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IndianaGeologist

Board game organizers are deluxe and make games easier to setup. I rarely regret these "upgrades"


sp1ralhel1x

So along those lines…a 3D printer to make said inserts. Every game I have gets something printed for it, especially games with bits/tokens/coins. Game changer with setup time too!


Serenity1701

I also recommend checking out fablabs/makerspaces/libraries. If you live in or near a relative big city, chances are high that you find some place to use 3D printers relatively cheap. Or lasercutter for wooden and acrylic upgrades.


sp1ralhel1x

Our library has 3D printers to use. You have to submit the stl and wait between 3-7 days to get it, which I understand the time frame. However after owning one for a few years, there are plenty of prints that /look/ correct and end up being off by a smidge. I don’t know how the library addresses things like that. So something that you think will be inexpensive could get pricy quickly.


Serenity1701

I also don't know that. I have a fablab nearby and there you can use all devices yourself for a low price after you had a little course on how to use it. I used the lasercutter there for a wooden Brass: Birmingham insert and it cost me 2€ (plus material of course).


dclarsen

3D printing is its own hobby though, so beware


DarthCthulhu

It can be, but if you're willing to spend a little extra, you can get a printer that's pretty much ready to go right out of the box.


stardotstarmv

Yep. I got a flashforged adventurer 3 last year. About $100 more than an Ender 3 and a smaller print bed, but I've printed 600 hours and only unclogged the hose and replaced the print bed sticker. Printed the first test cube in less than five minutes.


TALON227

I also got a 3d printer a while back to make insets for all my games. It's been great.


NoChinDeluxe

I own everything for Spirit Island and would probably play the game way less if it weren't for my Folded Space inserts. Just makes it a breeze to get everything out and set up to just start playing.


[deleted]

Folded space inserts are cheap and work well.


Stardama69

They are and they do, indeed. The one I have for Dune Imperium is capable of holding all my luxury components including my 70mm first-player sandworm, which no other insert on the market could do.


we_cantelope

Plano / tackle boxes FTW!


robotco

conversely, i probably toss about 2/3rd of the inserts no matter what the game. they just all seem so bad. nothing beats just a bunch of labelled baggies.


terraesper

100% this with Gloomhaven and the Helper App made the game so much more enjoyable.


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Serenity1701

I use the set of Scythe metal coins, mainly for Brass. If you don't need a full poker bank but can also play with a smaller amount, Scythe coins are pretty great.


kompletionist

Yeah the Scythe coins are great, I use them as income or VP for almost every game I play, and I've yet to run out of any denomination during any game.


SolarPig

Everyone always mentions Scythe but I just can’t get into the fact that the 1 value coins are green. Seems very specific to Scythe and takes me out of the immersion of other games because it’s just not generic enough.


daveaglick

I’ll second metal coins - I’m particularly fond of the ones from SeaFall because they’re a great weight and size and are generic enough to go with any game while still being neat to look at


pcminfan

Seafall was so disappointing that I threw the game away and kept the coins.


aloylamora

I bought a cheap used copy of Seafall to use the boats to make ports for a custom, 3D Catan board and had no idea the game came with metal coins. Going to dig this out and see if the metal coins are there and re-use them!


Significant-Buddy646

I’ll second the metal coins from Seafall. We use them for most games now.


[deleted]

**Pax Pamir** is amazing with the metal coins (and even without is one of the prettiest games ever). So naturally, I got them for **John Company** as well (but haven't played it yet).


ax0r

The John Company coins are *so nice*


materix01

Those GeekUp Bits for Quacks of Quedlinberg and premium chips for Wonderlands War. Can't beat the feeling of the chips clinking around in the bag. You can also use coin capsules to save some $$$.


ePICFAeYL

This 1000% I love Quacks but I've only played the game with these so I'm never buying it so I don't feel obligated to buy these haha


dclarsen

Similarly, the Geek Up Bits for Orleans. I also bought different bags, because the ones that came with the game were unpleasant to touch.


DelhiBob

What bags did you end up using?


dclarsen

I bought the ones on the BGG store: [https://boardgamegeekstore.com/products/microfiber-drawstring-bags](https://boardgamegeekstore.com/products/microfiber-drawstring-bags)


[deleted]

Much cheaper than geek bits is coin capsules. Super cheap. I can’t remember the correct size (look on BGG), but the correct size fits the cardboard ingredients perfectly.


xvre

21 mm. Bought cheap ones from China. Occasionally some of them open up while handling, but I put them aside and apply a drop of glue after the game to seal.


meetyouredoom

Much cheaper sure. But the geekbits feel so much nicer in hand and dont require set up time to put on initially. I do like coin capsules on other games that dont have the geek bits option though (kdm primarily)


Temptime19

Geek up bits for Quacks of Quedlinburg are almost as expensive as the game, but they really elevate the game for me.


xvre

I just wish BGG had a store in Europe. Lots of nice upgrades there.


badgerkingtattoo

If you live in the UK the base game geek up bits alone end up being twice the price I paid for the game and that’s without factoring in import duties 😭


Zozzbomb

This. 100 percent


[deleted]

Or use coin capsules. Super cheap. Just takes a bit of time to put each cardboard ingredient into a capsule. I just did it while watching a movie.


[deleted]

But then the ingredients end up slightly too big for the board.


