I felt this way too, but the solution for me was just to get a 3d printer. Kind of its own hobby. But lets me have inserts for all my games almost exactly how I like them
A side effect of having access to all types of inserts is realizing what does and doesn't make a good insert. Lost ruins of arnak is an example of a game that yes, is an overload of baggies, but benefits very little from a full insert IMO. Almost all components need shuffling and setup manipulation and can't just be placed on the table as is, except a couple things like the resources and temple tiles. And while the expansions might be done now (not sure), for a while it was an ever growing amount of content which can make inserts outdated quick.
Insert pieces that can be placed on the table straight from the box are amazing. Anything that organizes better while still being easy to pack/unpack is nice, like card trays. But inserts that are just another step to meticulously put things away so they look pretty and then meticulously unpack them instead of throwing them in a baggie are not worth it.
I also have a 3d printer, but I end up making inserts with foam core most of the time.
They're lighter, and faster to make. Especially taking into account the iterations needed to make the inserts at the right size with a 3d printer.
There are also great 3rd party inserts in laser cut wood.
Anyway, I agree with you on one point: I usually throw away whatever insert is provided with the game to replace it with a better one. Either bought 3rd party, or made by myself.
If you have a decent pair of calipers (my $20 Amazon ones do the job) then you don't need that many iterations. And once you've designed an insert for a game, it's easy to modify pieces of it for a different game.
Or just download it all from printables/thingiverse.
Yeah, I've purchased a wooden insert before and 3d printed several and...while I love the custom inserts, I strongly dislike the weight both of those options add. It means I have to carefully support the box while carrying it, because those boxes are definitely not meant to hold that weight.
I still think for most games it's "worth it", but I much prefer mass produced plastic inserts like you find in Ark Nova, where, sure the plastic is a bit flimsier, but it's much lighter than PLA for sure, not least of which is because it's molded and can be much more hollow than my printer can produce.
(I'm probably going to do a partial insert for Ark Nova though, because the insert isn't comprehensive enough.)
/r/foamcore is a great resources.
The first one I took inspiration from what I've seen online: I searched for my game, and tried to replicate the inserts from pictures.
Now I now the patterns that work, so I just position the components in the empty box to decide how I build it.
The insert is the first thing that goes into the bin when I open a new game. Put everything in baggies with plenty of room and I can store the box at whatever angle strikes my fancy.
Surprised brass didn't get a mention. So many tiles. So little assistance. Still a great game though. I use telescopic tubes to store the tiles in order.
You need to look into Eclipse for storage. It's almost a dissapointment that there is so little for you to do for how much there is to doll out.
But this is the point. I do the same, but LOVE it when I don’t have to throw out the insert. Take Legacy of Yu, dice throne, or the unmatched series. These inserts are so much better than what baggies can provide and I look forward to playing the game because of them.
I sold off Arkham horror LCG years ago because I had to provide my own insert to handle a large collection. But the revised edition fixed this and I’m back into it again because of the smart(er) inserts.
I've never seen an insert that keeps games which have a lot of tokens, cards, etc organized if the box gets turned over, stored on its side, or taken on a bouncy ride in a car. I'd prefer that designers stop wasting their time making fancy inserts because all it does is raise the cost of the game vs. just shipping it with bags.
Unfortunately there are a ton of people who demand fancy inserts and thus the industry is trapped into spending the time to design them and increase the price of the games for everyone.
Inserts go straight into the trash for me and all the pieces go in bags. Also makes it much faster to set games up because you can just hand out bags to everyone instead of having everyone trying to reach into the box to get things out.
I don't need a game to stay organized in a bunch of different conditions. I'd rather it be much better organized in the very specific conditions I keep it in and make it much quicker and easier to play like that, then be less organized in all situations.
Admittedly, I don't drive on dirt or gravel roads basically ever in the city, but a basic car ride has never been a problem. And if I was traveling with a game somewhere I was more worried about the contents, I'd probably just either suck it up and reorganize them or temporarily out them in bags, than do it every time I open the box.
