How much does it cost to make a board game?
Printing is only part of the cost. A small game's budget also includes art, proofs, freight from the printer, warehousing and fulfillment, platform and payment fees, and taxes. Print-on-demand is cheap to start but expensive per copy; an offset print run is far cheaper per copy but needs a minimum order, often around 1,000 to 2,000 units. Get real quotes for each line before you set a price or a funding goal.
“How much does it cost to make a board game?” has no single number, because the answer depends on what is in the box and how many you print. What you can know is every cost that goes into the total. Missing one of them is how small publishers lose money on a funded game.
The cost lines
| Cost | What it covers | Easy to forget because… |
|---|---|---|
| Art and graphic design | Illustration, card templates, rulebook layout, box | Often the biggest up-front cost |
| Prototypes and proofs | Review copies, printer proofs, a final hard proof | You may need several rounds |
| Manufacturing | Cards, box, tokens, rules, assembly, shrink-wrap | Quotes change with card count, card stock and box size |
| Freight | Shipping the print run from the factory to your country | Sea freight, port fees, customs and tariffs add up |
| Warehousing and fulfillment | Storing stock, packing and posting each order | Per-order fees, plus postage to every backer |
| Platform and payment fees | Kickstarter, pledge managers, card processing | About 8–10% of what you raise on Kickstarter |
| Marketing | Ads, convention booths, review copies | Rarely budgeted, always needed |
| Taxes | Sales tax or VAT on orders, income tax on profit | Rules differ by country and state |
Print on demand vs. an offset print run
Print on demand services such as The Game Crafter and MakePlayingCards print one copy at a time. There is no minimum order and no stock to store, but the cost per copy is high. They are ideal for prototypes and review copies. Spider-Goat Games used MakePlayingCards to print its Martial Art prototypes.
Offset printing through a game manufacturer is much cheaper per copy but needs a minimum order, often around 1,000 to 2,000 copies. You pay a large amount up front and then have to store and ship it all.
The usual path is to use print on demand until the game is finished and the demand is proven, then fund an offset run, often through Kickstarter.
A realistic timeline for an overseas print run
Spider-Goat Games published the production timeline for its Battlefields expansion, and it is typical of a small card game:
- Finalize the printer files.
- Wait for crowdfunding money to be released.
- Order hard-copy proofs, which take about 2–3 weeks.
- Run production for about 20–25 days after the proofs are approved.
- Ship by sea for about 45 days to the US and to a UK fulfillment partner.
- Ship to backers.
That adds up to roughly four to six months from the campaign’s end to backers’ doors, and that’s when nothing goes wrong. Build in slack.
Setting a price
Work out your landed cost per copy: manufacturing plus freight, duties and warehousing, divided by the number of copies. Stores usually buy at about half of retail, and distributors at less, so a common rule of thumb sets MSRP at roughly four to five times landed cost. Selling only direct, such as through Kickstarter or your own site, lets you go lower, but then the game can’t move to retail later without a price rise.
Then check the shelf. Look at what games of similar size and length sell for at your local game store. If your price is far above theirs, cut components (fewer cards or a smaller box) rather than quality.
Ways small publishers keep costs down
- Fewer, better components. Cards and a tuck box cost far less than a big box with tokens.
- Fill the print sheet. Printers price by the sheet, so ask which card counts fit without waste.
- Standard card sizes. Unusual sizes cost more and are harder for players to sleeve.
- Don’t shrink the cards. Dark Web used mini cards to save money, and backers turned it down. Cut card count, not card size.
- Price shipping honestly by region, and get fulfillment quotes before you launch. See Kickstarter mistakes.
Prices for printing and freight change often. Get current quotes from two or three manufacturers before setting a goal or a price.
Questions people ask
What is the minimum order for printing a board game?
It depends on the manufacturer and the game. Offset printers commonly quote minimums around 1,000 to 2,000 copies, while print-on-demand services make single copies. Some printers accept smaller runs at a higher price per copy.
How do I set the retail price of my game?
A common rule of thumb is a retail price (MSRP) of about four to five times the landed cost per copy, so the game can be sold wholesale to stores and distributors and still make money. Check what similar games sell for before you settle on a price.
How long does it take to manufacture a card game?
For an overseas offset run, plan on several months: proofs, a production run of a few weeks, and sea freight of about six weeks, then fulfillment. Spider-Goat Games' Battlefields expansion followed almost exactly that timeline.
Is print on demand worth it for selling a game?
It works for very small sales, review copies and testing the market, because you hold no stock. The cost per copy is usually too high to sell through stores at a normal price.