Recent estimations project the global board game market to exceed $40bn by 2029. In 2023 alone, the market was valued at $21bn, with expectations of a double-down effect by the end of this decade. This trend is further confirmed by the creators we have worked with at LaunchBoom, who raised an average of $330K across 30 game launches on Kickstarter!
These numbers reveal an unparalleled opportunity for board game enthusiasts looking to take the roles of designers to develop and publish their own titles.
However, the creation process of this industry has evolved over time. Today, anyone designing a professional board game will eventually need to interact with technology to prototype and test gameplay or to create its physical components.
There is undoubtedly a vast array of board game development softwares that developers can use to design their games. Still, not all options are equally supportive or efficient for every task.
Key Takeaways
- Understand the benefits of using board game making software.
- Discover the top 10 software tools available in 2024.
- Learn how to choose the right software for your needs.
- Get tips on effectively using software to design your board game.
Contents
Why You Need Board Game Making Software
It is important to emphasize that using specialized board game development software should in no way hinder the brilliant creativity of creators. Instead, the purpose of these tools is to help board game designers in numerous ways, such as:
- Upholding visual industry standards: not all board game developers are graphic designers or illustrators, and not everyone releasing board games has prior experience collaborating with publishers. Fortunately, some software tools provide templates and formats required for printing and commercial production.
- Playtesting and iteration: finding testers and diversified groups of players can be quite hard. Software tools allowing board games to be uploaded online and tested digitally save creators a lot of time and facilitate the iteration process.
- Teamwork and collaborations: many platforms offer collaborative features for teams of board game developers. These tools enable designers and even playtesters to connect and work together regardless of their geographical location.
- Enforcing rules and mechanics: certain programs can help designers test the rules of their board game. Depending on the software, these tools can offer automated elements that simulate core gameplay aspects like character movements, object interactions, and much more.
In this guide, we have included ten examples of board game making software tools that any designer can use to prepare their projects for a successful launch.
Top 10 Board Game Making Software Tools in 2024
It can be tricky to define whether one program is utterly better than another. There are however some tools that are best at providing specific services to help board game designers in certain phases of their development process.
We have ranked below our top ten board game making software tools according to their features, ideal uses, advantages, and disadvantages.
1. Tabletop Simulator
Arguably, the “founding father” of this category of tools, Tabletop Simulator is mainly used to create and play board games online. Featuring a wide range of multiplayer capabilities, scripting support, and realistic physics, this software further allows for custom assets to be imported.
The primary advantage of Tabletop Simulator is the huge supporting community. Here you can find board game enthusiasts and developers who are knowledgeable about recent technological updates in the industry, such as virtual- and augmented reality. This enables creators to benefit from the high availability of remote game testers while gaining insight into how their board game mechanics would feel when played in a physical setting.
Unfortunately, the required purchase on Steam and the steep learning curve may cause new board game developers on a budget to reconsider whether it is worth investing time and money or seeking a more user-friendly free alternative.
Other simulators and board game development platforms that designers can use to upload and playtest their projects are Board Game Arena (BGA) and Tabletopia. Both platforms offer a wide range of tabletop games that can be played digitally. The main feature differentiating BGA from Tabletopia is that while the former operates on a freemium model, the latter provides free access to all players.
2. The Game Crafter
The Game Crafter works both as a maker space and marketplace, providing creators with tools to design artwork, upload rules, and sell their board games. This platform offers print-on-demand services to support developers in the manufacturing phase of their games. Furthermore, this is one of the few platforms with no minimum order size for game pieces and components, allowing board game creators to get their first concrete prototype without ordering copies in bulk. Another great feature offered by this tool is the possibility to render a 3D model of your board game box! This article briefly explains how you can do that for your project.
The Game Crafter is a flawless solution for everyone looking for an all-in-one space with easy-to-use interfaces and guaranteed support from the community. The only vulnerable point of this tool is the absent (or limited) availability of online design features. However, the platform offers rich documentation and multiple templates that every creator can download and edit using their own external design software.
Overall, The Game Crafter is ideal for anyone looking for a space to produce physical copies of their board games and sell them lately. The platform has been trusted by big names in the market like Jason Gloves, designer of Iron Helm, and Nathan Meunier, developer of Doom Machine.
3. Component Studio 2
If you are looking to design cards for your board game, you can either check our guide or look no further than Component Studio 2.