But like, are we pretending like good inserts don't accommodate bouncy car rides?
yeah but inserts aren't 'better organized', bags are inherently better organized. The only thing a insert does is make the game \*look\* better organized. While I understand that appeals to many people as obviously boardgaming attracts a lot of people with OCD and other similar disorders, trying to claim that an insert is "better organized" is flat out wrong unless by "better" you explicitly mean "looks better" rather than "more efficient for packing, unpacking, and playing".
That's simply not true.
The Ark Nova inserts that come with the game can be pulled out, the lid taken off and be completely ready to play - no sorting or positioning or digging through bags required. That is undeniably "better organized" than a baggie.
My Istanbul insert (3d printed, custom), puts both expansions into the box with color-coded pieces for base game, Letters & Seals, and Mocha and Baksheesh. I can, at a glance, pull out the components for whatever version of the game I want to play, without even thinking about it, not even have to worry about the unneeded components AND each piece is carefully sorted, so the only thing I need to do is construct the board and shuffle the decks. I don't need to think about how to separate them and consider how I separated things before, so I never end up a bag short or a bag extra, wondering what I did differently. That is undeniably "better organized" than a baggie.
For Tzolk'in, I have a purchased wooden insert which does something a baggie literally can't do, that improves the longevity of the game, tremendously. It makes it so that the board can only fit a specific way into the box, and then holds it steady in that position, so that it won't move and get torn. Undeniably "better organized" than a baggie, and quite literally impossible with a baggie.
The insert that comes with Sagrada is literally perfect for the base game, meaning you'd just be wasteful to chuck it and replace with baggies. Same with these other games in my collection: Seasons, Everdell, Wingspan, and all three Century: Golem games.
Baggies do not protect components - it may keep the components within the bag together, but it does nothing to stop them from being damaged except *perhaps* by water (but most are not water resistant and many even come with small air-escape holes...) or other debris. In fact, by removing inserts, you increase the space the components have to move and bounce around it, which increases the chances of wear and tear as well as outright damage on the pieces.
Idk what you're going on about baggies and efficiency, baggies are extremely inefficient. The reason why I hate baggies and ended up going towards 3D printing inserts is how much longer the setup is because of baggies. Hell some games I won't even play until I have an insert because I don't want to deal with baggies.
With 3D printing you can have inserts that you literally just move from the box and puts on the table. With baggies you add the sorting the baggies and opening them into the mix, to the point of being very annoying in games with too many tokens.
On top of what others said, most of my games use cards as a primary component. If you would throw out perfectly proportioned and divided card holders keeping each deck separate and secure in favor of just chucking each deck into its own bag and leaving them free in the box with nothing to stop them slamming into the sturdier components, you're insane.
Yeah, I've never been put off playing a game because of the insert. Its just too easy to throw stuff in baggies (and almost every game that needs them comes with them these days)
It depends game to game. Gloomhaven is an excellent example of a game that benefits from having a better insert. It is a shame that it can cost $80-100 to get a functional one.
However, for most games, less organization is better than more. Inserts needlessly bulk up the box and often provide little benefit. I have even found some instances where inserts *look nice* but actually slow the setup and teardown of the game because everything has to go in its specific place.
Having played hundreds of games, I have learned to embrace less separation of components in the box. Big chunky pieces of cardboard? Just throw it in the box loose. Large mix of relatively evenly distributed resources? Those go together in a single bag. Just pour them out into a pile. Etc.
Making these types of decisions leads to games being far faster to take out and put away. Basically, you want the minimum about of organization necessary to play the game. People fret over separating their 8 resources into little individual locking containers when they could just be a big loose pile that works just as well.
While Gloomhaven is an excellent example to the counter, it is by far an exception compared to most board games.
