Board game manufacturers – How to choose one?

When I first started making board games there was always a part of me that was worried, how can I find a factory to make my games, are they going to do a good job, or will I lose all my money? It doesn’t matter how well a game plays or how pretty it looks, if the physical game is full of errors, cheap materials, and doesn’t meet my customers standards, all my hard work could be for nothing.

Yet, when I started digging into things it turned out that I didn’t need to worry as much as I originally thought. There are plenty of reputable board game manufacturers and the biggest decision came down to which was best for me.

Let’s take a look at my 3 key measurements.

1. Communication

Above all else, communication is the key to manufacturing a great board game, if you can’t talk with the factory then you’re going to have problems.

I break communication down to several different parts:

Language: Not everyone is going to speak your native language perfectly, do you feel like your emails are being fully understood, and do you clearly understand the responses?
Frequency: How quickly do they respond to your emails, are you having to chase, or are things moving at a good pace?
Accuracy: When asking questions, do they answer everything with the level of detail you need, or do you find yourself left with more questions?

2. Price – Flexibility

When it comes to price, there is more to it than just the cheapest option, here’s my criteria:

Quote detail: How much detail are they providing in the quote, am I just getting a total price, or can I see a full breakdown?
Brainstorming: If the price is higher than I want it to be, how much will they help with brainstorming component changes. Do they recommend small changes to materials, sizes, or quantities that will help bring down the price?
Overall price: Are they competitive (not necessarily the cheapest) vs other manufacturers?

3. Existing games

Measuring the quality of a factories production capabilities is hard, sure you can get some sample packs from them, but these aren’t truly representative of final products available in a shop. I found the best option here was to enquire about games the factory has produced and then to go to a shop and buy one (you can also go to a board game café or ask friends who might have them).

With one of their games in your hands you can truly measure the component quality and how things have been assembled. This is also helpful if you are unfamiliar with components, you can simply say “I’d like cards made with the same material as the cards in The Isle of Cats” or “What’s the name of the finish used on the box cover from Vadoran Gardens?”. If they made the game, they will be able to help you learn the names of materials and get the exact end result you would like.

A list of manufacturers in China

While researching manufacturers and going through the above steps, I ended up choosing Whatz Games. I have worked with them now for 5 years and highly recommend them as a quality manufacturer who have produced over 500,000 products for me.

My top 3 manufacturers are as follows:

Other options

There are plenty of manufacturers out there who have great reputations and your requirements may be different to my own.

Here are a few more options:

Have you worked with any of these manufacturers, or do you have another company who you would recommend?

You may also be interested in:

Frank West

Frank West is a gamer and designer based in Bristol, UK. He published his first board game, The City of Kings, in 2018 and now works on other games and organising events in the local area. His goal? To design and publish games focusing on immersive themes, fun mechanics and beautiful components. If you have any questions or would just like a chat, feel free to get in touch at any time!

Frank West

20th April 2022 at 10:13 pm

I have very strict requirements for sampling and whenever I chat with a new manufacturer, I list them out and make sure they will be met prior to making any agreements.

Typically there are 4 steps every project has:

1) Digital samples – Digital visuals of all the files once they’ve been moved into the factories templates to make sure nothing has been missed or incorrectly set.

2) Colour samples – Prints of everything on paper to show the final colours.

3) White samples – Final versions of the game without print. This will include blank cards, boxes, punchboards, and all other items. This is always the final check to make sure I’m happy with every component in the box.

4) Production sample – A sample of the final product.

In addition to this, I will always do local prints first where I’ll get everything printed by a professional local printer so I can get a rough look at the colours. When I do this, I include a sample from previous games for each component type, so for example if I have 8 new cards with artwork, I’ll print a sheet with 9 cards, and the 9th card will be from another game I own. This way I can compare the colours in the print to a final production product, and roughly see how the other 8 cards will likely look. It’s not a perfect technique, but it helps me get everything adjusted to a good starting point before going to the factory.

Finally, I will insist on additional steps for non-standard components, such as miniatures or wooden meeples. I’ll usually get these sampled and made (paying the costs upfront) prior to starting production of anything else to ensure the end component can meet my expectactions.

This comes at a cost but also helps remove any risks as I’d rather spend a bit more in production, rather than a lot more trying to correct an error later.

43 comments

Ross Myhre
23rd January 2022 at 6:43 pm

Thanks for the blog posts, Frank. Fascinating stuff!

