Right now on Kickstarter there is an heirloom copy of Tsuro for sale. The deluxification on the game is impressive and completely out of control. And with shipping and the price, what is a pretty simple board game now costs a lot. And we’ve seen this with other board games before. It is meant to be an heirloom, but should companies be making them?

The Case Against

Deluxe board games are fun, we generally get that. However there is a point where they can become too deluxe. In the case of Tsuro, it is one you can find used for $10 that is not over $400 with shipping. And it is not a complex game with a lot of pieces they are just making it fancy. By creating a copy that is so deluxe, people will now see it and want it and buy it on Kickstarter. Then others will see it and feel like their regular copy is inferior and not play it as much.

Now, that one is on the gamer who decides that. But for others, it might be seen as a barrier for entering the hobby. A lot of people go all the way into a hobby and when you need to spend a large amount of money on a game, that makes it harder.

It also takes money away from smaller publishers. Right now on crowdfunding, whether it’s Kickstarter or Gamefound, it is tricky for the smaller publishers to gain traction. Now, a game that maybe didn’t need to be deluxe is taking large chunks of money. $400 is 4 smaller crowdfunding campaigns or a bit more for really small games. So in that way, it hurts the industry growth.

The Case For

On the flip side, the game looks amazing. The custom pieces, the hand carved and painted, the whole thing is gorgeous. So if you can afford it why shouldn’t you buy it. Regular Tsuro might be too bland looking for some people to try, but if you own a copy that looks like a heirloom chess set, now maybe more people will play it.

Plus, if you can afford the game, then you likely can still afford to back other crowdfunding campaigns. So it takes away less money from other campaigns than you might think. And it gives you something unique for your collection.

Also, sometimes a more deluxe version of game makes it easier to get to the table. There are a lot of games that have a bland look to them. Whether it’s poor artwork, components, or just a look that is all over the map. Some games are better to play when they look nicer. For example, I didn’t buy Terraforming Mars for a long time because it looks uninteresting from an aesthetic standpoint.

Final Thoughts on Deluxe Board Games

I don’t think there is right or wrong answer on this. It comes down to what someone can afford. I do think that companies can overdo it. Not every game needs an heirloom edition. I’d even argue that Tsuro doesn’t. There isn’t enough game to warrant it. It the same time an upgraded version of Gloomhaven which has tons of components probably doesn’t need it either because it’d get too large.

Certainly could do it for any game though. But full heirloom treatment often will be a bit much. But upgraded add-ons or a deluxe version with metal coins and screen printed meeples. Miniatures where they might not be needed that you can get if you want, like the Monsters for Tainted Grail. Those are all add-ons to games that give them that fancy feel. But it gives the consumer more choice.

A rare situation like this with Tsuro is fine. And like I’ve said, I don’t get it. For me Tsuro is an okay game that I’ve played enough times. It has no reason to be upgraded to the point that it costs more than ISS Vanguard did or almost as much, pre-shipping, as Marvel Zombies without Galactus. But if Tsuro is a game that you love and would love to have set out ready to show off like a chess set, this might be for you.

What is the most deluxe game that you own?

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