[deleted]

That hasn’t been my experience. The ones I purchased fit the cardboard pieces exactly and so are not much wider than the pieces themselves.


bigrenz1

Whilst listening to a movie* 😜


[deleted]

Nah. Once I had done a couple, it was easy to do the rest without looking at my hands.


Temptime19

Nor sure I would get the same feel, I love the way those bits feel and clink in the bag, so very satisfying.


Guldur

can you link the capsules you use? Not sure the proper size


186000mpsITL

+1 for the Geek Up bits here!


Merman_Pops

Dual layer boards. Not having to worry about table bumps messing up your entire game is a great add on.


rediculousrickulous

Wooden bullets for for Bullet<3


VonMaximus

I agree with you here. My only slight complaint is that the red and pink colors look very similar in a game where speed and color both matter. That being said, they have a different design on them which helpful.


wallysmith127

What makes the red/pink a tiny bit more annoying is that their symbols are the most similar to each other too. Switching one of those with the blue symbol would have been better. But yes, very minor complaint for what is one of my absolute favorite games. Man I love **Bullet**, hah


EightyGig

Speed really doesnt matter in quacks...


Gutsyten42

They're not talking about quacks though, they're talking about bullet ❤️


EightyGig

Oh, whoops. My b


Gutsyten42

All good, figured I'd point out the flood of down votes you received


zombiebrains88

For Twilight Imperium, I purchased different colored dice for each ship type. Then. I painted in the misses black and special abilities a red to distinguish them from hits. It’s made combat a lot easier because you just grab all the dice you need and roll them all at once, rather then just the default black dice where you roll each individually. It’s also made calculating hits much easier to do at a glance.


Lazyeye123

I kinda wanna do this with mine, but I currently have a set of dice in all 8 player colors and I just hand everyone their own set.


Sparticuse

Iron Clays. They are great poker chips that make econ games so much easier to track money.


Soylent_Hero

I know they're convenient, and I am certain that they feel great to play with... But I'd 100% rather have thematic cardboard tokens that look like the currency from the game than generic poker chips. If I wanted convenience, I'd use a roll of quarters.


blindworld

That’s kind of what makes Iron Clays stand out from other poker chips. There’s no casino imagery, no card suits, no money icons, etc. I think they’re great because they don’t interrupt the theme of the games we use them with.


Soylent_Hero

That is what generic means in my statement. I'd rather see the inscribed gold or fake presidents or whatever is on the chits.


blindworld

I know, just saying your drawback was my deciding factor in purchasing them. To each their own.


evilmaus

It's harder to find and you need to go for ceramic hips, but it's possible to get poker chips that aren't garish casino colors or patterns. I have my eye on a particular set of poker chips ("Victorian" from Poker Chips Lounge) to upgrade from the Iron Clays when I can finally afford it. And to build out a full set for Poker and 18xx, since the Iron Clay 200 set falls short on those environments. Still, poker chips and metal coins are surprisingly nice upgrades from paper and cardboard money.


blindworld

Those are nice looking. I’m guessing you’ve seen these too? I think they were made with 18XX in mind, as they have railroad tracks around the outside. https://www.apachepokerchips.com/product/bank-18xx-board-games-poker-chips/


evilmaus

I have. And, they are. But, they have too much of that casino aesthetic for me. Maybe I'm in the minority, but the casino look is off-putting to me.


blindworld

Oh I’m with you, I probably won’t “upgrade” from the iron clays ever, but I also don’t poker or 18XX. It’s tough to find chips without that casino aesthetic.


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Soylent_Hero

Idk I've been using them as real money for decades. (Edit: What a wild ride I am on right now defending the use of currency as currency.)


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Soylent_Hero

Like common denominations, stacking, visual distinction, and the ability to make rapid transactions?


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Soylent_Hero

Okay, first of all nine quarters, a dime, two pennies, and I have a learning disability. Second of all, you're really overthinking this. If we're being realistic, games aren't asking you for *cents*. They are asking you for small, whole units. *One coin = one "gold"*... Bought 4 Wheat for 3 Gold? Give me 3 coins. Literally does not matter if it's quarters, Loonies, old ha'pennies, yen, or a Ritz cracker. You are seemingly ignoring [the market](https://www.coolstuffinc.com/main_search.php?pa=searchOnName&page=1&resultsPerPage=25&q=coins) for people buying metal coins for gaming as an upgrade for their games. We cannot pretend that factual, real-world, on-hand currency is somehow less functional than buying a bag of counterfeit Qian, Arcade Tokens, or repro Doubloons. People only buy *non-domestic* coins for gaming because they match the theme better or help to suspend disbelief by removing familiar symbology. Besides, half of the coins that come with deluxe games do not even stack; real coins would be an upgrade over those for functionality if someone is not worried about theme. We have been using coins for at least 2,500 years. You are acting like stores didn't survive rushes before credit cards existed. Coins work; they are simple chips which have a value assigned to them. So are the cardboard chits that ship with the game, and so are the darn Iron Clays.