My best to you.

- Frank West
  24th January 2022 at 11:04 am
  
  It’s my pleasure, thanks for checking out the blog, I hope it proves to be a useful resource in the future!
  
Gabriel Giulian
27th January 2022 at 1:59 pm

Hello Frank,

Nice list of manufacturers! I got in touch with Boda and Whatz during Essen, and the products produced by them are top quality. As I’m based in Germany, I’m currently in contact with LudoFact. Their price is almost triple, and there are products, such as laser-cut wooden pieces, that have to be ordered from other suppliers.
With that said, I’m still considering them because of local production (Shipping prices, time in transit from manufacturer to fulfillment, CO2 emissions, etc.) with recycled/sustainable goods.
Another one is NSF 🙂

- Frank West
  27th January 2022 at 9:55 pm
  
  Hey Gabriel, I certainly hope LudoFact and some of the other non-China factories become more viable options in the future. From the interactions I’ve had they’ve just not been affordable from a price point and the emission benefits haven’t been as good as I expected. This is because they have to import some materials and specialist components (for all games regardless of customer location) from China, and then 80% of the finished games have to exported back out of Europe. It’s something I do look back into once every so often and hope one day to be able to add them to my recommendations list!
  
Hicreate Games
18th April 2022 at 10:39 am

Hello Frank,

Could you please add our company (Hicreate Games) to your recommended list of board game manufacturers?

We are a group of dreamers and doers, we specialized in the researching, developing, customizing, and manufacturing of board games.

- Frank West
  18th April 2022 at 12:57 pm
  
  I’m afraid I can’t add you to my recommended list as I have no experience with your company and this list is only for companies I’m able to recommend. However, I am happy to leave your comment here for people to be able to see and find your company.
  
  - Hicreate Games
    19th April 2022 at 2:12 am
    
    understand and appreciate, thanks again.
    
Adam of Adam's Apple Games
20th April 2022 at 4:33 pm

Great point about seeking out an existing game to understand quality, though a huge title could possibly be spread over multiple manufacturers.

I’ve found that product sampling is a critical aspect to ensure the quality of games and components match your quote and expectations. Do you consider a manufacturers development and sampling process when choosing who to work with? For example, a manufacturer that requires upfront payment and shipping cost may lead a creator to skimp on sampling… or a manufacturer that doesn’t provide color chip on correct substrate for approval may lead a creator to choose colors that look different from expectations. Curious what your standards with respect to sampling?

- Frank West
  20th April 2022 at 10:13 pm
  
  I have very strict requirements for sampling and whenever I chat with a new manufacturer, I list them out and make sure they will be met prior to making any agreements.
  
  Typically there are 4 steps every project has:
  
  1) Digital samples – Digital visuals of all the files once they’ve been moved into the factories templates to make sure nothing has been missed or incorrectly set.
  
  2) Colour samples – Prints of everything on paper to show the final colours.
  
  3) White samples – Final versions of the game without print. This will include blank cards, boxes, punchboards, and all other items. This is always the final check to make sure I’m happy with every component in the box.
  
  4) Production sample – A sample of the final product.
  
  In addition to this, I will always do local prints first where I’ll get everything printed by a professional local printer so I can get a rough look at the colours. When I do this, I include a sample from previous games for each component type, so for example if I have 8 new cards with artwork, I’ll print a sheet with 9 cards, and the 9th card will be from another game I own. This way I can compare the colours in the print to a final production product, and roughly see how the other 8 cards will likely look. It’s not a perfect technique, but it helps me get everything adjusted to a good starting point before going to the factory.
  
  Finally, I will insist on additional steps for non-standard components, such as miniatures or wooden meeples. I’ll usually get these sampled and made (paying the costs upfront) prior to starting production of anything else to ensure the end component can meet my expectactions.
  
  This comes at a cost but also helps remove any risks as I’d rather spend a bit more in production, rather than a lot more trying to correct an error later.
  
Jeramiah
3rd August 2022 at 7:30 pm

Do you recommend a Mfg for making wooden laser etched boards? Or is that common among all of them?
Thank you

- Frank West
  4th August 2022 at 4:17 am
  
  Hey Jeramiah,
  
  I think most of them should be able to do this. I’ve worked with Whatz on a fair variety of wooden components with various markings and they have always done a good job.
  
