I spend a good amount of money each year on board games. It is the hobby that gives me the most joy. But I see more and more posts about how board games now are too expensive. And there are a lot of reasons for that. We won’t go into it fully because of it is politics, but there are things that we are board gamers are saying and doing driving this too. So let’s talk about them instead. Because I think that there are things we can ask for less or to make games cheaper.

First Off Some Board Games History

Board Games have come a long ways in terms of what they can do and what they are. And that is the first spot we should look at in terms of why the board game hobby is becoming more expensive. Games these days just have more in them. When games that exists only had some cards, a board, and a few tokens or other pieces that is a whole lot easier. And even those pieces were the standard pawns.

A game like Monopoly was unique in that each player piece was unique. Or a game like Clue with all the weapons, those were different and unique elements. But most of the games just used standard plastic or wooden pawns. They paired that with a standard looking board that folded in half and a standard rectangular box.

Yes, exceptions to these rules did exist for board games. But for the most part every element that you got was very standard. And that keeps prices down. It was unique when the world was introduced to something that is standard now called meeples. And then other games added more pieces, but it wasn’t that many.

Component Growth

So that launches into the first thing has driven up the cost of board games. A lot of these games could still get by with mainly standard things. Things like basic card board tokens, meeples or pawns, and cards. But as gamers we have asked for and been given more. We want to have more and higher quality pieces. And when they don’t exist, we complain and we have created a whole secondary market around 3D printing and other things to replace pieces that we want to be nicer.

The great example of this is Quacks. There are now great tokens for Quacks. Instead of buying the game again, we spend as much on those tokens. Or maybe you didn’t do that but you got coin capsules for them.

And let’s not even start on minis in games. That is the biggest area where things keep getting more expensive. I love a good mini, but we are in a minis arms race of creating bigger and crazier and more and more detailed minis that we need in games. Games where it would have been a card board standee now have minis in the core box, or at least as an add-on. And the truth is, we generally want them.

The Replayability Lie

Are you ready for me to make a lot of board gamers very mad. Your board games already have enough replayability in the box. But it’s another demand that we as gamers make. The truth is, unless it’s our favorite game we aren’t going to play a game 50 times. Most games maybe get played once or twice a year. Are you really going to be playing that game still in 25 years, and if it takes 25 years, how many times are you going to rediscover the same strategies with that comes in the core box.

Plus games naturally have variability to them. One game that I really like that I shouldn’t have gotten the expansion for is Planet Unknown. There is so much variability in that box. Yes, after 10 times (not 100% sure on the number) I could have played every planet. But I won’t have played every plan with every corporation. Yes, that does mean that the replayability is good, but they still made more that people asked for and people spent money on that still.

Even games that come with a lot less, you need to play them a lot and play them often to feel like you need more. Let’s say Popcorn, for example, a game that I really love. What more do I need for that game in the core box than I already have. Now there isn’t an expansion for it, yet, but the game is great the way it is. And it’s always a fun and different puzzle to try and figure out with what you are given to play with.

Board Games as Collectors Items

The other thing is that we expect our board games to look great after those first 10 players, like they are brand new. I am not a crazy sleever of cards for board games. But how much are we spending on protecting card board, the answer is a lot. And this might be the same as components, but we’re driving up the cost by demanding of ourselves that we are getting that collectors edition of a game. We want the fancy train cars for Ticket to Ride, or we need the premium tokens for a game where the tokens just sit out there, but they might get some wear.

Yes, board games can be great focal pieces and interesting for a room or area of a house. But there was just a version of Lord of the Rings Confrontation that came out on it’s own table. Why? Why are we spending thousands of dollars on that. People do on fancy chess sets, but that was a rare thing before, now in board games we expect our games to be something that is a collectors item.

The Extras

I mentioned this in components, but I think that it is worth mentioning again. Let’s say that board games are matching inflation. And honestly, they might be lagging slightly behind. Just looking at Catan it is now notably cheaper, though the price has gone up, than it would be if you bought it originally.

But, we as gamers are making our board games more expensive. And we’re doing that with 3D printed bits, inserts, board game tables, game mats, and more that we are adding to our games ourselves. Things that the manufacturer of the game never even created for the game. Someone on Etsy or someone starting up their own company, they decided and created these items for the games themselves.

Board Games as a Luxury

And finally, let’s just say it as it is. Board games are a luxury item. I want board games because that is how I spend time with my friends. It is a great way to engage with people socially and have a reason to hangout. I find that it’s easier to talk over and enjoy than a lot of things that people do together.

But it is a luxury item. It is possible to just sit around a talk. I don’t know how many parents did that, and they didn’t always, they did play older party games too or classic games. But often they just sit around and talk. I want to be engaged more than that, mainly because I’m not big on small talk. But that is an option.

And this isn’t a board game only thing. People who go out to movies as a group often hate how expensive movies are. You go play a round of golf, that’s more expensive. You go to a brewery or a restaurant, that’s more expensive. This is true overall. It is just that we forget that board games are a luxury for us to have and that we don’t need them. My life would be more boring without them, but I don’t need them.

Which of These Do You Forget the Most?

I’m not going to play nice around this one. I’m not going to say that it’s okay and we should be frustrated with a political party or anything like that. We forget all of these things around board games from time to time. We see what someone else has and then we want that too.

I didn’t even mention it, the cult of the new. The need to chase that high of the next new and and cool thing to add to your collection. But I should have. Because it’s part of it too, it’s part of what we do to ourselves. And that is true with so many hobbies. That is just how this modern era of life works. And it’s on us as individuals to learn a few things.

Firstly, we need to learn to be happy with what we have and the way it is. I mentioned that I don’t often sleeve cards. The reason for that is that if a card gets damaged, that’s okay. It’s just a game. It’s a kids toy, though kids can’t learn the rules to them anymore, and it can be replaced.

Secondly, we need to understand reality. I didn’t go into the all the numbers before, but let’s mention it now. Today something that cost $50 in 2000 would cost $90+ based off of inflation. That sucks to hear. And it sucks that job pay doesn’t keep up with inflation the way that it should. But math is math and no amount of complaining will fix that.

So yes, it sucks, but in a lot of ways we are doing it to ourselves. And it is our job as consumers to figure out what we consume and not overdo it. But this is a downer, so soon, next week, we’ll be talking about more games and more fun things again. Because yes, it does suck, but there are so many games out there to keep playing even if you never buy a new one again.

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