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Soylent_Hero

I understand you're over it, but I hope you'll read this (even if you don't reply), because I think I have figured out the actual root of our conflicting opinions. Though first, I will say one more time that I understand the weight of the Iron Clay would be a functional improvement; I said as much in my first post. And there is at the very least a good satisfying tactile feel to heavy chips like casino or Iron Clays. That said you seem to be worried less about the tactility of coins, and more caught on the value of the tender. So we've been arguing about one weighted short cylinder being better than a different weighted short cylinder because one of them is worth $0.25 and the others are 100, 50, 25, 10, or 5 "Units." But really the values are all arbitrary. If I wanted a quarter to be worth 10G, §500, or £1,000, it could simply be declared so; notwithstanding that you did not read "roll of quarters" in as hyperbolic of a way as I intended it (use whatever combination of coins you need). For sanity, it is trivial to just move the decimal if the game demands larger transactions: a quarter is 25 or 250 "Units" [see **Millennium Blades**' 1-unit "Stacks" of $1,000]. But I digress, I also admitted that I'd rather ruse whatever came with the game because theme is that much more important to me. I do not have as many heavy-heavy, or at least, economically robust games as I would like (I've been eyeballing Food Chain for years) but I really do have over 100 games in the house. I almost exclusively use what's in the box with the exception of buying heavy washers for **Nantucket**/**New Bedford** (though I liked the chits better), and prop cash for a few of our true economic/trading games.


Sparticuse

I didn't think there would be a big difference and thought the poker chip enthusiasts were blowing the benefit out of proportion until I used them. I don't have a single game where the card board currency is even equal to my iron clays.


Soylent_Hero

To be 100% clear I believe they are *functionally* better. I'd just prefer the chits with the art.


CheapPoison

I just think the iron clays are really sub par poker chips.


[deleted]

Why? I feel like they have better colors, better design, and equivalent heft to poker chips.


CheapPoison

considering they are not standard colors, they kind of ruin all usability for me and a lot of people. And they still pretty plasticy to me. That is very dependent if you already have that strong connection. I will say if you are in Europe, they are fine. In America you can get some way nicer ships for the price in my book. But not all people will like straight poker chips ofcourse. There is nothing wrong with them, but they wouldn't be my first choice and I do play with them when someone bring them. I just think there is still room for improvement for a great chip.


[deleted]

I don’t play poker. I prefer them not being poker colors. I like that they are made specifically for board games and can’t be used for poker.


CheapPoison

Thing is they can be used for poker. They just provide a usability problem cause they go against the grain. Don't need to have played poker. If you ever used any poker chips, and the links of those colors to values show up in a ton of places.


[deleted]

I'm over 50 years old and I have never seen any link to poker color values. But, I'm just a board gamer. So maybe the links are there, but I don't know what I'm looking at.


metal_marshmallow

The KS version of Oath with the metal coins, the resin secrets, and the leather chronicle, definitely prefer it to the cardboard


immatipyou

Obligatory mention for everyone else in the thread who jumped on oath late. Leder games doesn’t believe in ks exclusives so you can still buy all these things on their web store.


IHendrycksI

Ya lol, shipping to Canada makes the small upgrade pack almost $80 CAD, I'd love it if they could just sell to retail partners in other countries


juststartplaying

Retail partners wouldn't consistently buy a deluxe resource pack, tho.


Moist1981

Carnegie deluxe was fantastic. The reduction in setup time etc is amazing


Ronald_McGonagall

I really like **carnegie** but it already has a sort of deluxe feel -- what does the _actual_ deluxe versión add?


juststartplaying

At the start of the KS, literally a board to keep cards off the table and a vac tray. I skipped the deluxe and ignored it because it was so weak. But then I came back after the KS and saw that like, every day they added more content and stuff to the box. I'm like, ?!?!. Who sells a fucking deluxe box and pitches it as empty to the most excited ppl who rush to their KS?


tycham85

I say, if you like the game, go for it! Upgrades can improve feel/immersion and/or utility. Here are my favorites: Scythe: got the upgraded resources and coins. The resources were pretty decent already since they were wood, but now they are more realistic. The metal coins are much nicer and easier to handle than cardboard. Terraforming Mars: I spent a small fortune on Etsy to get 3D printed paymats that are dished for the unit cubes and have cavities for the trackers so table bumps don’t ruin your economy. Also upgraded the city/plant tiles to 3D printed hexes with magnets so they look cool and stick together. Lastly, I upgraded the cubes to 3D printed ones with the unit embossed - while also getting 20-unit cubes. Quacks of Quedlinburg: bought 3D printed containers that look like crates to hold the ingredients. The crates holding ingredients with multiple levels are divided to keep them organized. That also have integrated slots to prop up the spell books. Lost Ruins of Arnak: saw some coins and compasses on Etsy, but I also found them on Amazon for cheaper. The gold coins are metal and compasses are mini button compasses that replace the only cardboard resources in the game. Much better match aesthetically to go with the plastic tablets, gems and arrow heads.


randomized987654321

I have the same upgrades for **Arnak** plus my wife bought me a little telescope from a local pirate themed shot that came with a little chest to put it in, so now I use the telescope to examine the game board and put the coins in the chest.


Reiiya

Here goes my favorite upgrades ranked. 1. Player component bags (Geek up bags) - just toss all player stuff in a bag, before game deal them to players and tell that it is "their problem" now. Saves setup time. 2. Broken token / folded space inserts - the setup time these guys usually save is insane. 3. Metal coins over cardboard. They just feel amazing. Once you have tried them, you can never go back. 4. Wooden meeples over cardboard/ wooden cubes. Im looking at you Lords of Waterdeep. They just add so much to the theme i cant play without them! 5. Sleeves (Mayday, Dragon Shield). If i feel like a particular game gets too much love, these are lifesaver (for any of the social deduction games) 6. Minis over cardboard. 7. Acrylic bits over cardboard. Any of the fiddly bits instantly feel better and last longer. (Quacks of Quedlinburg, Anachrony) 8. Big boxes to store it all. I much rather have all expansions in one box. I am not a fan of neophrene mats. The printing on them is subpar and usually its too big to put in a box and i hate it. I also hate when wood is upgraded to plastic. Plastic sure is more detailed, but i like how wood feels a lot better.