Rebekka malster
12th August 2022 at 8:03 pm

Hi Frank,

I’m a driver trainer in NZ and want to design a board game for teens. It is about consequence in driving and needs to be interesting. I have a range of questions written this far and need someone who can help make it a two option game – short and sharp 30 minutes in class pit one student against another and a longer family option that allows parents to be involved in their teens driving decision making and decision making processes.
Up for the job? I have another consequence idea that is a roll the dice (your handed with a ypu crashed 4 people in car – roll the dice to see how serious injuries are and life long results)
I want this available world wide for in class / schools use.
Zoom meetings ok.
Ta
Bek
Achieve Driver training NZ.

- Frank West
  15th August 2022 at 1:08 pm
  
  Hi Rebekka, I’m afraid I do not currently work with design briefs or third parties in this way. I wish you the best with your idea.
  
Ellie
27th August 2022 at 8:17 am

Thanks for the post! I’ve designed a board game and am at the stage of getting some local samples made up for gameplay testing so I can make as many amendments as i an before working with someone overseas for mass production.

A business advisor I work with was recently trying to warn me off China due to quality control issues that they thought would be rife – how many missing part / issue reports from buyers do you get, do you consider this an issue with Whatz?

Whatz and Wingo are on my shortlist having made initial contact with 7 or 8 factories as these are 2 I’ve seen recommend most and both are willing to quote me for 500 units.

Ellie

- Frank West
  27th August 2022 at 5:52 pm
  
  Hi Ellie, congratulations on the progress with your game – It’s always exciting when you start getting samples made.
  
  Missing parts and quality issues can be an issue with factories and I’ve certainly heard of problems before. However, factories that constantly have these issues don’t survive very long in the board game industry. We’re very much dependant on games being perfect and the factories know this and do their best. My top 3 companies above are all ones where this shouldn’t be an issue, and I would trust them to do a good job.
  
  I would expect it to be OK with the other companies I listed as well (which in part is why I recommend them), but I have less direct experience.
  
fred brink
13th September 2022 at 5:13 pm

My neighbor has designed a board game, and would like to find a way to get it to the public. However his resources are minimal. What should he expect to spend to get a game to market. Do you produce, and sell your games. Any advise, or interest in working with him. Had some prototypes made, and people who played it found it enjoyable. Thanks for your time and any advise.

- Frank West
  13th September 2022 at 9:33 pm
  
  Hi Fred,
  
  It’s very difficult to give an answer to this as costs vary a great deal. If they have designed a small card game then they might be able to produce 100 copies for a few hundred dollars at a local printer. If it’s a larger game that needs to be printed in China, then realistically you’re looking at $5,000 – $15,000 as a starting point. That’s not including things like artwork, graphic design, and other tasks around manufacturing and shipping.
  
  I would recommend they heavily research the subject and make a decision about whether they are doing this as a personal thing or looking to turn it into a business. There are a number of other articles on this blog that may help with various areas if they are looking to start a business. I wish them the best of luck!
  
Whatz Games
13th October 2022 at 12:29 am

As an employee of Whatz Games, I’m glad to the company I work for is in your top 3 picks. Without being too salesy; If you or anyone are looking for a game manufacturer, I would be glad to show what we offer.
Blake Connors
blake.connors@whatzgames.com

- Frank West
  13th October 2022 at 10:59 am
  
  Hey Blake, thanks for commenting. Whatz are fantastic so hopefully you get a few emails!
  
- Mark Roper
  2nd November 2023 at 12:51 pm
  
  Hi Blake,
  
  Please can you say, why despite your company being created in 2011, your web page is dated 2023?
  
  Thank you,
  Mark
  (Currently working on new board game).
  
  - Frank West
    2nd November 2023 at 5:38 pm
    
    Hi Mark, if you are referring to the 2023 in their footer, this is likely to do with copyright protection of the content on the website. Many websites will list the current year alongside a copyright symbol for this purpose.
    
Eunice Fang
13th December 2022 at 11:10 am

Thank you very much for your recommendation of Eastar Game Manufacturing, we so pity that we haven’t become your first choice in your mind. We are always keeping progressing and growing. Besides the supplier relationships, we want to be one of the most important partners in the history of our customer board gaming success. In addition, we have been keeping everyone informed of our developments on our website. If you also want to be a witness to our growth or watch your future partner, welcome to follow us.