This web-based tool is a wonderful choice for designing game components, especially cards. It features an adaptive workspace to design templates in real-time, allowing users to seamlessly manage their board game’s visual components in one place.
Let’s say that you need to change the formatting of all your cards—Component Studio 2 will automatically apply the edits you do on one card to all your files.
This tool offers a wide range of fonts, drag-and-drop capabilities to edit and format text, and integrations with both Tabletop Simulator and The Game Crafter. The subscription-based pricing and the focus on components might repel some creators on a budget, but for board games heavily focused on cards, this tool is definitely one of the most efficient solutions to streamline the creation process and save a lot of time on editing.
4. NanDeck
We expect our next recommendation to appeal to board game designers who enjoy a tech-savvy style.
NanDeck is a free software tool used to create card and board game components. Trusted by successful board game designers like Phil Eklund (creator of High Frontier and Bios: Megafauna), this tool boasts high customization and a lot of freedom for image and text manipulation.
NanDeck is particularly useful for large projects and ideal for users comfortable with scripting. However, this last feature is also a drawback, as it requires users to either be familiar with the scripting language or face a steep learning curve to become proficient.
Nevertheless, the software provides a free library of tutorials to help users harness the power of scripting. Additionally, a Discord channel with over 800 members is available to support new users seeking answers and support.
5. Adobe Illustrator
Being probably one of the most professional vector graphic editors and a reliable solution for any detail-oriented designer of board games, we could not exclude Adobe Illustrator from this list.
This software offers endless availability for drawing tools, fonts, and templates. Featuring color management solutions and extensive layering capabilities, developers can unleash their creative freedom and optimize the look and layout of cards, boards, and tokens. Not surprisingly, we have listed this software as our top recommendation in our guides on how to design a board game map and how to create cards for a board game.
Unfortunately, Adobe Illustrator comes with high subscription costs and some expertise required, making this editor a viable choice almost only for trained designers.
6. Inkscape
Looking for a free vector graphics editor to create artwork for your board game? Then check out Inkscape.
This software features multiple pen/pencil- and calligraphy tools, object and text manipulation, extensions, and almost a hundred templates for different uses.
It would be almost impossible to expect as many functionalities as other paid alternatives, but the value Inkscape brings considering its open-source availability is pretty much impressive.
An active community and an array of both written and recorded tutorials make Inkscape a must-have tool for board game designers looking to create high-quality artwork while staying on a budget.
7. SketchUp
Who said that designing tabletop games should be a matter of only two dimensions?! 🎲
SketchUp is a 3D modeling software mainly used by board game creators to design components. Initially meant to help architects, this tool is especially useful for early work layouts or prototypes including structures without many details like boards, houses, or walls.
As mentioned before, SketchUp was not initially meant for tabletop game designers. This is why the pricey full accessibility and the limited functionalities for board game designers with an eye for details could encourage users to learn how to use more complex and free alternatives like Blender.
8. Autodesk Fusion 360
The ace up the sleeve for board game designers who need to print complex 3D components is Autodesk Fusion 360.
This modeling software features parametric design tools, high-quality 3D models, assembly notions, simulation extension, and material rendering. Autodesk Fusion 360 is by all means a powerful CAD software equipped with a cloud-based service and it is strongly integrated with 3D printing workflows.
Like other more technical tools we listed, this option comes with a steep learning curve for new users and onerous investments to access full functionalities. That being said, Autodesk Fusion 360 is free for home-based users looking for personal use only, which makes it ideal for creators designing a prototype for their board game with engineering-level precision.
9. GIMP
If Inkscape is the go-to free alternative to other vector graphic editors, then GIMP serves the same purpose for pixel-based design tools.
This open-source graphic tool is excellent for artwork editing and image composition. Board game designers use GIMP for a wide array of purposes, such as drawing character portraits, retouching card backgrounds, or conceptualizing board designs.
This tool offers a layer-based interface, allowing precise control over complex compositions with multiple elements. Like all raster-based graphic editors, GIMP is resolution-dependent. As a result, images lose quality when resized, making the software less suitable for projects involving symbols and logos.
Nevertheless, GIMP comes with plenty of customizable plugins and it supports multiple formats, making it a solid choice for board game designers looking for a simple way to prepare card designs or artwork for their rulebooks.