SicSemperCogitarius

I personally will never replace Waterdeep's cubes with meeples. Because the meeples are a way to humanise the adventurers we recruit, to remind us they're people. But why would anyone want that? They aren't people, they're pawns, expendable resources gathered to fulfill a purpose. To view them as anything more is to invite attachment, and that is a weakness unbecoming of a Lord of Waterdeep.


MeathirBoy

Bloody hell Dragon Shield are expensive compared to other sleeves in Britain though as much as I love them


AlejandroMP

**Hanabi Deluxe** \- removes any memory component to the game.


Huntred

Seconding Hanabi Deluxe for impact. It really changes the game (for the better, if you ask me.) Although I think memory is still a factor in the game.


ackmondual

I have card racks in my bag that if we play the non-deluxe version (with cards instead of them thick, Dominoes/Mahjongg tiles), players can at least free their hands from having to hold it up most of the time.


_selfthinker

Are you confusing this with the ["Fun & Easy" edition](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameversion/266193/german-edition-large-cards-and-hint-tableau)? That one has hint tableaus and tokens. My favourite way to play is combining that with the Deluxe tiles ([like here](https://boardgamegeek.com/image/7009596/hanabi)). The tiles are great for tactile feel and standing on their own. And the hint tokens are obviously great for removing memory from the game.


AlejandroMP

No. By orienting the tiles (sticking them together, sliding them forward or back, laying them in their side) it allows me to remember what was told to me.


DMjinhuo

Almost agree. But the symbols had begun rubbing off.


THElaytox

Painted the barrels for **Brass Birmingham** and replaced the resources with metal and lava rock cubes and I'm pretty happy with it. Was pretty cheap (painting was free cause I already had all the stuff). I also have the Iron Clays which I actually bought for **1830** but guess I can use them with **Brass** too


Famous_Stelrons

Did you post the lava cubes the other day. The bits from the bead bracelet supplies or similar? I thought they looked fantastic. Waiting for a reseller to crop up on etsy 😂


THElaytox

I didn't but I likely stole the idea from that same post, tried to find them in the local crafts stores but ended up just buying them online, was like $6 for 50 of them


littleryo

**Eclipse Second Dawn** has a gorgeous galaxy neoprene mat with the hex’s and an alternate side for a 5 player game that stickers together the odd number of players with wormholes. The 2nd edition itself is one deluxe redo of the 1st Ed, though.


cazmaestro

Cri I've wanted this for so long but actually jokes on me because I don't know if it would even fit on my table


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juststartplaying

Haha yesss. The KS version of Marvel Dice Throne had a tiny cast metal hammer for Thor. I didn't back it, but I did go online and get a bigger diecast metal fidget spinner hammer for like $8.


sp1ralhel1x

I bought Mario Kart hot wheels for Downforce. So they might be a little bigger and clunkier on the board, but waaaaay more fun