Kindly Regards,
Eunice Fang.

- Frank West
  16th December 2022 at 11:32 am
  
  Thanks for dropping by Eunice, I’ve heard many good things about Eastar and while I’ve not had the need to work with additional manufacturers, I am very happy to include you on the list. I look forward to following your journey!
  
Pablo
27th January 2023 at 3:23 am

Hey Frank awesome article. I work for a boardgame manufacturer from China call Hero Time and having a lot of articles to help designers. Create a video series about how we make games and having the prices.online is what make the different among others. I think being crystal is one of the most importants ones.

- Frank West
  27th January 2023 at 11:51 am
  
  Hi Pablo, that sounds like a really good approach, I will check out your videos and wish you all the best.
  
Cat Lin
9th February 2023 at 5:58 pm

Hi ! Thank you for your article !

I’m currently searching for a manufacturer and the European ones are way too expensive. I was a bit afraid with the Chinese ones, but their prices are way more realistic.
What concerned me is the quote I received from Gameland (which you recommended), they have prices three times cheaper than Europe, and cheaper than the other Chinese ones.
Do you have more information/experiences with them and their quality ?
Thank you very much for your advice !

Cat

- Frank West
  9th February 2023 at 6:10 pm
  
  Hi Cat,
  
  When it comes to the non-Chinese factories it is hard to find something affordable and most publishers are currently working with China as a result. As you’ve seen with your own quotes, the price differences are huge and I can only hope this will change with time.
  
  As for Gameland, the people I know who have worked with them have been happy but I’ve not had any direct interactions yet.
  
  I would recommend checking the components match up with the other factories you’ve had quotes from, for example is the cardboard the same thickness and are the cards the same quality?
  
  They may have a component sample kit they can send you as some factories do this now. If you’re concerned about quality, don’t be afraid to ask them for examples of recent popular games they have made, you can then look in a local store or board game cafe for those games and take a look.
  
  I would also ask them if there are any additional fees not mentioned, if samples are included, and what their replacement parts policy is – Meaning, do they include spare parts for free.
  
  This article may be helpful regarding samples: https://thecityofkings.com/news/requesting-samples-from-your-manufacturer/
  
  If everything checks out then it may just be good timing to go with Gameland as it is not unusual for factories in China who are looking to expand to offer cheaper rates than other factories at those times.
  
Cat Lin
10th February 2023 at 7:05 am

Hi Frank,
Thank you so much for your advices.

Ian B
5th August 2023 at 12:51 am

Hi Frank,
Thank you for spending your time helping people. The question I have: why would you self publish when the big publishers do it all for you and have international outlets and marketing? Or would it be wise to produce say 500 games and sell them in your country and then approach the big guys?
Ian

- Frank West
  8th August 2023 at 12:20 pm
  
  Hi Ian,
  
  The answer to this question may vary per person but in my eyes it really comes down to what you want to achieve.
  
  You can either be a game designer, who designs games for a living and pitches them to other publishers to do the rest of the work. Or, you can be a self publisher who spends most of your time running a business and doing more business related tasks, and some of your time designing games.
  
  Personally, I enjoy the challenges of artwork, manufacturing, shipping, marketing, logistics, and choose to self publish, but for many people just being a designer is a better choice.
  
  I wouldn’t recommend making some copies of your game and then trying to get a bigger publisher to take it on. Most publishers will want to develop the game, apply their own artwork, perhaps change the name to match their library and so on, so having a few copies already out could become problematic.
  
Greg Burrows
28th September 2023 at 7:42 am

How do you go about patents and finding out costing without giving away your idea?

Very helpful blog thus far, thank you.

- Frank West
  28th September 2023 at 5:41 pm
  
  Hi Greg,
  
  I’m glad you have been finding the blog useful!
  
  Within the board game industry patents are a very rare thing (I don’t have any for any of my games) and unless you have a very unique physical piece within the game that it patentable, it’s typically not a done thing. It’s also worth noting that while art and writing is subject to copyright, game ideas and mechanisms can’t be protected.
  
  I would recommend you take any steps necessary to feel comfortable but if you are creating a board game, I personally wouldn’t be too worried about someone trying to take your idea.
  
Greg Burrows
28th September 2023 at 10:33 pm

It’s more the board is a bit of a copy but different colouration and the name is a play on words of an already released and very famous game….