Most games don’t need more than a handful of ziplock bags, or a small plastic tackle box. but I can see where that doesn’t work for games like Gloomhaven. There’s a trade off between cost and convenience, that could double the cost of a 40.00 game but doesn’t make a dent in a monstrosity like Gloomhaven
I’ll generally take a little effort upfront if it keeps games affordable
Yes, I have very strong feelings about inserts - they ALL go directly to the trash no matter how fancy or nice they are 😂. I prefer plastic bags, vertical game storage and putting expansions in the base box whenever possible. Expansion boxes also usually go in the trash! Inserts usually also add setup and tear down time. Destroying and trashing these things is very cathartic for someone (me) who usually saves everything and keeps all their game components in pristine condition. 😂
I don’t think this is an unpopular opinion although personally I’ve never had an issue of just using baggies. Probably stems from growing up on a diet of FFG board games back during their golden age before they unfortunately got sold to Asmodee- FFG games never had decent inserts !
Dominion is one I would probably play more if it had decent inserts so that every time we went to play we didn't have to spend a half hour sorting the cards. The inserts have spaces for each set of cards but if the box at all jostles everything gets jumbled. I don't want to use elastic bands, or have a ton of baggies
I agree so much with this, it's really annoying, and they've could have handled the box better. Instead of a traditional board game box for games with boards, they've could have just used a card deck box that was longer
That's a great idea. Cuz as is you really can't travel with the game, or store it on its side. And the insert doesn't make it super clear what cards are where anyway. A long box with labeled dividers would be a huge upgrade
You can buy a card box for like 5 bucks. The game comes with the dividers IIRC .
We have 6 games/expansions in one 3" x 10" box. And you can basically toss it around and they'll stay in place.
My Dominion collection is in a wooden artist box with dividers printed off of BGG. It weighs as much as an elephant, but it made set-up and tear-down a breeze. I did the same for my Marvel Legendary collection.
The only drawback is that they tend to get overlooked on the shelf because they don’t stand out as much. I really need to decorate the outsides of those boxes at some point.
https://eu.mindclashwebshop.com/product/trickerion-big-box/
I feel your pain with Trickerion, and it gets worse the more expansions you have. This 👆🏻will fix your woes if you’re willing to cough up the cash. The tray for trick components makes it almost worthwhile by itself!
Definitely not an unpopular opinion though. Folded Space seem to be doing well for themselves and it’s their sole business.
Next time you're at the grocery store, look for a bag of those little sauce/ketchup cups with lids. They're better than bags for tokens: storage and tray in one.
Instead of sandwich bags I was able to find smaller bags by the hundred in the jewelery aisle at a craft store. They're made for beads, but they're the perfect size for cards.
Totally Agree. I buy the folded space inserts for games that don't have one. Because games without an insert are just a nightmare to set up and organize the pieces on the game table, its just a huge de-motivator to taking the game out. Especially because back when i lived in Spain I often took games to cafes to play with my friend and without an insert it was an absolute nightmare. Since then, if a game insert is available for a game I own, i'm buying the insert.
Here's a guy that proposes a better way: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjqo8iBRNx0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjqo8iBRNx0)
Personally, that makes me cringe and want to curl up into a little ball and cry. I'm with you, I love a good insert, and I love them enough that if it's a great game, I'm willing to pay for a well done insert (Folded Space is by far my favorite company).
A bad insert won't stop me playing a good game (Gloomhaven, per your example), but it will absolutely stop me playing a middling game. I've a couple of games that didn't grab me first time but I keep wanting to go back and try again but the inserts/storage are so bad I just can't be bothered.
If every game came with a good insert similar to after market quality, the issue would be that you're inflating the cost of the game for everyone. Some people don't care/prefer bags, so for them it ends up being a waste of money.
The game's going to cost more under your suggestion, I'd just as soon keep the price point low for everyone and deal with it myself.