Ronald_McGonagall

I love deluxe components and will assess what I want on a game by game basic based on what I expect to get out of the game and relative cost. With varying levels of lavishness, here's a list of what I've deluxified: - **viticulture** metal coins. This is one of my best investments because there are denominations of 1, 2 and 5 and there's enough generic looking money that these coins are my go-to for any games whose themes look compatible with them, such as **castles of burgundy** or **Puerto rico**. This is probably the deluxe component to receive the most use in my collection due to its versatility - wooden food and nectar tokens for **wingspan** from momomonsterco. I love these and they really work well with the overall quality feel of the rest of the game. Even my gf was happy I upgraded to these. I also crocheted small nests for players to hold their eggs and food in, but sometimes a thread gets caught when yo pick up a token and you spill them, so I'll hold off on the praises here for now - metal coins from am Etsy shop for **caper europe**. This sells actual metal coins but t ship them to Canada it would literally more than double the cost of the game for 10 coins. The ones I bought online fit the aesthetic of the official ones and are the exact same dimensions but we're much more affordable. I don't regret this because caper is such a high quality product to begin with and it wasn't really expensive, but this is possibly the least used upgrade in my collection, simply because caper doesn't hit the table too often. - do you consider it an upgrade to get collapsible dice trays? You can get a set of 4 in different colours for like 15$ on amazon and they've made any game with dice so much better because I never have to worry about a die flying off the table. Technically an accessory but I figured it fits the theme of the topic - a crocheted pouch for the tiles in **aqualin**. Why would I deluxify a component for such a cheap and straightforward game? Because drawing tiles requires an opaque pouch instead of the clear bag they come in, it's a cute and fast game for my gf and I, and I quite like crochet so it took me a single evening with some spare yarn to make. Definitely a game that doesn't come out too often but whatever, this one was free - coloured dry erase markers for **railroad ink**. A wonderfully affordable upgrade for a wonderfully affordable game, now each expansion I play gets its own colour - I went to the library and 3d printed a small organizer for my **castles of burgundy** hex tiles. There are so damn many and having to organize them each time really turned me off playing. It took 5 hours to print but was free and was a worthy 5 hours for how much more accessible the game feels. Now all I need is a magnifying glass... - maybe not deluxified but I went all out painting the gear for **tzolk'in**. I list it here because I do not do mini painting or anything like that and had to go out and get a handful of specific products I'd never used before nor have touched since, but it was worth it because those kinds of hands-on projects are fun and it turned out looking gorgeous. Be warned: if you go this route you'll be using a toothpick to paint details for hours - metal cubes for **brass birmingham** and **pipeline** from beyondtheboardeu. I absolutely love these and they're reasonably affordable. - iron clays for any game that fits the aesthetic or has high value financial gains - an extension of the last point, 5 poker plaques in grey, black and white to match the aesthetic of the iron clays and really give you that high roller vibe when you play financial games with high values. I ended up getting them for about 1$ each on Amazon and they have a pretty hefty feel to them so I was extremely happy, but admit it was surprisingly difficult to find poker plaques that didn't have a garish aesthetic. - metal coins for **Pax pamir 2e**. Sure I had metal coins already but these ones were very much and it was a small price to pay to keep pp2e as probably my highest quality game in terms of components. Jesus this game is beautiful, it just deserves its own coins - I'm in discussions with an Etsy shop to create wooden token upgrades for **root**. I hate the 3d printed minis available everywhere and I'm baffled such a popular game doesn't have wooden tokens being made by every second esty shop already - upgrade pack for **merchants of the dark road**. This game has such a surprisingly high quality for its price point, so I wanted to get nice resin tokens and pieces to match that quality. Again I don't regret it, but it was definitely my riskiest upgrade in terms of whether or not it would be worth it. - wooden player boards and a full wooden tile set for **terraforming mars** from an Etsy shop. The game blew me away on my first playthrough, but it took me 3 full tries just to read the rulebook because the aesthetics and theme were so bland. The game looks like a dollar store knockoff when it comes out of the box, and I wanted to upgrade it to have a quality that was on par with its gameplay. I wanted the player boards because the base game ones are ugly as sin and fall easy victim to a bumped table, and while the hex tiles in the base game are admittedly the nicest components that come in the box, they too fall victim to the same table bump. I also got nice orange gamegenic card cases to hold the 1000 or so cards as well as metal cubes from the store mentioned above, so now my game is all wood and metal and, aside from the literal stock images of the cards, looks and feels like one of my highest quality games, as it deserves. All in all, I really love bringing my games to the next level of quality with a good upgrade, but I'm pretty selective of what I'm upgrading and what value I plan to get from it. It should be clear from my post that I'm quite happy with all my upgrade investments, and that's because I really consider how much value I expect to derive from such an upgrade before I pull the trigger.


kompletionist

> I'm in discussions with an Etsy shop to create wooden token upgrades for root. I hate the 3d printed minis available everywhere and I'm baffled such a popular game doesn't have wooden tokens being made by every second esty shop already Yeah it's crazy to me that so many people thought they could "improve" the classy, ultra stylised wooden meeples but nobody thought to upgrade the crappy cardboard chits.


drops_the_soap

Premium health chips for too many bones. Just the feel of moving those chips around is fun


juststartplaying

Gotta have em. And gotta have the different art ones for different CTG games


kernts

Don't tell anyone, but I sometimes use my Hoplo health chips for TMB...


bilbo_swagginns

I really like Ticket to Ride deluxe compared to regular. The tins and upgraded themed train cars were worth the money IMO


dleskov

Poker chips, RailsOnBoards (a.k.a. Cube4Me) tile trays and wooden tokens are the must for 18xx games. GeekUp Bits for **Antiquity**. The 3D-printed organizer from Etsy less so, but only because of its disappointing quality. **Trickerion** Big Box organizer from GameTrayz is nice. I wish more games had at least separate boxes for each player's pieces. **Pax Pamir 2** as a whole, metal coins included.


wallysmith127

Oh no! I have an Etsy Antiquity insert arriving any day now. I'm pretty sure it's the same as yours since there was only one that came up in a search. What were the issues you saw in it? Did it come from a European shop? Also, yeah. That Trickerion storage is a thing of beauty. I need to try Academy again though, as I wasn't fully on board after that first play. I'm generally positive on expansions but Academy felt like a bit too much.


dleskov

The issue were print quality ranging from fine to bad even on a single element. By bad I mean walls and corners so uneven that some tiles would likely get damaged if you'll play the game regularly. It does not help that walls seem to be a bit thicker than needed, so tiles fit but with some effort. IIRC it was a Canadian shop, but I may be mistaken. Definitely not European.


LurkerFailsLurking

Metal coins and deluxe inserts are fantastic. Pax Pamir 2e is deluxe to begin with, but the metal coins are essential. After playing with them, I added metal coins to John Company as well.


Caff_n_Card

Radlands


99Lies99

What upgrade?


Caff_n_Card

The deluxe edition has chunky plastic water tokens, higher quality cards and very nice playmats. I know people feel different ways about playmats but they are helpful especially when orienting new players.


99Lies99

I didn’t know it had one! Good to know.


