Board Game Tokens

Posted on February 9, 2021December 15, 2022 by Hero Time Limited

09
Feb

Board Games Tiles /

Board game Chits and board game tiles are a widely used component in various board games. As, board game chits and tiles are made out of cardboard and are divided into two. The larger cardboard pieces are used more as map tiles for board games, while the smaller pieces are usually used as small tokens.

In order to unify the definition, on this page we will call them both cardboard tokens.

These cardboard tokens can act as any type of component you will need in your board game:

They can use as a board game resource token and stand for coins, raw material, merchandise etc.
They can also cut into tiles and areas to played on during your game like mentioned above.
It can also personify a character of your choosing. If your game has multiple characters you can print them on a piece of cardboard and stand that piece of a plastic stand.
Some games also use them to resemble artifacts or items and so the list goes on.
Cardboard tokens can have different thicknesses. But, The thinnest recommend thickness is 1mm, after that 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, and 3mm.

To see the different cost of a token sheet per thickness visit our Cardboard Cost – How Much Does it Cost to Make a Board Game Article.

Like we said Previously, they can be found in almost every board game on the market. Some of our favorite examples are Catan which uses them as tiles for areas. Gold west of Tasty Mineral games which uses them for resources. City of Horror by Repos Production uses cardboard for character tokens. My First Ice Age by Z-Man games uses cardboard as items, houses, and more.

Gold West Pic by Asaf Fabbi — Gold West Resource Token

Catan Pic by Christopher Haufe — Catan Map Tiles

My First Ice age pic by Stefano Negro — My First Ice Age Items

City of Horror Pic by Robert Carroll — City of Horror Characters

Boardgame tokens are not made piece by piece but they are printed on one sheet of paper, which is then glued to a similar size cardboard piece, and then cut according to the token shape and size. As mentioned, these pieces can be anywhere between 1-3mm thick.

When designing the token sheets, you should keep in mind that the cutting machine will not cut properly in a clean way a sheet that is too large. Because, There are 3 sizes of sheets that are used for small tokens, and one size sheet that can fit a larger tiles.

If you are designing small cardboard tokens make sure they fit within the 12, 9, and maximum 6 piece sheet of paper.

For small tokens use one of the following sizes:

12 piece = 29.4*29.4cm.
9 piece sheet = 29.4*39.4cm
6 piece sheet = 44*39.4cm.

For a large-tile area, you can use up to 4 pieces of paper but not more.

4 piece = 44*59cm

To learn more about how these tokens are priced visit the article about Cardboard costs and Printing costs

When making the cardboard tokens, you can choose between leaving the chits and tiles inside the larger cardboard sheet for the customer to punch out, or having people in the factory pre-punch out the tokens from the sheet.

Most creators like to leave this job for the end customer, as the pieces are kept in better shape and in mint condition.

However, take into consideration, that if you have an insert in your box, those sheets will lay above the insert, which means after they are punched out players might be left with a lot of empty space. Also, if you want to save on shipping, it might be a good idea to cut some loose weight.

Board Games Tiles /

In order to unify the definition, on this page we will call them both cardboard tokens.

They can use as a board game resource token and stand for coins, raw material, merchandise etc.
They can also cut into tiles and areas to played on during your game like mentioned above.
It can also personify a character of your choosing. If your game has multiple characters you can print them on a piece of cardboard and stand that piece of a plastic stand.
Some games also use them to resemble artifacts or items and so the list goes on.
Cardboard tokens can have different thicknesses. But, The thinnest recommend thickness is 1mm, after that 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, and 3mm.

To see the different cost of a token sheet per thickness visit our Cardboard Cost – How Much Does it Cost to Make a Board Game Article.

#3 Board Game Pieces

Playing Cards For Board Games

Posted on February 9, 2021May 30, 2023 by Hero Time Limited

09
Feb

Playing Cards for Board Games are probably the main part of every board game and card game. Cards are the parts that are held the most touched the most and hence are most prone to damage. In addition, cards come in a variety of sizes and options and have their unique tuckbox. In this page we will cover everything about playing cards, and cards for board games.

