the last text on a card or on the rear of a toy card or package, and is usually printed in italics
Emphasis (typography)
In typography, emphasis is the exaggeration of words in a text with a font in a different style from the rest of the text—to emphasize them.- Methods and use :...
or written between quotes to distinguish it from game-affecting text.
Flavor text was popularized by the dossiers of 1980s toys, primarily G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
filecards and Transformers
Transformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
tech-specs, but is now more commonly associated with games such as Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
. Games featuring flavor text include:
- Chez GeekChez GeekChez Geek is a card game that parodies geek culture and cohabitation. It was created by Jon Darbro and developed by Alain H. Dawson, with additional development by Steve Jackson and Russell Godwin...
- Chaotic Trading Card GameChaotic Trading Card GameChaotic is a Danish trading card game brought to the United States by Chaotic USA and 4Kids Entertainment, and distributed by TC Digital Games. It was released along with the open beta version of the online game on October 24, 2007...
- City of Heroes Collectible Card GameCity of Heroes Collectible Card GameThe City of Heroes Collectible Card Game is a trading card game based on the NCSoft MMORPG, City of Heroes. The card game was designed by David Williams, the designer responsible for other games such as Legend of the Five Rings. The initial product release from Alderac Entertainment Group was in...
- The Lord of the Rings Trading Card GameThe Lord of the Rings Trading Card GameThe Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game is a collectible card game produced by Decipher, Inc. Released November 2001, it is based on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy and the J. R. R. Tolkien novel on which the films were based. Decipher also have the rights to The Hobbit novel...
- Magic: The GatheringMagic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
- MunchkinMunchkin (card game)Munchkin is a card game by Steve Jackson Games, written by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Kovalic, that has a humorous take on role-playing games, based on the concept of munchkins ....
- Neopets Trading Card GameNeopets Trading Card GameThe Neopets Trading Card Game, also called Neopets TCG is a collectible card game and a spin-off of the popular virtual pet website, Neopets. Launched in 2003, this game is produced by Wizards of the Coast, a large trading card company that produces a variety of other trading card games...
- Pokémon Trading Card GamePokémon Trading Card GameThe Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Pokémon video game series, first introduced in Japan in October 1996, then North America in December 1998...
- TalismanTalisman (board game)Talisman: The Magical Quest Game is a fantasy themed adventure board game for two to six players, originally designed and produced by Games Workshop and now published by Fantasy Flight Games. The game was first released in 1983 and has gone through several revisions...
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card GameYu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card GameThe is a Japanese collectible card game developed and published by Konami. It is based on the fictional game of Duel Monsters created by manga artist Kazuki Takahashi, which is the main plot device during the majority of his popular manga franchise, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and its various anime adaptations...
- Arkham HorrorArkham HorrorArkham Horror is an adventure board game designed by Richard Launius, originally published in 1987 by Chaosium and most recently published in 2005 and revised in 2007 by Fantasy Flight Games. In both editions, players take on the role of investigators in H. P. Lovecraft's Massachusetts town of...
In most cases, the flavor text attempts to add depth or background to the item, providing a form of context. This helps to establish the (often fictional) universe to which the item belongs.
A unique spin on flavor text in a card game can be seen in the long-lived Star Wars Customizable Card Game
Star Wars Customizable Card Game
Star Wars: Customizable Card Game is a customizable card game based on the Star Wars fictional universe. It was created by Decipher, Inc., which also produced the Star Trek Customizable Card Game and The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game. The game was produced from December 1995 until December...
. Many cards with flavor text also include special keywords (such as Spy, Hologram, or Bounty Hunter) that can be spotted by other cards for bonuses or penalties. The flavor text on character cards is also one of the few ways of distinguishing that character's species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
(which is an important factor in most decks).
Flavor text in puzzles
The term flavor text may also refer to a blurb describing or offering clues to a puzzlePuzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
. This is most frequently seen in puzzles which are non-traditional, lacking literal instructions on how to solve them. Part of the challenge for such puzzles is determining the solving method, which is often non-obvious and can involve cutting and folding paper, deciphering shapes or patterns using braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
or Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
, substituting rhyming words, etc. The flavor text for such puzzles, unlike the flavor text for card games, often provides crucial hints at the approach to take. The hints may be thickly veiled, but can not easily be ignored.
A common and well-known occurrence of flavor text in the context of puzzles is the title of crossword
Crossword
A crossword is a word puzzle that normally takes the form of a square or rectangular grid of white and shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the answers. In languages that are written left-to-right, the answer...
s. Most crosswords have a theme, and the title often hints at what the theme is. The puzzle can be solved without figuring out the theme, but knowing the theme often expedites the solving process.
See also
- Epigraph (literature)Epigraph (literature)In literature, an epigraph is a phrase, quotation, or poem that is set at the beginning of a document or component. The epigraph may serve as a preface, as a summary, as a counter-example, or to link the work to a wider literary canon, either to invite comparison or to enlist a conventional...
- National Puzzlers' LeagueNational Puzzlers' LeagueThe National Puzzlers' League is a nonprofit organization focused on puzzling, primarily in the realm of word play and word games. Founded in 1883, it is the oldest puzzlers' organization in the world...
- Puzzle hunt