{"id":66759,"date":"2019-10-23T18:34:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T01:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ponoko.com\/blog\/?p=66759"},"modified":"2019-10-23T18:34:13","modified_gmt":"2019-10-24T01:34:13","slug":"laser-cut-game-pieces-nick-ackroyd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ponoko.com\/blog\/maker-success-stories\/laser-cut-game-pieces-nick-ackroyd\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing Game Tokens And Spinners To Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Piracy<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Nick Ackroyd Uses Laser Cutting To Add The Finishing Touches To Board Games<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ICYMI: Board games are trendy again. They\u2019re nostalgic, social and offer a break from oh-so-prevalent screens. While buying Boardwalk and Park Place remains a fun way to spend an evening, board games have evolved with \u201cSettlers Of Catan\u201d leading the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For gamers wanting to get in on the action, albeit with a different experience than can be found off-the-shelf at the local Target, Kickstarter has been the place to find what\u2019s new, exclusive and exciting. In fact, more than $165 million<\/a> was spent on tabletop games via Kickstarter in 2018, an all-time high for the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, the market is hungry for new board games. While some enthusiasts are designing for profit, others such as Nick Ackroyd<\/a> are building open-source options to share their love of the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piracy<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Incorporating Laser Cut Pieces Into The Game Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While the board itself along with any cards and packaging are traditionally printed on cardboard, game pieces such as tokens and spinners require materials that are more robust to withstand lots of handling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could look for game pieces using off-the-shelf tokens. But you\u2019re more likely to win the lottery than find pieces that exactly match your game theme, are the right size and color, can be purchased at an affordable price\u2014and are distinctive enough to give players a unique gaming experience. Next!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3D printing could be an option as you have complete freedom\nwhen creating shapes, but there are several drawbacks: You\u2019re limited to the\nplastic used in 3D printing, somewhat advanced computer modeling skills are\nrequired and the price may bust your budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But don\u2019t despair; there is a third option. Laser cutting<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affordable pricing, quick turnaround and a HUGE materials\nselection make laser cutting the trifecta of manufacturing. Whether you choose\nplastic, metal or wood, you can laser cut parts in any configuration you can\nimagine, ensuring that you have tokens that are true to the game theme and 100%\nintegrated into the overall experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, these are the reasons Nick used laser cutting to manufacture pieces for \u201cPiracy, Pirates of Port Blackwood<\/a>,\u201d a family game of burglary, gold and sea monsters. \u201cI chose laser cutting because the steps from drawing to final product are so simple,\u201d he says. \u201c3D design is more difficult and time consuming, and the effect is not as \u2018hand drawn.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That hand-drawn feel was the aesthetic vibe Nick wanted so\nthe game pieces would align graphically with the treasure map design of the\ngame board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piracy<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Material choice also played a big role, as the pieces needed an old-world feel. Since, Nick didn\u2019t want to use plastic, he had to find a more sustainable option. \u201cI used 3mm blonde bamboo ply<\/a> since it is plastic-free and a nice, solid substitute for cardboard,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piracy<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

To stay with the plastic-free vision, Nick is moving away\nfrom using dice and is building a spinner to direct how pieces move around the\nboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sea trials of the #plasticfree spinner instead of dice from Ponoko lasercutting are going ahead. This will hopefully work in with the laser cut pieces. Yay???<\/a><\/p>

A post shared by Nick Ackroyd<\/a> (@piracytheboardgame) on