TCG Log #16 - The Subtle Art of Sticky Names

Insights from Game Designers, Startup Founders, and Storytellers

As I shared last week, I’m incredibly excited to debut the first physical booster packs at Edge Esmeralda. A few folks have asked about shipping—yes, I’d love to make these available worldwide soon. I’m bootstrapping and starting small, but orders are absolutely on the roadmap.

Thanks so much for your patience and support 🙏

Naming things is hard (but there are pro strats)

Anyone who's created something meaningful knows naming their project feels like choosing your child's name—it's that important.

My first TCG name was Infinite Garden, named alongside our Ethereum-inspired coloring book. People loved the name, but the Ethereum Foundation gently encouraged a change because they didn’t want the Infinite Garden (originally coined by Aya Miyaguchi) tied to things that cost money.

Then came Ace. Short, punchy, related to cards—perfect, right? Except, turns out everyone else thought so too, making it tough to stand out.

Now, with my current project code-named Alpha Cards, I’m determined to find a name I truly love—one that’s unforgettable.

Naming matters. 77% of consumers make purchases based on a brand name alone. So, here's my toolkit, inspired by legends like Rich Barton (Zillow, Expedia), Ben Brode (Hearthstone), and James Clear (Atomic Habits):

Three core naming strategies

1. Literal Descriptors

   • Real words clearly describing your product.

     • Examples: Hotels.com, Cars.com

     • Pros: Instantly clear.

     • Cons: Generic, expensive, tough to trademark.

2. Repurposed Words

   • Existing words with a fresh twist.

     • Examples: Apple, Amazon

     • Pros: Familiar yet distinctive.

     • Cons: Generic words that are hard to “own”.

3. Invented Words (Rich Barton’s favorite)

   • Made-up words you can fully own.

     • Examples: Metroid, Hearthstone

     • Pros: Trademark-friendly, unique branding.

     • Cons: Requires stronger initial marketing.

More quick naming tips

• Short, two-syllable names (sometimes called trochees) are incredibly sticky (think: Apple, Nike, Google, Tesla).

• High-value Scrabble letters (Z, X, Q, J) make your name visually striking.

• Unique letter patterns or repetition (Reddit, Tenet) boost memorability.

• Sound associations (Zillow = pillow) help evoke comfort and trust, but you can use words that capture whatever vibe you’re after.

General principle

The best names are ownable, memorable, and evoke a certain feeling — even if they’re nonsense at first.

Examples I love

(that use some or all of the rules listed above)

• Metroid – Inventive and striking.

• Minecraft – Short, clear, evokes the game’s mechanics perfectly.

• Hearthstone – Fantasy-friendly compound word.

• Mistborn – Brandon Sanderson’s books are masterclasses in trochee naming.

• Existential Hope – Not short, but consistently gets a “Wow, great name!”

• Magic: The Gathering – Breaks rules but successfully owns “Magic.”

Fans inevitably create shorter nicknames anyway:

• League of Legends → League

• The Legend of Zelda → Zelda

• Magic: The Gathering → Magic

• Existential Hope → XHope

Bonus framework: naming books

Nonfiction books need clarity rather than vibes. James Clear found these two patterns dominate bestsellers:

• "The [Descriptor] of [Topic]" (e.g., The War of Art, *The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F\ck)

• "[Contrasting Descriptor] + [Topic]" (e.g., Extreme Ownership, Atomic Habits)

Remember, the best names aren’t just labels—they’re mini-stories.

What's your favorite project or product name—and why does it stick? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

With metta,

Colton