In today’s digital era where everything is transforming rapidly and everyone is looking to get their hands on the latest technologies, the board games’ industry has remained relatively the same despite the rise of technology and the changing preferences of the people. This may be due to the rising demand for leisure activities and the increasing need for face-to-face interactions, and so board games have now been considered the best alternative to digital games. In line with this, board game wholesale suppliers have come up with new and creative board games to keep players interested in the game for hours and entertained while playing.
In addition, players around the world also appreciated board game manufacturers as they helped players to spend time with their loved ones. All the reasons combined show why board game production is so relevant today and why board game manufacturers are regularly developing and introducing new games.
With over 20 years of history, MU Group has multiple board games factories in Asia. We help with board game design and production, some of the board games we manufacture are dominoes, checkers and Tic Tac Toe, but we also manufacture tabletop games and games for indoor and outdoor as well.
Selecting a board game manufacturer
There are plenty of board game manufacturers out there who have great reputations, so narrowing down to one can be challenging. But, here are some key criteria to help you compare and narrow down the large selection of manufacturers:
- Communication: Communication is key when it comes to manufacturing a great board game, if you are not able to communicate your needs and expectations clearly with the board game factory, or if the factory does not understand your needs, then that will become a serious issue later. Some considerations when communicating include:
1) Language: not everyone may speak your native language perfectly, so you will need to consider if your emails are being fully understood by the supplier, or if you clearly understand their responses.
2) Frequency: this means how fast do the board game supplier respond to your emails. Do you find yourself constantly needing to send follow up emails, or are things moving at a good pace?
3) Accuracy: when you ask questions, do the board game supplier respond back with the level of detail you need, or do you find yourself left with more questions?
- Cost and flexibility: There is more to choosing a board game factory that is cost-effective. When receiving a quote from them, it is important to consider how much details are they providing, am I just getting a total price, or can I see a price breakdown? If the price is higher than what I was expecting, will the supplier and how much will they help with brainstorming component changes. Do they recommend small changes to materials, sizes, or quantities that will help bring down the price? Also, is the overall price competitive when comparing with other board game manufacturers?
- Production capacity: You want to make sure that the board game factory can handle the volume of your order and meet your deadlines, so double checking can be helpful.
- Experience and reputation: Do a thorough research on the board game supplier beforehand as you want to work with a supplier that has a proven track record of producing high-quality board games. Another tip is to ask for referrals, you can request the names and contact information for a few other clients this manufacturer has worked with and ask them for their thoughts on the overall communication, quality, costs or any other factors that might concern you.
- Existing games: Measuring the quality of a factories production capabilities is hard, because even though you can receive some sample packs from them, these aren’t truly representative of final products available in a games store. One way to go about this is to ask about games the factory has produced, then to go to a store and purchase one to experience it.
At MU Group, we aim and guarantee quality and timely delivery, our factories are Walmart-certified, we provide free design services, wholesale, OEM and ODM services to meet our customers’ needs and expectations.
Contacting board game manufacturers
Once you have an idea about the board game manufacturers in the market, it can be helpful to make a short list of manufacturers that you think are worth considering. Then the next step will be to contact the manufacturers and get a quote for the components you need. It is recommended to contact one manufacturer at a time. That way, you can determine all the logistical details for each of your components and have this settled before reaching out to other manufacturers, which also saves everyone a lot of time.
When contacting a board game factory, it is essential to be clear about your specific requirements and ask any questions you may have. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Specifics components: Let the board game manufacturer know the name of your game, provide a list of components, their quantities, sizes for cards, boards, player mats, etc., and indicate the specific type of materials that will be used for each component (wood, plastic, etc.).
- Sample pictures: It can be helpful to share some sample pictures of your board game so that the supplier can get a better idea for what you are hoping to create.
- Quantity: Depending on the board game factory’s minimum order quantity (MOQ), make sure to also indicate the quantity they will be using for their per-unit price. It can be helpful to provide a range of quantities beforehand (500, 1000 copies or more depending on the needs of your company), as the successfulness of your board game campaign is still yet unknown.
- Digital and physical samples: There will be some back and forth with the board game manufacturer to determine ideal options and solutions, so asking for digital and physical samples can help to have things settled in a time-saving way.
- Payment policies: Understand the supplier’s payment terms during the board game production process, and be aware of any additional costs such as shipping and customs fees.
Most importantly, always ask questions if anything is unclear in the process and do your own research before making a decision. With the right board game wholesale supplier, you can create a high-quality board game that will foster engagement and loyalty among players for years to come.
Conclusion
With endless possibilities of the variety of board games available to players and a growing number of people with leisure spending power propelling the board game market, board games have become the best recreational activity in recent years.
With the continued rise in board game popularity, MU Group will continuously invest in research and development to improve our products and incorporate new features and designs to stay ahead of the competition!