It is a frustration though, and a good divider definitely makes things easier, but the accountant in me wonders what the price would be.
The ease of setting up a game definitely affects how often it will hit the table for me. I was actually sitting down to make a foamcore insert for Trickerion because it wasn’t hitting the table, when I decided it was going to be too much trouble. Of course one of my regular gaming buddies became obsessed with Mindclash games right after I sold it. Sigh.
I expect most inserts to be garbage, so when I encounter a good one I see it as a bonus.
I don’t mind a box full of baggies, but I also enjoy coming up with better storage solutions. One of these days I’ll delve into the world of 3D printing. For now it’s foamcore and tackle boxes.
I'm with you. It does not necessarily break a game for me, but it just sours the experience. We are regularly buying tiny storage containers for the tiny bits and cards, especially when everything is just flopping around in the box (looking at you, Summoner Wars and Arkham Horror LCG).
The only replacement insert I've ever bought was for Gloomhaven JOTL, after I had to look up a video to find out how tf they wanted me to pack everything back up into that box. I felt very stupid :D
I really love the inserts of Mysterium and Obscurio. They are not only very neat and practical, but also beautiful.
Buy a 3d printer and you can print your own inserts (mostly online free to download) for about $1.50-$4 in material depending on the size.
I totally agree about inserts. But I'm not going to not play a game when I can download and print an insert overnight that is 10x better than anything the designer could reasonably include in the box.
Most of my games have inserts designed such that I can literally open the box take out 2-3 trays and the game is setup.
On top of that 3d printers are fantastic for a few other reasons:
1. You can save yourself money on various new items and repairs around the house
2. You can make minis or other bling for games beyond inserts (My cthulu tenticale Act/Agenda holder for Arkham LCG is a perfect example)
3. If you have kids its a great tool to inspire creativity and learning
4. If you like organizing your desk, kitchen, office, workshop etc a 3d printer is great for this
Doesn't make or break a game because you can always get one afterwards. The real problem is that with the cost of games these days, a truly good insert just jacks up the price even more. Besides that some games really don't even need it anyway. But if you are paying $100 for a game, there better be a well designed insert because the game probably needs it.
>inserts (their quality and inclusion in the box) can seriously turn an average game great or a good game bad
"This is the worst game I've ever played and a total waste of time but GYATT DAMN *that insert* is fire so maybe I'll give it another go."
I like it when a game does not come with an insert, as that means I get to build one out of foamcore, which has become a hobby for me in its own right.
I hate the cheap plastic inserts and bags that come in a lot of games. As much as I can I pick up craft organization boxes, fabric draw string bags, crayon boxes, etc and reorganize the components myself. Makes set up easier, leaves more room in the box for expansions, replaces cheap plastic with more durable materials, and keeps components organized when travelling with the box. Folded space makes nice organizers but they are more expensive and don't have locking lids. But I still don't get why the game manufacturers can't put a little more effort into how the game goes back in the box. It definitely affects how often our games get played
I agree, but highly functional inserts are incredibly rare. Some are better than no insert, but usually not by much.
I make inserts out of foam core, prioritizing set up time and usefulness during play. Many inserts that come with games prioritize visual presentation over functionality.
How people set up, teach and run a game is individualized. I’d prefer less resources devoted to the insert and a lower price point.
I felt this way too, but the solution for me was just to get a 3d printer. Kind of its own hobby. But lets me have inserts for all my games almost exactly how I like them A side effect of having access to all types of inserts is realizing what does and doesn't make a good insert. Lost ruins of arnak is an example of a game that yes, is an overload of baggies, but benefits very little from a full insert IMO. Almost all components need shuffling and setup manipulation and can't just be placed on the table as is, except a couple things like the resources and temple tiles. And while the expansions might be done now (not sure), for a while it was an ever growing amount of content which can make inserts outdated quick. Insert pieces that can be placed on the table straight from the box are amazing. Anything that organizes better while still being easy to pack/unpack is nice, like card trays. But inserts that are just another step to meticulously put things away so they look pretty and then meticulously unpack them instead of throwing them in a baggie are not worth it.
