Although it's a long-standing industry that evokes our childhood, board games have never fallen off the radar and have gotten a second wind for those looking for off-consumer entertainment.
If you are considering making your custom board game, you will be interested in reading this article as we will talk about manufacturing. Likewise, you will find some examples of board game manufacturers, and you will see that we are up to your task, even adapting our manufacturing in these moments.
Kick-off your search for a manufacturer checking the factories you consider against a series of criteria. First, confirm that the factory in question can manufacture your type of product. Ideally, they will not only have these capabilities, but also make it one of their main products. If they already have experience in creating something similar to your product, you will be able to access a more efficient and affordable production process. Again, make sure the manufacturer you select has experience working with companies such as yours in terms of size and industry.
Especially for manufacturing companies, remember to confirm that the manufacturer you choose will agree to sign an NDA. This will help prevent intellectual property theft and protect your project. Depending on the manufacturer, you may also consider asking:
Are there minimum order quantities?
How much do samples cost?
What are the turnaround times on orders?
How does the factory handle unexpected circumstances?
How often does the factory experience delays?
Just like any manufacturer you choose to build something for you.
You make sure they can build what you want with minimum hassle. You make sure they can meet all the criteria to support your project - timing, quality, cost, etc. You make sure they can build what you want. If your Kickstarter brings ongoing business, you can decide if they are suitable for subsequent large-scale contract manufacturing. Are they scalable? As you go through the rigorous product development process, you may be looking for a more creative and flexible manufacturer willing to work closely with you.
Broadly speaking, there are three reasons stretch goals may increase your campaign execution costs.
If you add more parts to the game, or even just upgrade parts, your manufacturing costs go up.
To avoid manufacturing costs that exceed your means, be sure to contact your printer before your campaign and ask them for a quote on your stretch goals. That way, you won't have any nasty surprises after promising your backers something too expensive.
Contacting your printer in advance can also help you avoid another major source of additional cost: rework. If you are adding new parts to the game, you will need to order samples before mass printing. Unfortunately, the cost of sampling an offset press can be very high - usually a few hundred dollars!
Now, once you've recovered from the sticker shock, you have to understand: it's not just a matter of greed on the printer side. Setting up equipment and preparing files to make a board game is really difficult. The difference in labor required to make 1 game versus 1,000 games is smaller than you might think.
You look for a proactive, well-rounded manufacturer that can work with you, and preferably can provide skills, experience, and expertise that you don't have to make sure your product vision is realized. Generally, you want a more nimble contract manufacturer who can handle changes as you perfect your Kickstarter product idea.
If the above are all important factors in your choice, Eastar game manufacturing will be one of the best choices for you.
