Planet Money's New Board Game 'Sell Me A Sasquatch' Turns the 'Lemons Market' into Family Fun

The paper uses the market for used cars to illustrate how asymmetric information—when sellers know far more than buyers—can drive high-quality goods out of a market. Akerlof showed that because buyers cannot reliably distinguish good cars from defective ones, they are reluctant to pay top dollar. This leads owners of quality cars to withdraw from the market, leaving a growing share of "lemons" and causing the market to unravel through a process economists call adverse selection.

"Sell Me A Sasquatch" loosely mirrors this dynamic. Instead of used cars, players trade in creatures and cryptids, taking turns as buyers who evaluate deals with only partial information. As bluffing and dubious trades erode trust, the game descends into what NPR describes as "joyful chaos," re-enacting the very forces that can destabilize real-world markets.

The game also hides several economics-themed Easter eggs. One standout card, "The Laffer," is a curved, laughing hyena referencing the controversial Laffer Curve, which suggests that extremely high tax rates can reduce government revenue by discouraging work and investment. NPR notes that players can enjoy the game simply for its playful art and reputation from Exploding Kittens, yet those who recognize the underlying concepts will find added depth.