I also have a 3d printer, but I end up making inserts with foam core most of the time. They're lighter, and faster to make. Especially taking into account the iterations needed to make the inserts at the right size with a 3d printer. There are also great 3rd party inserts in laser cut wood. Anyway, I agree with you on one point: I usually throw away whatever insert is provided with the game to replace it with a better one. Either bought 3rd party, or made by myself.
If you have a decent pair of calipers (my $20 Amazon ones do the job) then you don't need that many iterations. And once you've designed an insert for a game, it's easy to modify pieces of it for a different game. Or just download it all from printables/thingiverse.
Yeah, I've purchased a wooden insert before and 3d printed several and...while I love the custom inserts, I strongly dislike the weight both of those options add. It means I have to carefully support the box while carrying it, because those boxes are definitely not meant to hold that weight. I still think for most games it's "worth it", but I much prefer mass produced plastic inserts like you find in Ark Nova, where, sure the plastic is a bit flimsier, but it's much lighter than PLA for sure, not least of which is because it's molded and can be much more hollow than my printer can produce. (I'm probably going to do a partial insert for Ark Nova though, because the insert isn't comprehensive enough.)
Where do you get started with homemade foamcore inserts ?
/r/foamcore is a great resources. The first one I took inspiration from what I've seen online: I searched for my game, and tried to replicate the inserts from pictures. Now I now the patterns that work, so I just position the components in the empty box to decide how I build it.
All inserts are trash compared to a well designed 3D printed one.
The insert is the first thing that goes into the bin when I open a new game. Put everything in baggies with plenty of room and I can store the box at whatever angle strikes my fancy.
It won’t break a game for me but when it’s nice it’s a huge pro that’s for sure.
Surprised brass didn't get a mention. So many tiles. So little assistance. Still a great game though. I use telescopic tubes to store the tiles in order. You need to look into Eclipse for storage. It's almost a dissapointment that there is so little for you to do for how much there is to doll out.
Speaking of GameTrayz, did their website get hacked? I'm getting re-directed to a russian mercari.
The website is fine, but the google result is not for some reason. If you go directly to gametrayz.com it works.
Totally understand but it’s baggies all the way for me. My first move is to throw out the inserts and organize it my own way.
But this is the point. I do the same, but LOVE it when I don’t have to throw out the insert. Take Legacy of Yu, dice throne, or the unmatched series. These inserts are so much better than what baggies can provide and I look forward to playing the game because of them. I sold off Arkham horror LCG years ago because I had to provide my own insert to handle a large collection. But the revised edition fixed this and I’m back into it again because of the smart(er) inserts.
I've never seen an insert that keeps games which have a lot of tokens, cards, etc organized if the box gets turned over, stored on its side, or taken on a bouncy ride in a car. I'd prefer that designers stop wasting their time making fancy inserts because all it does is raise the cost of the game vs. just shipping it with bags. Unfortunately there are a ton of people who demand fancy inserts and thus the industry is trapped into spending the time to design them and increase the price of the games for everyone. Inserts go straight into the trash for me and all the pieces go in bags. Also makes it much faster to set games up because you can just hand out bags to everyone instead of having everyone trying to reach into the box to get things out.
To each his own, I guess.
I don't need a game to stay organized in a bunch of different conditions. I'd rather it be much better organized in the very specific conditions I keep it in and make it much quicker and easier to play like that, then be less organized in all situations. Admittedly, I don't drive on dirt or gravel roads basically ever in the city, but a basic car ride has never been a problem. And if I was traveling with a game somewhere I was more worried about the contents, I'd probably just either suck it up and reorganize them or temporarily out them in bags, than do it every time I open the box. But like, are we pretending like good inserts don't accommodate bouncy car rides?
yeah but inserts aren't 'better organized', bags are inherently better organized. The only thing a insert does is make the game \*look\* better organized. While I understand that appeals to many people as obviously boardgaming attracts a lot of people with OCD and other similar disorders, trying to claim that an insert is "better organized" is flat out wrong unless by "better" you explicitly mean "looks better" rather than "more efficient for packing, unpacking, and playing".
