15+ Coolest 3D Printed Board Games (With Download Links)

Whether it’s a rainy day activity or a nice way to spend some quality time with friends and family, board games have been a staple of many a household storage space or bookshelf for decades.

Of course, Monopoly and Scrabble are still found in almost every home, but board games have evolved beyond the standard, and new types are becoming more and more popular both as store-bought variations or as 3D prints from various online resources.

Here’s where 3D printing your own board games, board game pieces, and board game accessories is so great – not only can you personalize your own collection and pieces, but you also create your own entertainment at a fraction of the retail price.

So in this article, we’ll look at the most awesome board games and board game related add-ons available as 3D prints.

Mini Board Games

Mini board games are great little 3D printing projects that don’t take up much space and are fairly easy to make. Most importantly, they’re great if you need to occupy time in transit and are great first steps since they don’t take too much material.

Just be careful if you have small kids around, though, as many of these have small pieces that could be potential choking hazards. This is why you should also sand down your prints regardless of size, as they can flake off and become dangerous for little ones as well.

3D Printed Mini Checkers

• Download: Cults3d
• Designer: BUKSZPRYT
• Price: Free

Checkers are a great first project when 3D printing your own board games because of how simple the pieces and tiles are. As easy to print as it is to play, the files found are a great travel board game to 3D print at home or on the go.

The only real pitfall of this kind of 3D printed board game is that traditionally the pieces need to be created in different colors. Fortunately, the pieces for this mini checkers set are even designed to be different shapes, meaning you can still print a usable checkers game even with only one color.

Mini Chess Sets

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: GeneralBrandfall
• Price: Free

Of course, we need to talk about checkers’ more complicated brother, chess. While we will go into detail about some amazing 3D printed chess sets later, mini sets are a good travel game that’s perfect for bringing on the road.

Chess is a more complicated project than checkers because the pieces all need to be easily identifiable, but it’s still not too hard to do. Mini sets for traveling like the one above use magnets to lock pieces in place even when playing in transit.

If you don’t want to use magnets, you can print mini chess sets with indents to hold pieces still like Lego blocks like the one found here.

Of course, 3D printing a chess set means you’ll need different colors. If you can only print in one color, then you can easily paint the pieces afterward. Some travel chess sets like this one, for example, are designed to be printed all at once and painted later.

Generic Board Game Set

• Download: Printables
• Designer: Highrise Workshop
• Price: Free

For an all-in-one experience for board game prints to take on the go, these files have some cool and often underplayed board games that are fun and easy to carry around.

The link above includes STL files for Othello, connect 4, tic-tac-toe, and many others (some of which I’ve not even heard of).

Each of these boards features multiple playable games that make it a complete set with boards ranging from 3×3 for pocket-size travel games to 19×19 boards for larger home-based games. If you’re looking for a lot of variety and a little bit of a challenge, then this is definitely the set for you.

Though if you’re like me, you’re going to need to look up the rules for some of these games separately.

Classic 3D Printed Board Game Ideas

While 3D printing new and fun games to add to your collection is a great project, there’s something to be said for 3D printing board games that have become classics for a reason.

Here are some of the coolest board games to 3D print today with original and new twists on some old favorites.

Checkers

• Download: Printables
• Designer: Obsessed
• Price: Free

One of the easiest board games to 3D print is checkers. As we’ve discussed with the travel version above, you simply need to paint the pieces and board to be different colors.

If you’re printing board games for the first time, or are simply relatively new to 3D printing and want a good project to get you used to both the printing process and post-processing, then 3D printing checkers is a good way to go.

3D printed checkers boards like this one are especially cool. The crown symbols and inverted coloring offer an appealing look, and the added storage box for the pieces make packing and storage convenient and easy.

The best checkers sets always have easily stackable pieces for when you get kinged. And that’s where checkers sets like this cool one come in. The pieces are designed to raise up high and be easily and noticeably stacked when you get to the other end of the board.

Connect 4

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: da_syggy
• Price: Free

As an all-plastic game as standard, connect 4 seems to be made for 3D printing. The design here shows a simple and useable model that includes a base for both easy standing and token storage.

Unfortunately, connect 4 games can’t be printed all at once unless you have a dual extruder or paint handy. But if you’ve got the hardware or time, you’ll find it to be an easy and fun 3D printed pseudo-board game that’s as simple to print as it is to learn.

Battleships

• Download: Printables
• Designer: MasteroftheGT
• Price: Free

Like Connect 4, Battleships is a great print since it’s already an all-plastic game.

It’s an easy project to pick up as long as you make sure the parts all line up to fit together as they should. Though just be sure you don’t use translucent filament.

There are a good few Battleship STL files out there, but this one is my favorite because it acts as both a home and travel edition. If you’re planning on playing this with young children, however, then we definitely recommend scaling the pieces up because the pre-set measurements in the file above are very small and are a potential choking hazard.