10. Vassal Engine
Boasting over 2600 playable tabletop games, Vassal Engine is the last big name on our list of board game making software tools.
Running since 2019, this game engine continues to be a staple for building and playing online adaptations of tabletop games. The long-standing presence of Vassal Engine is well-deserved, as it offers customizable module creation tools that are easily adaptable for online multiplayer gaming.
While the interface may give off the feel of outdated Windows versions, it’s important to remember that Vassal Engine is a free, open-source software with an active community of over 2000 members on Discord, an extensive user guide, an updated forum, and a resourceful wiki.
Overall, we recommend this game engine to designers focused on wargames and Eurogames who are seeking a remote way to playtest a digital version of their prototype.
How to Choose the Right Board Game Design Software
Choosing the right software is not an easy task as each designer has different needs, skill levels, and a certain budget. Here’s what you need to know before selecting any board game design software.
Define Your Project Requirements
Ask yourself; how detailed is what you are trying to achieve?
At this stage, every board game developer should consider the level of complexity they want to aim for in their current task. Let’s say that your rulebook is completed and you’re now focusing on designing your game components. Do you need to print simple 3D items or more detailed objects? If your answer is the former, tools like SketchUp may suffice; otherwise, consider using Autodesk Fusion 360 or Blender for greater precision.
If printing isn’t a concern, it might be because you’re planning to release your project in a digital format. This comes with some advantages, such as no manufacturing costs and wider accessibility for remote players. However, to take full advantage of these benefits, you’ll need to choose the right platform for publishing your game. We recommend Vassal Engine for digital titles. On the other hand, if you’re still working on a physical prototype but want to maximize playtesting hours, try Tabletop Simulator.
Ultimately, ask yourself; how much help will you need?
Collaboration and support from the online community of designers, testers, and reviewers vary depending on the software you choose. Check whether your tool has channels or existing queries on Discord, Facebook, and Reddit, or look for email addresses to reach out to.
Assess Your Skill Level
Strange as it might sound, not every board game designer needs to be a graphic designer.
Take Reiner Knizia, for example, the creator of titles like Lost Cities and Tigris & Euphrates. Reiner has developed hundreds of board games, becoming one of the greatest game designers of all time. Yet, he is a mathematician who prefers to focus on game mechanics, leaving the visual work to others.
While we don’t expect every indie board game developer to be like Reiner, it’s important to understand that you can bring your own unique skills to board game design. If you’re new to design tools and developing a game on your own, you’ll likely need software with a modern, intuitive interface—and you’ll need to invest some time in learning how to use it through user guides and tutorials.
When you feel confident enough in your abilities, you might opt for professional tools or open-source alternatives that require more advanced skills.
Budget Considerations
Although it is entirely possible to create a board game using only free software tools, most designers eventually choose to invest in certain programs.
If you need help deciding which software is worth the investment, we suggest you estimate first the features you’ll gain by purchasing that tool. Is your priority creating a super-realistic prototype of your game components? Or do you prefer a rich, responsive vector-based graphic editor? In short, define your priorities, then choose the software accordingly.
Next, consider your future as a board game designer. Do you see yourself developing more titles down the line? If so, it might be helpful to factor in the long-term costs of a subscription for ongoing use.
Community and Support
Few things are more frustrating than paying for a service and not receiving enough support to use it. Especially when you are just starting to approach new board game making software tools.
Before purchasing any program or membership, ensure that your software has an online community that is available and reachable for you to share doubts or questions. Finally, keep an eye on whether your chosen software is consistently updated and maintained.
Tips for Designing Your Board Game Using Software
So far we listed some programs and requirements we recommend you consider when designing your board game. Now, here are some tips to make the most out of the software you choose.
Start with a Clear Concept
Start by defining the rules, objectives, and conditions of the gameplay. This part requires you to outline your core mechanics even before starting with your design. If you are new to board game design, we suggest you check our guide on how to make tabletop RPG systems.
The visual style of your game should match its theme. Unless you have a specific reason to do so, you don’t want to use artwork and colors conflicting with the overall feel of the game.
For instance, a horror-themed board game with joyful and colorful illustrations will most likely make players ask for some explanations.
Utilize Templates and Assets
Check for available pre-built resources. Most design tools provide graphic templates that can be used for game components like cards or tokens. These resources build great foundations for you to unleash your personal touch and customize stand-out designs.