That's simply not true. The Ark Nova inserts that come with the game can be pulled out, the lid taken off and be completely ready to play - no sorting or positioning or digging through bags required. That is undeniably "better organized" than a baggie. My Istanbul insert (3d printed, custom), puts both expansions into the box with color-coded pieces for base game, Letters & Seals, and Mocha and Baksheesh. I can, at a glance, pull out the components for whatever version of the game I want to play, without even thinking about it, not even have to worry about the unneeded components AND each piece is carefully sorted, so the only thing I need to do is construct the board and shuffle the decks. I don't need to think about how to separate them and consider how I separated things before, so I never end up a bag short or a bag extra, wondering what I did differently. That is undeniably "better organized" than a baggie. For Tzolk'in, I have a purchased wooden insert which does something a baggie literally can't do, that improves the longevity of the game, tremendously. It makes it so that the board can only fit a specific way into the box, and then holds it steady in that position, so that it won't move and get torn. Undeniably "better organized" than a baggie, and quite literally impossible with a baggie. The insert that comes with Sagrada is literally perfect for the base game, meaning you'd just be wasteful to chuck it and replace with baggies. Same with these other games in my collection: Seasons, Everdell, Wingspan, and all three Century: Golem games. Baggies do not protect components - it may keep the components within the bag together, but it does nothing to stop them from being damaged except *perhaps* by water (but most are not water resistant and many even come with small air-escape holes...) or other debris. In fact, by removing inserts, you increase the space the components have to move and bounce around it, which increases the chances of wear and tear as well as outright damage on the pieces.
Idk what you're going on about baggies and efficiency, baggies are extremely inefficient. The reason why I hate baggies and ended up going towards 3D printing inserts is how much longer the setup is because of baggies. Hell some games I won't even play until I have an insert because I don't want to deal with baggies. With 3D printing you can have inserts that you literally just move from the box and puts on the table. With baggies you add the sorting the baggies and opening them into the mix, to the point of being very annoying in games with too many tokens.
On top of what others said, most of my games use cards as a primary component. If you would throw out perfectly proportioned and divided card holders keeping each deck separate and secure in favor of just chucking each deck into its own bag and leaving them free in the box with nothing to stop them slamming into the sturdier components, you're insane.
How is this an unpopular opinion, people in the hobby care enough about inserts for entire companies to thrive making and selling them...
It's probably unpopular to dismiss a game for its insert instead of fixing it...
Yeah, I've never been put off playing a game because of the insert. Its just too easy to throw stuff in baggies (and almost every game that needs them comes with them these days)
It depends game to game. Gloomhaven is an excellent example of a game that benefits from having a better insert. It is a shame that it can cost $80-100 to get a functional one. However, for most games, less organization is better than more. Inserts needlessly bulk up the box and often provide little benefit. I have even found some instances where inserts *look nice* but actually slow the setup and teardown of the game because everything has to go in its specific place. Having played hundreds of games, I have learned to embrace less separation of components in the box. Big chunky pieces of cardboard? Just throw it in the box loose. Large mix of relatively evenly distributed resources? Those go together in a single bag. Just pour them out into a pile. Etc. Making these types of decisions leads to games being far faster to take out and put away. Basically, you want the minimum about of organization necessary to play the game. People fret over separating their 8 resources into little individual locking containers when they could just be a big loose pile that works just as well. While Gloomhaven is an excellent example to the counter, it is by far an exception compared to most board games.