Standard Size of Playing Cards

Generally speaking, there are 7 standard playing card sizes that are commonly used in most board games

Poker Size cards – 63x88mm
Bridge size cards – 57x88mm
Mini size cards – 44x68mm
Large tarot size cards – 70x120mm
Small tarot size cards – 70x108mm
Large square cards – 70x70mm
Small square cards – 63x63mm

Following this, there are two approaches when deciding which card size to use in your game or the number of cards to have in your game. First, through game testing, you get an idea of the best number of cards to have in your game and follow it blindly.

The second way is to work from the manufacturing backward to know how many cards fit in a sheet of paper, this way, you maximize the number of cards while controlling the manufacturing costs.

You can view the number of cards per sheet in the below component guide

Need some help with understanding the most cost effective sizes of board game components and what is available? to download our component guide

Custom Deck and size of Playing Cards

If the standard card sizes are not suitable for your needs you can also have your own size of playing cards. However, you do want to take into account the available sheet sizes, to ensure that you are maximizing the use of materials.

There are three size sheets we can use:

270*420mm – this is a small sheet suitable if you only need a few cards, such as reference cards.
420*570mm – this is a medium size sheet and can hold a nice amount of cards.
520*760mm – this is a large sheet already, the one that we use for most cards.

Please note that with custom-size cards, the cutting, collating, and corner rounding are done manually, so the quality will not be as high as the standard cards. (It is possible to make your own cutting mold for the automatic machines, but that is if you need to make over 100K decks of cards.

Things to take into account for custom size cards:

Need a bleed of 3mm on each side, so add it to the card size in the calculation.
You cannot have more than 80 cards in a sheet unless it is a standard playing card size as specifically mentioned below.
Cards with rich artwork might not be suitable for small or large printing plates, ask us.
You cannot choose two different plates for the same cards, as the color will not come out even. If you choose large sheet you must continue with it. You cannot have one large sheet and one small sheet in the same deck of cards.

Materials of Playing Cards

There are three types of paper that can be used for any playing cards: white core, blue core, and black core. Some factories offer a gray core paper, but we at Hero Time stay away from it due to its poor quality.

The best most stuffable cards use high-quality German black core paper, however, this is mostly reserved for magicians and poker houses. If you would like slightly better durability and elasticity you can choose Chinese black-core paper or blue-core paper. However, there are three drawbacks to consider

in Chinese black and blue core, there are widely varying qualities, and the cheap ones are worse than the white core.
As they have a black or blue core, their surface is not as white, which can influence the quality of the print.
They are slightly smaller than white-core paper and hold only 54 cards per sheet.

For most game creators we recommend using a high-quality white core paper, either 300gsm (0.32mm thick) or 350gsm (0.35mm thick). If you are searching for the lowest price you can also find cheaper white core paper.

Watch our video to learn more about paper qualities.

Playing cards Box Dimensions

You can use any boxes for playing cards. If your game is an independent card game with only cards in it, using the tuck box (the same box used in poker cards) is most recommended, as it keeps the prices as low as possible. If you have over 100 cards in your game, you might want to consider a small two-piece box. If you woould like your card game to be more prestigious, the best box for that will be the flip box, which has a magnetic latch and a one-piece box.

You can learn more about boxes in our box page.

How to Calculate the Size of the Box

To achieve this, we first check the total thickness of the cards in the game. A 300gsm paper is around 0.32mm thick, and 350gsm paper is around 0.35mm. Once we know your total number of cards, we can figure out the size of the box needed. For example, if you have 130 cards in your game and want the premium 350gsm cards, you have a total of 130×0.35mm = 45mm thickness. In that case, we would prefer to split your cards into two decks and place them side by side.