Test Early and Often
Once your prototype has been designed and printed (or uploaded on a digital platform), start playtesting it. This phase might appear repetitive but it’s exactly what will hone your board game by identifying flaws and points of improvement.
N.B.! Iterative testing has been crucial to creating all the best board games on the market. Attracting a diversified range of playtesters can be hard so start by gathering your friends, family members, or other game designers to get valuable feedback.
Keep Learning and Experimenting
Last but not least—be brave enough to keep learning and experimenting.
Designing board games is like science; it requires attempts, tweaks, and unconventional approaches before succeeding.
Don’t be afraid to push boundaries by embracing new mechanics, unique components, and bold illustrations. Your eagerness to explore ideas and take risks will give you enough freedom to create something never seen before.
Bringing Your Board Game to Market with LaunchBoom
A smooth design process is necessary yet insufficient to launch a successful board game.
After helping many designers enter the market, we’ve understood the harsh truth of board game development: even if your product has incredible artwork and countless hours of playtesting, it still won’t guarantee a successful launch.
This is why, at LaunchBoom, we are confident that following these steps will increase your chances of success.
Preparing for Production
First, find a manufacturer. In our guide on how to get a board game manufactured, we drive creators through this tricky process which can cost endless time and resources if not managed correctly.
As a rule of thumb, proceed with manufacturing your game components only when your design has been upgraded following the feedback received during your testing and iteration phase.
Crafting a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign
Knowing how to crowdfund your board game is, today more than ever, the deciding factor for a successful product.
We often see designers failing to share their board games’ visual assets effectively, thereby missing opportunities to enhance the perceived value for potential backers.
What’s the lesson to learn here?
Share the visual elements you’ve designed on social media or through email marketing campaigns to build an audience interested in funding your board game.
Leveraging LaunchBoom’s Expertise
When it comes to crowdfunding, board game designers are often walking on eggshells. The competition from other indie developers can represent an overwhelming hindrance and it would be wild to expect every great creator to be also a great marketer.
This is where LaunchBoom plays a key role.
We know exactly how it feels to put sweat and tears into creating something that is appreciated by other players. This is why, for the past ten years, we have studied and applied all the methods to help board game designers overcome the fear of failure and launch their board games successfully.
Some of the board games and Kickstarters we’ve helped fund include:
- Deep Regrets, raising £637,077.
- One-Hit Heroes, a co-op card game that raised CA$ 296,467.
- Peaks, which raised $198,354.
We believe every board game designer has the potential to create a masterpiece. So, if you’re planning to get support in launching your board game, we would love to help you achieve your dream.
Board Game Making Software: Frequently Asked Questions
What Tools Do You Need to Make a Board Game?
It depends on what stage of the board game making process you are in. For prototyping and playtesting, use Tabletop Simulator which is helpful for simulating gameplay and gathering feedback. To design physical components like cards or boards use tools such as Adobe Illustrator, Component Studio 2, and GIMP depending on your budget. For 3D game elements, go for programs like SketchUp and Autodesk Fusion 360. Finally, The Game Crafter supports indie developers with print-on-demand services for manufacturing and selling games. In case you are designing a fully digital board game, use Vassal Engine.
How Do I Design My Own Board Game?
Start by developing the foundation of your game, the core mechanics, rules, and players’ objectives. Next, design your game components, cards, boards, and your rulebook. Create a prototype and test it on platforms like Tabletop Simulator. Collect feedback from testing your board game, iterate on the design, and improve both the rule set and the aesthetic of your components. Ultimately, find a manufacturer.
How to Make a Board Game for PC?
If you are designing digital board games, follow the same steps as for designing a physical product. However, use software like Vassal Engine to build your prototype and iterate with remote playtesters. Always strive for an excellent interface and ensure compatibility with PC controls to eventually publish on popular platforms like Steam.
Final Thoughts
Today you learned that designing a board game requires the right blend of software tools to handle each right task. From graphics to playtesting and programs for both 2D and 3D components—there are countless options available for developers out there.
Hold on with that pen tool though!
Before diving in, assess your project needs, your skill levels, and your budget. Many software tools offer templates and assets that provide a strong foundation to experiment with bold, new ideas and create a standout game.
Lastly, remember the importance of seeking guidance for marketing your project. The indie board game industry can be challenging for new designers, this is why we encourage you to reach out to us for assistance. We’d love to hear what’s on your mind!
