Custom Board Game Boxes & Board Game Packaging
A board game box gets opened hundreds of times over its life, which puts it in a category almost by itself. Most packaging is discarded within minutes. Board game packaging sits on a shelf for years, gets lifted, opened, refilled and stacked, and if the corners give out the whole game feels cheap. We produce a lot of it at ZEE Packaging and durability is the first thing we design for.
Built To Be Opened Repeatedly
A board game box has to survive its own popularity.
- Rigid two piece construction, since folding board fails at the corners
- Reinforced corner wrap so the lid keeps its shape after a hundred opens
- The lid should lift smoothly rather than gripping and tearing
- Board thick enough that a full box does not sag when carried flat
- Square construction, because warped board stops boxes stacking
- A tight but not sticky lid fit, which is a tolerance question
Most complaints we hear about board game packaging are corners that split after a year of regular play.
The Insert Does A Lot Of Work
Storage is part of the play experience now.
- Divided compartments for cards, tokens and meeples
- Card wells sized for sleeved cards, since many players sleeve them
- Deep wells so components do not spill when the box tips
- A recess for the folded board itself
- Moulded pulp or die cut paperboard rather than plastic where possible
- Room left for expansion content in the base board game box
- Rigid lid and base the classic board game box, most requested by far
- Telescoping deep box for heavy component counts
- Compact card game box small format board game packaging
- Two piece with a lift out tray organised storage built in
- Sleeve over a rigid tray a lower cost presentation route
- Corrugated shipper outer for direct to customer board game packaging
Sizes We Print Regular
Every board game box is built to your components, though these run often:
- 11.5" x 11.5" x 2.75" for a standard square format
- 11.75" x 8.75" x 2.5" for a rectangular mid weight game
- 12" x 12" x 4" for a heavy euro style game
- 4" x 6" x 1.5" for a compact card game
- 8" x 8" x 2" for a small box filler game
- 14" x 10" x 4" for a deluxe or campaign edition
Measure the folded board first, since that sets the footprint of the board game box before anything else does.
Board And Print
- Rigid greyboard 36pt or 48pt with a litho printed wrap
- Corrugated core on larger and heavier formats
- Matte lamination, which resists shelf scuffing better than gloss
- Spot UV and foil on the lid face for retail standout
- Coated inner face so components do not mark the board
- Corrugated E flute or B flute for the shipping outer
Kinder Material Choices
- Recycled greyboard core under a printed wrap
- FSC certified stock, certificate available on request
- Soy based ink through the whole run
- Moulded pulp insert instead of a plastic vacuum tray
- No shrink wrap where a seal sticker will do
- Right sized board game packaging so you ship less air
How A Project Runs With Us
- 100 unit minimum, which suits crowdfunded and small print runs
- Free 3D mockup and flat proof before anything prints
- Free dieline drawn by our own designer
- Physical sample on request to test the lid fit and insert
- Urgent turnaround at 5 to 8 business days
- Free shipping worldwide with nothing hidden
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do lids split at the corners?
Thin board or a lid that grips too tightly. We adjust the tolerance so it lifts cleanly and wrap the corners properly, which is what makes a box survive repeated play.
Should we design for sleeved cards?
Yes, and we would push for it. Sleeved cards need noticeably deeper wells, and a box that will not close after sleeving frustrates players enormously.
Can the insert be plastic free?
Often, yes. Moulded pulp and die cut paperboard both hold components well and recycle cleanly at end of life.
How much is a board game box?
Rough estimate is $1.60 to $3.80 per unit for a standard rigid two piece, $2.60 to $6.00 with a moulded insert and $0.90 to $2.20 for a compact card game format at moderate quantity. Insert complexity moves it most. Shipping is included in our price. This is estimate only, so ask our team for a exact quote.
Do you handle crowdfunded runs?
Regularly. The 100 unit minimum suits a first print run, and we can hold the dieline for a reprint later.
Matte or gloss on the lid?
Matte, in most cases. Gloss shows every fingerprint and scuff, and these boxes get handled constantly on a shelf.
Does it need a shipper for online orders?
Yes. A rigid lid scuffs at the corners in a courier network, so we always put it inside a plain corrugated outer.