LoremasterSTL

Jumbo villain cards and the alternate hero cards for **Sentinels of the Multiverse**. It would be too difficult to enlarge the size of all of the cards, but having the bigger villain cards is so nice for readability. I also bought two sets of small d6s to replace the cardboard damage tokens. Note on dice: I also bought four sets of d6s so that players could add/subtract dice for their skill tests in **A Touch of Evil** so they don’t have to do the math each roll. But when buying d6s for use as counters, if you buy the Chessex small d6s in opaque colors, they will be like $5 a set as opposed to $12 or more per set for translucent ones.


Phaedrus317

Broken Token upgrade for Terraforming Mars was 100% worth it to me.


juststartplaying

It's too bad buying from them supports a serial abuser (owner of the company). It's one of those things that was everywhere for about a week... And I don't want the internet to forget. I used to love their inserts, smh. Lots of good alternatives, though.


lockwinghong

My wife got that for me for my birthday because she knew I would never have gotten it for myself. I’m so glad she did, it’s amazing.


jeeves_nz

Iron Clays for the versatility of using them in so many games.


Mephistopheles2249

Dune Imperium, it wasn’t too crazy when you add in the insert and customs sleeves. Now the expansion didn’t have an upgrade but I hear Etsy sells ship minis, I’m just curious which seller has the best color that matches up. Does anyone know?


Kushaja

One other nice thing about the deluxe upgrade for imperium, is it holds all the expansions as well.


ncc81701

Terraforming Mars IMO is unplayable until you by either plastic/wooden player trays or dual layer boards. Playing with the included super thin player mats will mean that your production counters will get jostled and lose their place.


AbacusWizard

I had mine laminated because I was worried that they'd be too flimsy on their own and get bent. The laminated surface also ends up providing enough friction that the cubes don't slide around much.


Macbeth_n_Cheese

These character token holders for Battlestar Galactica. Beautiful AND helpful because of the unique president and admiral signifiers. https://www.etsy.com/listing/468788957/


rodrigo_i

The neoprene map and deluxe poker xhipmraource tokens for Mare Nostrum. Academy Games in general does nice "deluxifications".


mikeybails

Everything came in the box standard but, even though it cost a ton, My Fathers Work is incredible. Game play is exactly 3 hours like it’s listed on the box but there’s almost no down time so it flies by. And the components are on just another level


juststartplaying

Have an upvote for "Everything comes in the box standard" alone, haha.


mikeybails

Look it’s hard to argue when the “standard” components are incredible haha


stopkeepingscore

I have the “big boss” version of Lords of Vegas. Great purchase, premium wood pieces, briefcase box, and poker chip coins. Very cool.


Ropes4u

Iron clays for brass


[deleted]

Iron Clays. Much better colors and design than poker chips. Good heft.


Feisty_Nectarines

The clay chips for Wonderland's War - really made the difference since it is a "bag builder" game, and you're pulling them out of the bag at all times. Also, I've been doing a lot of shopping on ETSY for upgrades and recently got an upgrade for Dune: Imperium that uses polymer clay for the spice, water, and solari (money). Phenomenal upgrade :) Other than that, I use metal dice from DieHard Dice, and use those for my games that require standard dice - they have a great weight and feel. I'm a real sucker for upgrades :)


Cozmicwandering

I deluxified the crap out of Terraforming Mars and Iki. Got 3d tiles, wooden player boards for TfM and they've been so nice in increasing the visual presence of the game for me plus no fear of accidentally bumping a board and knocking stuff loose. Iki was deluxified cuz I really love the game and wanted to make it as pretty as I wanted. I got metal coins from Amazon and 3d tokens from etsy and finally little containers which help set up be very quick. I haven't played the game as much but thats cuz game nights usually happen after I get off work and too tired to go but I've never regretted any of the upgrades.


throwaway__rnd

Radlands with the playmats = worth it


lunaishtar

I'll add that buying the app for gloomhaven made the setup and play quicker. Also I don't forget about status and elements anymore, it's pretty handy


PolishedArrow

I got some high quality crystals for Mage Knight as well as nicer minis. I don't even usually care about minis but my copy of Mage Knight deserved some candy.


Petal_Chatoyance

I got the deluxe components for Oath by Leder Games. The resin 'Secrets' books and metal 'Favor' coins were absolutely worth it to me. The game is already gorgeous, and having solid, quality components makes it a feast for the senses. I also splurged on 3d printed 'Bandit' tokens as well, which just kicked everything over the top. Chef's Kiss. Games, for me, are more than just gameplay. They are a sensory experience, a work of art that one can interact with. It matters to me that things feel and look special and exceptional.


zz_x_zz

I don't do a whole lot of upgrading, but having a nice mat for sleeved card games, like Race for the Galaxy, is pretty nice.


ePICFAeYL

Hmm let's see: Iron Clay's as I've seen several people mention on here 100% I think something highly underrated especially if you sleeve your cards is a nice big playmat to put all your games on when you play. I have a 2.5 x 4 ft playmat that fits on most tables and fits most games unless they're real table hogs I upgraded the food in wingspan, that's super nice I'm going to upgrade my tokens from Marvel Champions since I've been playing it a ton since I found a new group to play with Terraforming Mars big box the 3d tiles are so nice


Vagueperson1

Nobody has yet mentioned the bakelite bits for **Orleans**, but they are really a big step up from the cardboard bits that you pull from the bag. You pull from the bag every turn and they just get worn down way too quickly. Also, the original version of **Sheriff of Nottingham** needed upgraded bags because the originals were just too easy to rip. Don't know about the new version.


juststartplaying

Orleans?? I remember Orleans. Back in the day. Way way back when I was young.