XFound Game Manufacturing
7th November 2023 at 7:52 am

Hello Frank,

Please allow me to introduce our company here. Although we have not yet become a recommended supplier in your list, but we are always keeping progressing and growing.

If you or anyone are looking for a game manufacturer, we are glad to provide free samples for reference.
Contact email :Freya@xfound.com.cn

- Frank West
  7th November 2023 at 10:15 am
  
  Thank you for the introduction.
  
London Pendragon
22nd February 2024 at 8:02 pm

Hey Frank!

If I may, I’d also like to like to make you aware of London Pendragon. We are based in the United States and work with a curated network of factories over 5 different continents. Over the years of working together, we have built a relationship of trust with manufacturers that provide high-quality custom game production at lower prices and with lower MOQ’s.

We also help to arrange both ocean and air freight to anywhere in the world where product needs be for fulfillment.

Simple and straightforward pricing, ease of communication, and production with well-established factories that do large-scale work for many top-name brands. Please feel free to reach out anytime!

Matt Peck
Info@LondonPendragon.com

- Frank West
  23rd February 2024 at 12:47 pm
  
  Hi Matt, thank you for sharing your details!
  
M Pride
24th April 2024 at 3:46 am

Is it necessary or important to copyright the game I want to have printed? If so, what are the steps involved in this process? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

- Frank West
  26th April 2024 at 10:31 am
  
  Hi M, while I can’t give legal advice on this, from my understanding copyright it an automatic thing that occurs when something is created. By default, it protects your artwork and writing without the need for you to take any additional steps. Meaning, you shouldn’t need to do anything to copyright your game materials, other than create them.
  
Matt
29th April 2024 at 5:57 am

Hey Frank,

I’m currently in development for my first game and have been binging your crowdfunding blog series like it’s a new Netfix show. I can’t thank you enough for compiling all this.

Anyway, I was checking out the manufacturers you listed here, and a couple have online instant-estimator tools. I was shocked by how low the prices were for Starry Games when running my components through the estimator — about half the cost per game of Panda Games, even when printing 1000 fewer copies.

I’m kind of trying to figure out… what’s the catch?

Do you have any experience with this company? Or do you know anyone who’s worked with them directly?

- Frank West
  29th April 2024 at 2:15 pm
  
  Hi Matt, I’m really glad to hear the articles have been useful and I hope your game goes well.
  
  I must admit, Starry Games is one that I haven’t had direct relations with, but have had them recommended by other parties.
  
  While I can’t comment exactly on why their pricing may be less, the main thing to check is the material details, a quote for a playing card can vary greatly depending on the materials used. Additionally, things like how many replacement parts are included, and what is the final delivery – Will they get the games to the port on pallets, or do you need to do this.
  
  Outside of that all I can say is compare these companies to brands. Some people may only buy an Apple or Samsung phone, while others may be happy with a lesser known brand. Is there a quality difference between these phones, does the brand name make a difference, and how much more can you trust a well known brand over a lesser known one.
  
  Panda is certainly a very well known manufacturing “brand” and to some extent this comes at an extra cost. The same can be said for some of the others on the list and unfortunately only you can decide how much that matters to you.
  
  I hope this helps a little!
  
Mfanelo Brighton Ncube
25th May 2024 at 9:54 pm

Hie Frank
I h developed a soccer game in 2004 but have been struggling to find a suitable manufacturing company and probably raise funds to get it manufactured, shipped to my country Zimbabwe,Africa. How best can l source funds for the game and get it manufactured,shipped and published. I have limited source of income .
I will try to get a quote from the recommended list you have published.
Kindly reply to my email.
Thank you for the article.

- Frank West
  28th May 2024 at 9:51 am
  
  Hi Mfanelo ,
  
  Developing a board game is not a cheap task and if you wish to produce more than just 1 or 2 copies for yourself and want to go on to selling them, then you will need to have the funds available. Typically speaking there are 3 paths for this:
  
  1) You can cover the costs yourself.
  2) You can pitch your game to publishing companies and see if any will be happy to take on your game and make it.
  3) You can crowdfund the game using Kickstarter or gamefound.
  
  I would recommend options 2 or 3 over option 1 as they will allow you to test the reception for the game before investing too much money. Keep in mind, if you do decided to take option 1 or 3, you should approach this as if you were starting a new business and be willing to invest many hours into the process.
  
  I hope this helps.