You can also check our component guide for standard box sizes

Need some help with understanding the most cost effective sizes of board game components and what is available? to download our component guide

#3 Board Game Pieces

Boxes for Board Games

Posted on February 9, 2021June 1, 2023 by Hero Time Limited

09
Feb

There are Three Common Types of Board Game Boxes

Tuck Box

Is used for games that have a single deck of cards and maybe a rule booklet. It is light and cheap, made from the same material as the cards themselves. The tuck box is limited to 3CM (1.2″) width, as it is relatively thin
Two-Piece Box

Is used for a game that has multiple decks of cards and then some extra components. It is relatively easy to make and is the most widely used form of board game box. The bigger the box though, the thicker it needs to be
Magnetic Flip Box

Is a box used to leave a strong impression on the buyer. The magnet mechanism and the fact that the top is attached gives it a premium feel. Also, A flip box is stronger than a two-piece box as it has an additional support layer.

Need some help with understanding the most cost effective sizes of board game components and what is available? to download our component guide

Boxes for board games Dimensions

There are three things to consider when deciding your board game box dimensions: the content of the box, your target retail price, and manufacturing cost.

1. Content of the Box:

As for the content of the box, you should think about all the components and pieces you want to have in your game, and the layout in which you want to have them in. Most industry leaders recommend against selling a big box with a few components in it.

As customers will feel cheated and they will frown upon the waste of space in the box. Many customers will end up throwing the box away and keeping the components separately to save space.

2. The Retail Price:

The second thing to consider is the retail price for your game. In the US there are generally three price brackets for board games with boxes, under $20, under $35, and under $50, this price depends on the size of your box.

Where large boxes are sold for around $50, Medium for around $35, and Small boxes for under $20. However, remember that making your box bigger but keeping it empty is counterproductive.

3. Manufacturing Cost:

The third aspect to consider is your manufacturing cost. Like in the target retail price, in manufacturing, there are also three sizes to consider. Large, Medium, and Small boxes. Each of these encompassing sizes fit onto a different printing paper.

The sizes of printing papers are 36*37CM, 37*52CM, and 52*76CM. The bigger your box, the better material you need, and the more expensive it will be. The size of the box drastically affects the shipping prices so double-check the size.

Download our guide to see the most standard size boxes

Need some help with understanding the most cost effective sizes of board game components and what is available? to download our component guide

Board Game Box Materials

Though there are some games made with tin and wood, most board game boxes are made of cardboard.

Within cardboard, there are three categories:

1. Cheap cardboard (B level).

2. Standard Cardboard.

3. High-Density Card Board

In addition, different thicknesses (weights) can be used within each of these categories. For smaller games, it is possible to use 1 or 1.2mm cardboard, for larger, heavier games we recommend using 1.5 to 2.5mm cardboard.

Generally speaking, you don’t want the box to get damaged on the way to your customer’s hand, and your customers do not like to pick up a board game box and feel like it was cheaply made.

At Hero Time our default quoted material is the high-density cardboard made with eco-friendly material. If you would like, we can also offer standard quality, but we test to avoid cheap cardboard.

Watch the videos below to learn more about the different cardboard grades, their thickness, and how they stand up to the pressure and weight of various components.

Stretch Goals for Game Boxes

If you would like to make your game box a bit more premium, there are a few options you could consider

Print inside the box
Foil Stamp
Linen Finish
UV Spot Print
Reinforced Edges (Default with Hero Time)

Need some help with understanding the most cost effective sizes of board game components and what is available? to download our component guide

Author: Hersh Glueck

Hersh is the owner of Hero Time, and its his mission to make it as easy as possible for game creators and publishers get their game on the best way possible.

#3 Board Game Pieces

Board Game Tokens

Board Games Tiles /

Board Games Tiles /

#3 Board Game Pieces

Playing Cards For Board Games

Standard Size of Playing Cards

Custom Deck and size of Playing Cards

Things to take into account for custom size cards:

Materials of Playing Cards