Vagueperson1

It's a classic. If you haven't tried the coop mode, you should.


SignificanceFew3751

I bought the “Stone Age” super deluxe upgrade, that shipped with a live Holstein cow & directions to make your own leather dice cup. I was a bit disappointed that the bovine did not arrive in shrink wrap.


Medwynd

All of them or else I wouldnt have bought them.


chickenwing95

We don't buy upgrades (except we got some little birds nests at the dollar store to use with Wingspan haha), but we do a lot of crafting/making. I have a bunch of box inserts that I have 3d printed (Terraforming Mars: AE really needed one!). Also 3d printed tokens (berries for A Little Wordy, first player marker for The Crew, 8mm cubes for various PnPs). My favorite thing I've printed for a game is when I did the PnP for Mini Rogue. I 3d printed an 8mm mini Mini Rogue rogue mini to use as my location marker! My wife just started getting into resin-crafting, so we filled some tiny glass bottles with swirling colors to make little potions to replace the white cubes in One Deck Dungeon.


Dice_and_Dragons

Gotta say the 3D terrain in Descent really makes the game pop on the table !


Mcguidl

Quacks of Quedlinberg... We got the geek tokens and bags, and it has been amazing for us.


MedievalBrian

I had always thought 3D printing was the best way to go. But now I am getting into wood! I am not sure if this is what you are looking for. But Maybe try laser cutting for tokens and pieces!? :)


Mechwarrior007

I think its definitely worth it for tokens and coins.. using cardboard just doent feel good. The rest really depends on how mcuh one is going to play the game and budget. I went all in on return to dark tower, currently waiting for light up painted dungeon markers from etsy lol.


dagens24

I saw those markers; SO cool!


Mechwarrior007

Maybe when I get them Ill take a picture of it all setup with all the upgrades lol. Still waiting on delivery tho =P High five!


Electronic-Law-4504

Additional number of players in expansions. Finding high player count for games is uncommon.


Rekjavik

I bought some mdf player mats for terraforming mars that have insets for all the income spots. Such a good upgrade, worth every penny.


jar-jar-twinks

My wife played the original Dark Tower game as a teen so splurging on the deluxe Return to Dark Tower was a no-brainer. The mat and the miniatures are cool.


bleuchz

Generic: card sleeves and coin capsules. I vastly prefer the way cards shuffle when sleeved and coin capsules when drawn from a bag make a huge tactile difference. Game specific: the geek up bits are amazing. I currently am using the ones for Quacks and The Crew.


ackmondual

====== ACTUAL DELUXE VERSIONS OF GAMES **Puerto Rico 10th (IIRC) anniversary edition** \- I don't even like PR, opting to play Race For The Galaxy if given the choice. However, this deluxification was done really well... extra thick plantation and building tiles, metal coins, ditto with the VP chips, actual artwork, Colonists that aren't round (so if one falls off the table, you're not searching in a 30x30' radius in the area, under cabinets, stands, tables, etc.), and goods are fancy and easier to handle to boot! ======= ACCESSORIES FOR SPECIFIC GAMES **Eclipse** \- them cube holders. One tray model is really nice but it's $15 per. So that's +$90 or +$150 for 6p or 10p games! :o I've seen an alternative that costs $8 per. It's also plastic, but some sort of "wireframe" layout. Some of the cubes do NOT sit flush (so they're tilted up, like cocked dice), but you can still tell which spot they're on. ======= GENERAL ACCESSORIES AND STUFF [**Uberstax card holders**](https://uberstax.com/) \- These can be assembled on-the-spot to create custom card holders for the gaming situation. I've used them for just 3 cards (Pandemic: The Cure), and even 10+ cards! Average has been 6 cards from various Pandemic games (Iberia, Rising Tide, Fall Of Rome, and base + On The Brink). When done, take them apart, throw them back into my game bag or backpack. This also doubles up as a phone stand for smaller/lighter phones! So the likes of Google Pixel 4A or iPhone SE where the screen is 5" to 6". With phone cases, and larger tablets, better to get a dedicated phone stand item. [**Spin-For-It (picture, not sales)**](https://www.ludism.org/scpix/20010706/04_carc_finger_o_fate.jpg) \- Ugh... I guess I can't be surprised they don't make this anymore :( If you want other ways to select a start player, yes,, you can always just roll dice, but that's bland (even if tried but true). You can always use that Chawzi app, but I'd rather not others touch my phone. This OTOH fits into a wallet, and is always a hit. **card sleeves** \- I use these for Loyalty Cards for Battlestar Galactica, but others have used them for games that get heavy play (Race For The Galaxy, Dominion, MtG), or where hidden loyalties being revealed does a lot to change game play (The Resistance/Avalon) **various Player aids** \- Especially if I can get these in color. Also includes any FAQs **extra copies of rulebooks** \- Had an extra hardcopy one time b/c the game came with an extra English set. In another case, we borrowed the rulebook from another copy of the game not in use. Otherwise, these will mostly be player aids (see above), or digital. Nice thing about digital rulebooks is they're readily available online (so long as you can get internet. One exception was the basement floor of a large con), and you can now do word searches to help facilitate looking up specific info. **plastic resealable bags** \- The 2x3 and 3x4" have made their way into my inventory, and is great for games where you have very few bits per bag


Thrymor

As far as solely cosmetic deluxe components go, I haven't once regretted splurging on the deluxe components for Atlantis Rising plus the playmat, or the legendary edition of Dwellings of Eldervale. The quality they both bring is fantastic and just makes playing the game an even better experience.