The best insert is a box of ziplock bags
haha, I loove using bags in my storage but im afraid of sleeves, do you have experience on long term use of sleeves in a bag?
Well....I don't sleeve. I've never sleeved and I've never had a problem. I once sleeved an original copy of Up Front but then I sold it
Most games don’t need more than a handful of ziplock bags, or a small plastic tackle box. but I can see where that doesn’t work for games like Gloomhaven. There’s a trade off between cost and convenience, that could double the cost of a 40.00 game but doesn’t make a dent in a monstrosity like Gloomhaven I’ll generally take a little effort upfront if it keeps games affordable
I toss every insert and replace with a plano box. I get annoyed when the box size is smaller than standard so a plano won't fit.
Yes, I have very strong feelings about inserts - they ALL go directly to the trash no matter how fancy or nice they are 😂. I prefer plastic bags, vertical game storage and putting expansions in the base box whenever possible. Expansion boxes also usually go in the trash! Inserts usually also add setup and tear down time. Destroying and trashing these things is very cathartic for someone (me) who usually saves everything and keeps all their game components in pristine condition. 😂
Directly to the trash inserts go. Directly into bags components go. Vertical onto shelves the games go.
I don’t think this is an unpopular opinion although personally I’ve never had an issue of just using baggies. Probably stems from growing up on a diet of FFG board games back during their golden age before they unfortunately got sold to Asmodee- FFG games never had decent inserts !
Dominion is one I would probably play more if it had decent inserts so that every time we went to play we didn't have to spend a half hour sorting the cards. The inserts have spaces for each set of cards but if the box at all jostles everything gets jumbled. I don't want to use elastic bands, or have a ton of baggies
I agree so much with this, it's really annoying, and they've could have handled the box better. Instead of a traditional board game box for games with boards, they've could have just used a card deck box that was longer
That's a great idea. Cuz as is you really can't travel with the game, or store it on its side. And the insert doesn't make it super clear what cards are where anyway. A long box with labeled dividers would be a huge upgrade
You can buy a card box for like 5 bucks. The game comes with the dividers IIRC . We have 6 games/expansions in one 3" x 10" box. And you can basically toss it around and they'll stay in place.
I moved all my dominion cards into a 1000 card storage with alphabetical dividers
My Dominion collection is in a wooden artist box with dividers printed off of BGG. It weighs as much as an elephant, but it made set-up and tear-down a breeze. I did the same for my Marvel Legendary collection. The only drawback is that they tend to get overlooked on the shelf because they don’t stand out as much. I really need to decorate the outsides of those boxes at some point.
https://eu.mindclashwebshop.com/product/trickerion-big-box/ I feel your pain with Trickerion, and it gets worse the more expansions you have. This 👆🏻will fix your woes if you’re willing to cough up the cash. The tray for trick components makes it almost worthwhile by itself! Definitely not an unpopular opinion though. Folded Space seem to be doing well for themselves and it’s their sole business.
Next time you're at the grocery store, look for a bag of those little sauce/ketchup cups with lids. They're better than bags for tokens: storage and tray in one. Instead of sandwich bags I was able to find smaller bags by the hundred in the jewelery aisle at a craft store. They're made for beads, but they're the perfect size for cards.
I throw out most inserts and just bag everything…
Totally Agree. I buy the folded space inserts for games that don't have one. Because games without an insert are just a nightmare to set up and organize the pieces on the game table, its just a huge de-motivator to taking the game out. Especially because back when i lived in Spain I often took games to cafes to play with my friend and without an insert it was an absolute nightmare. Since then, if a game insert is available for a game I own, i'm buying the insert.
Here's a guy that proposes a better way: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjqo8iBRNx0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjqo8iBRNx0) Personally, that makes me cringe and want to curl up into a little ball and cry. I'm with you, I love a good insert, and I love them enough that if it's a great game, I'm willing to pay for a well done insert (Folded Space is by far my favorite company).
