Opinion - Game Inserts Are Better Than Miniatures
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Let’s get this over with because I know I’m going to take a lot of heat for this article.
Game inserts are a better value than miniatures. Don’t get me wrong. I love miniatures. They add atmosphere and physical presence to a game that might otherwise seem too two-dimensional. But any good game worth its salt could also have miniatures replaced by standees and still be good. Even great.
But the right kind of storage and in-game inserts? Priceless.
They elevate a game beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary. Take Dwellings of Eldervale for instance. The inserts not only hold all of the faction components, resources, and cards in neat trays for storage and use. They also contain pertinent information and rules reminders to help guide players in a back-of-the-mind way that is truly wonderful.
Getting a game out on the table and, consequently, putting it back into the box, is one of the least enjoyable part of the game. It’s not part of the social fabric. It’s not part of the mechanics. It’s just something that has to be done.
And designers have, until recently, not focused on that element of board games.
It’s been a beautiful shift in the industry, then, to have designers and publishers consciously working on how to improve the storage in their game and how to make these decisions improve the tabletop experience.
Not all development teams come up with elegant solutions, but I’m getting more optimistic that gone are the days when the typical unboxing experience was opening those reviled FFG boxes, discovering a cardboard trough insert and seeing all of the game pieces unceremoniously dumped in the middle. Or opening up one-use plastic packaging and being left with a mosh pit of punchboard and plastic that was indiscernible to the naked eye. Broken Token makes fabulous products, but it would be awesome if the need that inspired the wooden organizers that they make was no longer there because all designers created effective and intuitive inserts.
I’m neglecting the miniatures part of this (gentle) tirade, though.
Photo credit: Instagram user bjarnidali
Because look at those miniatures. They are absolutely gorgeous.
Yes, miniatures are awesome. Yes, I wish all of mine were painted. The 10-year-old in me who used to paint Warhammer miniatures before breakfast thinks fondly of the Orks and Ultramarines and tries to gloss over the fact that my painting skill set from 18 years ago would not be aesthetically pleasing on any of my games.
However, they are a beautiful addition to a game. Unless you’re talking about something like Warhammer 40K or a miniatures-focused tabletop game, then they aren’t the beating heart that makes the game work. They are a component that provides grandeur and three-dimensional pleasure for the senses.
The key word is addition. It’s something that you can do without.
The game still works the same. The playtime is pretty much unaffected.
Getting to play more games in less time? That’s something I’ll get behind. And game inserts help you do that. Dwellings of Eldervale is a monstrous box. But it can be grabbed in no time for a game. Scythe or Lords of Waterdeep, with the Broken Token organizers, become mobile command centers where any player can grab what they need in seconds and continue gameplay. That thoughtful design turns a weakness into a strength.
When push comes to shove, though, an opinion is never exciting unless there are enraged people of the opposite persuasion. So, come on miniatures Stans. Come tell me why I’m wrong. And if by chance you agree with me, let me know what your favorite game insert is.
Let the tabletop war begin…
Have any tabletop tirades that you need to air out? Let’s hear the honks and quacks and rants that you’ve been saving for the right occasion.