Scrabble

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: nickr138
• Price: Free

Scrabble is a classic and educational board game enjoyed for its simplicity and is responsible for a disproportionate amount of dictionary use.

Scrabble is a simple board game to make from scratch, but you can still find pre-made STL files like the one here to save you the trouble. This is especially useful if you’re sick of the standard layout and want to change up the extra letter and word scores.

Personally, I recommend making the extra score tiles separately so you can have a different layout every time like you can do in games like Words With Friends. This keeps the game fresh through multiple plays and adds the need for extra strategy when choosing word placements.

The board and its pieces can also be scaled up or down to make whatever size you like. And because it doesn’t need to be particularly colorful, you can print the whole thing in one color for equally great results.

Though it is best to at least add some paint to the letter pieces so they stick out more. You should also be aware of letter scores and change them if necessary. Zs are more valuable in British Scrabble, for example, as they’re less common than in American English. So be sure to keep in mind your location and edit accordingly to make the game fairer.

Low Poly Monopoly

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: Dakanzla
• Price: Free

Monopoly has been a staple in household board game collections for so many years that it’s hard to imagine a home without at least one of its many iterations on the shelf. As a standard in family gaming, there are quite a few 3D printed versions as well.

My personal favorite is this low poly Monopoly set is designed to be easy to print and cute to look at. You’ll need to do a lot of painting to get it looking as good as it does here, but the effort is definitely worth it and can even be a fun collaborative project you can even use to get older kids to learn about 3D printing, modeling, and post-processing.

The board is also fully customizable. While just about any city, real or not, has its own Monopoly set, 3D printing your own leaves you completely open to personalize it to your hometown or even your neighborhood.

Train stations can be bus stops or bike racks, for example. And there is something pretty fun about making your own house the most expensive lot on the board.

Chess

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: chuckamcknight
• Price: Free

While we’ve already discussed 3D printed chess sets here at 3DSourced, new and innovative designs appear online every day. While arguably not a traditional ‘board game’, chess is enjoyed the world over and is as deserving on this list as any others.

Geometric chess sets are always cool and quite easy to print, while minimalist 3D printed chess boards are a great addition to just about any style of home décor. For a nice mix between the two, you can also check out this clever parabolic chess set that’s simple to print and fun to play.

These are all examples of standard chess sets with unique aesthetics, but there’s no need to stick to the normal side of things if you don’t want to. Themed 3D printed chess sets are always easy to find, representing well-known IPs like Pokémon, South Park, Zelda, and The Simpsons.

My favorite of my recent finds, however, is this amazing chess set featuring DC’s Justice League facing off against Marvel’s Avengers. This one is particularly easy to make as each side has unique pieces, meaning it can be printed in one color. Though you’ll still need to print or paint the board in different colors for the necessary checkerboard pattern.

Lesser-Known Board Games

If you’re only used to the more traditional board games found in just about every household, then you may not have branched out. As an avid board gamer myself, I’ve got quite the collection in my apartment, and was very excited to find some 3D printed versions of some of my favorites.

Here are some lesser-known board games you can 3D print today to either branch out and play something new, or put a new spin on a game you already love to play.

Catan

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: johnny5rlx
• Price: Free

Probably the best-known of the lesser-known games is Catan. A somewhat divisive entry to the board game scene in 1995, many view it as being luck-based, though the majority will agree there’s still quite a bit of skill involved.

If you’re a fan of this German board game, you might want to try 3D printing your own set using the collaborative collection of every piece you’ll need found here. Keep in mind that this is no one-and-done printing project, as each individual part and addition to the game will need over 17 different STL files to get the game up and running, all of which are included in the link above.

This means it’s ideal for those of you looking to 3D print your own customizable Catan game as well as a long-haul build. This makes it great as a summer project, especially if you get your friends and/or loved ones involved to help put it all together.

For a more basic and easier project for 3D printing a Catan game, there’s also this hex print that acts as a piece holder. This is a perfect print to go for if your board has become worn, broken, or even lost and you need a good, personalized replacement.

Focus

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: tszawkalo
• Price: Free

Focus, otherwise known as Domination, is an old but still fairly underknown board game. It was introduced in 1964 and is played worldwide, but you’re not likely to find it in the average home.

This 3D printed version of this versatile strategy game is a simple and elegant print that comes with a storage box design and looks pretty good when stored neatly.

If you’re unsure of the rules of this game, or have never heard of it before, then that shouldn’t deter you. The files in the link above also include detailed instructions on how to play, including a PDF link you can send to your friends.

It can be played by two, three, or four players, and so is a good board game to have available for any occasion, whether you’re looking to kill some time or simply want to spend some quality time with friends.

