Game Design 101 - Physical Prototyping
- Mark Jambeck
- Apr 27
- 3 min read
Updated: May 1
Physical components are the essentials that bring your game to life on the table! These can range from anything between cubes and dice to cards and game boards. While things like cubes and dice can be a little easier to come across, finding somewhere to print your cards, tokens, and game boards can be trickier. There are a few important things to know when shopping around for your game components.
Game Manufacturers and MOQ
Most game manufacturers in the industry operate on a MOQ, or a minimum order quantity. This essentially means that they will only print a game or product when a certain quantity of the product is ordered (eg. an order of 1000 games). A large database of game manufacturers typically operating on a large MOQ can be found here: https://boardgamemanufacturers.info/
The cost of printing a large quantity of games is cheaper for both the manufacturer and the designer, which is great for someone printing a final product for a Kickstarter or for retail. However, if you are not looking to print a large run of games, you will need to find a print on demand manufacturer!
Print on Demand Manufacturers
Print on Demand (POD) manufacturers are pretty self explanatory - they will print games & products for you on demand (in small or large quantities). This can include things like cards, cardboard tokens, game boards, plastic tokens, custom parts, game pieces, and more - including fully completed games, box and all.
There are some fantastic POD options that are staples in the game design community. These companies work with independent designers frequently (if not almost exclusively) and offer a great deal of support when it comes to game design. Below are some of my favorite POD options for printing products and ordering other components.
Pros
The true authority for independent game designers
Incredibly diverse catalog of stock game pieces (cubes, dice, etc.)
100+ printed products including game boards, cards, tokens, boxes
Supportive community & staff
Short to medium shipping times for game pieces (cubes, dice, other stock components)
Simple website UI to upload images for printed components
Cons
Cardboard tokens are cut using a laser, which leaves a soot residue that must be cleaned off
Trades large catalog of products for some printed component quality issues (cards, boxes, etc.)
Usually long shipping times for printed products - however, you can mark an order as urgent for double the cost, and it will typically be shipped in 1-3 days
Pros
Great value for custom printed products - you can use their stock size options or make custom sized boards & other products at a reasonable price
Good catalog of stock printed products (cards, tokens, etc.)
Medium to high quality printed products (cards, boards, tokens)
Reasonable shipping times
Cons
Small-medium catalog of game pieces (cubes, dice, etc.)
Some basic components are more expensive than competitors (such as cards)
Pros
High, retail quality products
Very user friendly website UI, templates, and guides
Easy to understand pricing options, including an adjustable scale for large orders
Good customer service
Cons
Very small variety of game pieces & printed components
Medium to long shipping times
Pros
Good selection of printed products with a huge amount of customization (different cardstock types, finishes, chipboard thickness, etc.)
Medium to good quality components
Jack of all trades
Cons
Very small selection of game pieces (cubes, dice, etc.)
Some products can be pricey for small orders
Medium to long shipping times
Other Options
Meeple Source (for fun components, not manufacturing)
My Recommendation
For most prototypes, I order from The Game Crafter. The simplicity of uploading images and ordering components makes them very user friendly and easy to use. As a US based company (and being located in the US myself), I can order products and have them shipped relatively quickly while taking advantage of their massive inventory of parts and pieces.
If I need something more custom-sized (such as a custom game board), I will order through Print & Play. As they are located in the US, I find shipping times to be very reasonable, and the quality of their products is very good.
Launch Tabletop is my company of choice if I need to order a retail quality product. If I were self-publishing with a small print run, Launch Tabletop would most likely be the company that I used.
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