What materials do we use in our board games?
- AGR GAMES
- Feb 14
- 4 min read
For the creation of your board game, you not only need to be clear on the design of the game itself but also consider the final finish of the product.
All the finishes you desire for your game are available at AGR. We offer sustainable materials with CE marking and strict quality control under the ISO 9001 standard.
One of the benefits of manufacturing with us in Spain is the reduction of your game's carbon footprint, as it´s not imported from other countries. But it's not just about reducing distance; we also use papers with FSC certification, which means they come from controlled logging. This reduces the environmental impact and guarantees reforestation.
Additionally, despite using plastic materials, we offer the option to manufacture your games 100% plastic-free. We have FSC-certified wooden components, as well as paper wraps and closures that will prevent the use of single-use plastics.
Now, let's talk about all the materials and types we have available: boxes, tokens and boards, dice, and cards.
Boxes
The box of a board game is the first thing seen and touched when acquiring any type of game. Sometimes, it doesn't get enough attention, despite being a vital element of the game. If your game has a high-quality box, it will maintain a good image throughout it´s useful life.
Our compact cardboard boxes are used in most games.
For these boxes, we use gray cardboard, which can be seen on the inside of the box:
It can have a thickness between 1,25mm and 2mm, making the boxes strong and compact.
It´s stronger and denser than the cardboard typically found in Asian and Eastern European markets.
The vast majority of boxes come in 3 qualities:
Without finishing, with the print fully exposed.
Protected by a thin recyclable plastic film, which protects the print from scratches, humidity, and breakage.
"Linen" paper, a material that offers better protection against bumps and scratches.
We usually use a matte lamination that gives it a silky look, although we can also do it with a glossy or linen finish.
We can also add varnish or foil to give a different finish.
Advantages: They are more robust and, in the case of lamination, more resistant to wear, impacts, and liquids.
Disadvantages: In matte lamination, scratches may be noticeable in darker areas.
We also have Tuckboxes:
It´s the most basic box available.
It´s used for small games.
The quality is lower.
The cost is low.
It´s recommended for small games, low runs, or when a very competitive price is desired.
Cards
For the cards, the paper should be as thin as possible but with "body" (a sense of stiffness), to prevent the card from deteriorating when shuffled.
An excessively thick card may feel good initially, but with more surface contact, the edges will suffer more and it will last less. The best cards are thin but very durable.
For the cards, we use high-quality playing card paper, and if it’s for a card game, with a black inner layer to prevent transparency. The materials of these cards can be:
Linen
Black core
Boreal
Nature
Papel c2s
Polyster
The finishes can be in matte varnish, gloss, or UV, even metallic ink or foil effect.
Versatility is one of our best features. We offer many card sizes: mini, bridge, poker, euro, tarot... and we can even make custom cards or with different sizes and shapes. Have you thought about circular cards? Why not hexagonal or triangular ones? The limit is set by your imagination.
Tokens and boards:
For the cardboard tokens and boards, the same type of cardboard used for compact cardboard boxes is employed. These are laminated, usually on both sides, to prevent them from fracturing or the boards from opening. The types of finishes available include gloss or matte varnish, or a linen finish, all of which are resistant to impacts and scratches.
Advantages: Sturdy and resistant to wear, impacts, and liquids.
Disadvantages: Since it´s a thick material, the die-cutting may vary, so it´s recommended to leave a good outer margin to avoid misalignment. Additionally, they may present difficulties when removing the matrix, requiring some care.
We can find not only cardboard tokens but also wooden or PVC tokens in our games.
Within our wide catalog of tokens, we also have acrylic tokens. The cutting and printing are custom-made, and they are ideal for enhancing the game experience.
But if you’re looking for a different finish and for large runs, we offer Falt Plastic, a type of 500-micron PVC, ideal for games with many characters where creating miniatures wouldn’t be cost-effective.
However, to fully enhance the experience, you can purchase custom 3D printed miniatures or mass-produced ones, to get any piece you need with the highest quality.
Dice
We offer dice made of wood or PVC. However, if you're looking for something more customized for your games, we have wooden dice that can be engraved or printed. We also have printed PVC dice, as well as indented dice with grooves to place your own stickers, or the option to print your design on a die-cut sticker.
To see our materials in person, you can request a sample box through our website, containing the main types of paper, sizes, tokens, cardboard boards, rules, and plastic or wooden components.
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