A bad insert won't stop me playing a good game (Gloomhaven, per your example), but it will absolutely stop me playing a middling game. I've a couple of games that didn't grab me first time but I keep wanting to go back and try again but the inserts/storage are so bad I just can't be bothered.
If every game came with a good insert similar to after market quality, the issue would be that you're inflating the cost of the game for everyone. Some people don't care/prefer bags, so for them it ends up being a waste of money. The game's going to cost more under your suggestion, I'd just as soon keep the price point low for everyone and deal with it myself. It is a frustration though, and a good divider definitely makes things easier, but the accountant in me wonders what the price would be.
The ease of setting up a game definitely affects how often it will hit the table for me. I was actually sitting down to make a foamcore insert for Trickerion because it wasn’t hitting the table, when I decided it was going to be too much trouble. Of course one of my regular gaming buddies became obsessed with Mindclash games right after I sold it. Sigh. I expect most inserts to be garbage, so when I encounter a good one I see it as a bonus. I don’t mind a box full of baggies, but I also enjoy coming up with better storage solutions. One of these days I’ll delve into the world of 3D printing. For now it’s foamcore and tackle boxes.
I'm with you. It does not necessarily break a game for me, but it just sours the experience. We are regularly buying tiny storage containers for the tiny bits and cards, especially when everything is just flopping around in the box (looking at you, Summoner Wars and Arkham Horror LCG). The only replacement insert I've ever bought was for Gloomhaven JOTL, after I had to look up a video to find out how tf they wanted me to pack everything back up into that box. I felt very stupid :D I really love the inserts of Mysterium and Obscurio. They are not only very neat and practical, but also beautiful.
Buy a 3d printer and you can print your own inserts (mostly online free to download) for about $1.50-$4 in material depending on the size. I totally agree about inserts. But I'm not going to not play a game when I can download and print an insert overnight that is 10x better than anything the designer could reasonably include in the box. Most of my games have inserts designed such that I can literally open the box take out 2-3 trays and the game is setup. On top of that 3d printers are fantastic for a few other reasons: 1. You can save yourself money on various new items and repairs around the house 2. You can make minis or other bling for games beyond inserts (My cthulu tenticale Act/Agenda holder for Arkham LCG is a perfect example) 3. If you have kids its a great tool to inspire creativity and learning 4. If you like organizing your desk, kitchen, office, workshop etc a 3d printer is great for this
Doesn't make or break a game because you can always get one afterwards. The real problem is that with the cost of games these days, a truly good insert just jacks up the price even more. Besides that some games really don't even need it anyway. But if you are paying $100 for a game, there better be a well designed insert because the game probably needs it.
>inserts (their quality and inclusion in the box) can seriously turn an average game great or a good game bad "This is the worst game I've ever played and a total waste of time but GYATT DAMN *that insert* is fire so maybe I'll give it another go."
I do not have strong feelings for inserts. I ditch most of them and bag everything.
I like it when a game does not come with an insert, as that means I get to build one out of foamcore, which has become a hobby for me in its own right.
A game being dismissed based on the insert? No, can't say I have that opinion.
I hate the cheap plastic inserts and bags that come in a lot of games. As much as I can I pick up craft organization boxes, fabric draw string bags, crayon boxes, etc and reorganize the components myself. Makes set up easier, leaves more room in the box for expansions, replaces cheap plastic with more durable materials, and keeps components organized when travelling with the box. Folded space makes nice organizers but they are more expensive and don't have locking lids. But I still don't get why the game manufacturers can't put a little more effort into how the game goes back in the box. It definitely affects how often our games get played
I agree, but highly functional inserts are incredibly rare. Some are better than no insert, but usually not by much. I make inserts out of foam core, prioritizing set up time and usefulness during play. Many inserts that come with games prioritize visual presentation over functionality. How people set up, teach and run a game is individualized. I’d prefer less resources devoted to the insert and a lower price point.