Board Game Upgrades: 3D Printed Inserts, Tokens and Organisers

Most board games ship in a box that is half air, with a plastic tray that fits nothing once the cards are sleeved. If setup takes longer than the first round, the game gets played less. 3D printed inserts, token trays and upgraded pieces fix that, and this guide explains what is worth printing, in which material, and how to order a set that fits your box exactly.

What a board game upgrade actually is

The term covers three different things, and it helps to know which you want.

• Inserts and organisers: a set of trays that replace the factory plastic and hold every component in its own slot, so the box is set up the moment you open the lid.
• Player aids: card holders, dice towers, resource trays, first-player markers, turn trackers, and shelves that keep tokens off the table edge.
• Component upgrades: replacing flat cardboard tokens with sculpted pieces, swapping wooden cubes for shaped resources, or printing a whole set of themed figures to stand in for the paper standees.

A good insert is measured to the box, not just to the components. It should let the box store vertically without the trays spilling, and it should account for card sleeves, which add a few millimetres to every deck.

Inserts: the biggest quality-of-life win

A well-designed insert turns a 20-minute setup into two. The usual structure looks like this:

• one tray per player with their starting pieces
• a shared bank for resources, with finger notches so tokens come out easily
• card trays sized for sleeved decks, with a slot for the discard pile
• a lid or top layer that keeps everything in place when the box is stored on its side

For popular titles, community designers have already published insert files, and Fantasy Lab 3D can print them for you. For rarer games, a custom insert is designed from the box's internal dimensions and a component list. If you are unsure what to send, start with the guide on ordering when you have an idea but no model.

Tokens and sculpted resources

Punched cardboard works, but wheat, ore, gold and gems that look like the thing they represent make the table read faster and feel richer. Sculpted resources are typically 10 to 20 mm in size and are printed either in FDM plastic for durability or in resin for crisp detail. Coins, wound markers, victory point chips and numbered tokens can be embossed on both sides so the value is legible from across the table.

For miniature-heavy games, printed figures replace paper standees. Resin gives the level of detail you would expect from a purchased miniature; see our post on 3D printed D&D miniatures for how resin detail compares.

Choosing the right material

Component	Recommended material	Why
Inserts and trays	PLA	Rigid, light, accurate, many colours
Sculpted resources	PETG or resin	PETG survives being tossed into a bag; resin for fine detail
Dice towers, card holders	PLA or PETG	Stable, easy to print tall
Figures and standees	Resin	Faces, weapons and textures stay sharp
Pieces for kids' games	PLA, rounded edges	Easy to clean, no sharp corners

Colour matters more here than in most projects. Player trays in the four or five player colours help everyone find their pieces, and inserts in a neutral black or grey let the components stand out. Fantasy Lab 3D can print matched sets, and multi-colour tokens are possible too; read choosing colours for your print for the options.

Ideas by type of game

• Euro-style strategy games: full inserts with resource banks and card trays, plus a compact scoring track.
• Deck builders: a long card tray with dividers labelled per card type, sized for sleeves.
• Dungeon crawlers: figure trays, door and treasure tokens, a dice tower that matches the theme.
• Party and family games: a chunky, colourful score tracker and a lid that survives being dropped by a six-year-old.
• Chess and abstract games: themed sets are a category on their own. Our Lord of the Rings chess set shows how far a themed board can go.

How to order a set that fits

1. Tell us the game title and edition. Component counts change between printings.
2. Measure the inside of the box (length, width, depth) and note whether your cards are sleeved.
3. Say what you want: a full insert, a few player aids, or upgraded tokens only.
4. Pick colours and a finish. Most inserts are left as printed; tokens and figures can be painted on request.

Timing depends on the number of trays and the material. A full insert for a large box is a multi-day print, while a set of 60 resource tokens is a quicker job. Price depends on size, material and finish, so request a quote with the details above.

Ready to order?

Send us the game name, box measurements and a list of what you would like upgraded through the contact form and we will come back with options and a quote. You can also DM Fantasy Lab 3D on Instagram at @fantasylab3d.almaty with a photo of the box and its contents.