If you’re looking for something new but don’t want a project as grand or long-term as Catan, then Focus might be the perfect 3D printed board game for you to try.

N-Edge

• Download: Printables
• Designer: Psuedopode
• Price: Free

Board games often require visual aids and keen observation to play. This means very few of them are accessible to blind people. While it is possible for people suffering from vision impairment to enjoy board games with the help of a carer or friend, there aren’t a lot of board games that can be enjoyed without at least one fully sighted person at the table.

N-Edge is a 3D printed board game intended to be fully playable by blind and vision-impaired players. As a tactile building game, it’s simple and easy to pick up and play for all ages, meaning even visually impaired children can feel included.

N-Edge can be seen as a stacking game, sort of like a competitive jigsaw puzzle. Each player takes turns to build small towers using one of the 4+ differently indented blocks. Sighted people can play too, though they must say out loud what they’re doing to make it fair on their opponent.

N-Edge is an easy board game to 3D print and understand, but don’t worry if you’re unfamiliar with them, because the rules are laid out well in the link above. If you or any of your friends or family are vision impaired and you’d like to make them feel more included, then N-Edge should be at the top of your list.

N-Edge is a fantastic example of how 3D prints can be created to be accessible to people of all abilities, creating a safe space for anyone with an interest in prints regardless of any handicapability they may have.

Santorini

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: brinkbeat
• Price: Free

Santorini is another strategy board game you can 3D print. While a light knock-off of the original game, this more minimalist version is a bit of a work in progress that’s great if you happen to have received the expansion as a gift but don’t own the original set (we’ve all been there, right?)

While not as involved or well-constructed as the store-bought version, 3D printing your own Santorini board game makes for a cute and fun addition to any collection. The design is also something of a fixer-upper, and is a good 3D printed board game project that you can tweak and improve.

3D Printed Board Game Inserts and Add-Ons

Pretty much every board game has pieces. These pieces are usually small and very easily lost, or maybe just don’t capture your gaming spirit as much as you want them to. Why use a button as a replacement when you can create your own new piece?

Whether you’ve lost these pieces, want a good insert or storage box to prevent losing them, or simply want to start playing with homemade and personalized miniatures, then here are some add-ons as 3D prints to make the gameplay more your own than ever.

Player Markers

• Download: Multiple
• Designer: Various
• Price: Variable

The point of using these miniatures as player markers is to help track your movements how you track progress on a standard dice game for two players or more. Monopoly, The Game of Life, and even simple games like Chutes and Ladders. Though they are most famous for their diversity in Monopoly, where everyone always fights over the battleship (who wants to be a thimble, right?)

The best thing about making your own player markers isn’t just the personalization, it’s also the complete creative freedom to edit and upgrade them all you want. Just about any 3D printed model will work as a game piece if scaled down. So you can simply select whichever file downloads you desire, make them small, and you’re ready to print!

This goes for just about anything from basic replacement pieces, Star Wars characters, or even small versions of yourself as 3D printed selfies!

As an honorable mention, I personally love these highly detailed King of Tokyo player marker designs to replace the simple cardboard ones that come with the game. Being a kaiju never felt more real. I personally prefer the Cthulu-inspired Kraken, but to each their own.

Organization and Storage

• Download: Printables
• Designer: Venris
• Price: Free

Pieces often get lost because they’re often quite haphazardly thrown into the box after use or are simply shaken around too much when put away. This could be due to the indignation of a sore loser but we won’t judge.

Fortunately, more efficient and easy-to-use storage boxes for your pieces are available as 3D prints. This isn’t just for simple games, either, as just about any board game has a box to keep each and every component where it should be.

Game organizers are a good thing to to have around, and are quite easy to find, edit, and print. Organizing your Chance cards and pieces is simple with the model set found here, which will work for just about any board game.

Can You 3D Print Board Games?

Yes. Not only can you create your own board games, you can also 3D print board game storage, dice and dice towers, and board game pieces for replacement, personalization, or creative additions and inserts, and other details to enhance gameplay found from online resources all over the net.

You can 3D print board games with either resin or FDM printers. FDM printers are better for making larger sets that need to be printed separately and joined together later. They’re also ideal for set pieces or any board game part that doesn’t need to be particularly detailed.

However, because resin printers are known for their superior resolution models, they’re generally better for printing individual pieces for things like tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons, as well as replacement pieces for games you already own.

Is It Hard to 3D Print Board Game Pieces?

Some board games are a little more complicated and require some intricate shapes and board types to work well as a functioning game, games like cribbage or travel chess that need pieces to be inserted must be measured and printed as accurately as possible.

To be sure, you’ll want to map out your design and double-check the measurements before you get going.

Ultimately, it’s up to you how you 3D print your own board games, pieces, and accessories, so don’t worry if you’re unsure. Just avoid rushing things and you should be fine.

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