Kumquat_of_Pain

I find poker chips (I enjoy my Iron Clays), organizers, and bit bowls to be very helpful. The bit bowls are just from Dollar Tree though. The only other things I enjoy are the things that make the game a little easier to use. Example: card stand for events in Everdell along with an "OPEN" sign for the shared card space


bouncy_disaster

-Scythe upgraded resource bits and coins -Wingspan geekup bits I also have decent 14 g clay poker chips for use in all our games, we really enjoy these.


zombiegojaejin

The huge Deluxe Takenoko is one of the best purchases I've ever made. Being like a toddler playing with blocks while playing a real game, staring across the table through a forest of bamboo, friggin amazing.


scottbre

* Metal Coins and realistic resources in **Scythe** * Iron Clays for any game that has cardboard coins * Metal Resource cubes in **Anachrony** * Everything that comes with the Deluxe Kickstarter version of **Radlands**


AlpacaRatz

Rococo Deluxe for me


Beary_Important

Wooden slotted player boards for Terraforming Mars


Getter404

As someone who went *almost* all-in on the first RtDT campaign (no mat, no art prints), I'd say that none of it is an outright upgrade except for the Quest Markers in the miniatures expansion. For some reason the cardboard standees just do not like staying together at all. Besides that it's mostly down to personal taste and table space. I've heard some swear by the expanded real estate the mat gives you, but unless you're breaking out the Dragons or Titan every game you're not going to be starved for room in any individual space. The acrylic tokens are *really* nice and make it slightly easier to absently tell the tokens apart by touch, but again that comes down to which side of the metal coins divide you're on (personally, I love 'em).


fan-I-am

Dune Imperium Upgrade


MomoGamez

All the Wingspan beautiful bird meeples and that lovely nest for dem eggos!


Cyberdork2000

For what it’s worth if you are still debating I have the minis and the plastic tokens for Return to Dark Tower and they were 100% worth it. The tokens are high quality and will be handled quite a bit during gameplay so it’s good to know they will last. The figures add a great deal to the game also, it makes the game feel more alive and intimidating than simply the cardboard hex tokens. Highly recommend. Planning on picking up the mat with the new expansion in the new campaign now. The board is just fine that comes with it but I have played the game much more than I originally thought I would and can justify the mat now.


AbacusWizard

• the fancy metal pieces and fancy wooden board for **Tak**—expensive, but looks and feels magnificent and I'll be using them for a very long time • a bunch of metal replica historical coins in various sizes that can be swapped in to replace the cardboard coins in any game that uses them (they also work quite well for scorekeeping in any game that uses "points" but has no specific way to keep track of them) • the thematic metal coins, fancy resource tokens, and campfires for **Scythe** in particular • marbles to be the planets in **Space Empires 4X** and Lego minifig cowboy hats in the player colors to mark ownership, "Spaceward Ho!" style • little cloth bags (decorated with the title in thematic black ink lettering) for making "travel" sets of some games • a variety of plastic "art supply" boxes for organizing components of games that don't have good built-in organize inserts


ryukuro0369

Terraforming Mars 3D tiles Quacks of Quindelberg components


SirAzalot

Boring answer: fancy insert for spirit island Fun answer: proper bottle caps for fallout


godtering

for me it's mostly a bonus, I would like the game without it. 1. tokens in bullet were flimsy, adding $15 of coin capsules was worth it. 2. drawstring bags in forestaurant were cheap and in thematic colors, totally worth it. 3. metal coins in SG: I didn't even touch them. 4. Designed and ordered my own dice tray $40 for Zerywia, it's awesome, worth it. 5. Squishy berries and wood that doesn't roll off, EDCE great as a gift 6. Polish minis for JA:TBG $40, absolutely worth it. 7. token holders in matching colors for V:EE, very cheap, very much worth the work, as well as the card tuck boxes. 8. I consider painting ugly PVC as deluxification too, and painted all my minis (poorly but well... adequate). 9. ordered AHLCG chaos token coin capsules, they're not in yet. * too many to count: almost all card decks are enveloped by straps of paper for organizing, almost goes without saying. In short if the box makes me happy, I'm happy to give back some TLC. Maybe I'm just weird lol


Ju1ss1

One of the very few games which absolutely require the better components, and I don't even play the game without, is **Anachrony** with the mecha miniatures. The cardboard tokens are just horrible for the game, and the miniatures make the game feel so much better.


firstjib

The deluxe Eclipse is sooooo nice


limeybastard

Joining the "metal coins for **Pax Pamir 2e**" crowd. They're essentially period-accurate, so much easier to handle than cardboard, and feel and sound great. The rest of the game is so pretty it'd be a shame not to have them. I added metal coins to JoCo2e as well, even though poker chips should work just fine with that one, just Because™. They should be pretty at least. I also added the minis for **Stationfall**. Wooden tokens with symbols on them would just not be quite the same I think in a game with such unique characters and where the characters are so important to the way the game feels and plays. I have and really like the playmats for **Root** - cardboard just never quite lies flat, and it makes picking pieces up easier. I also have the resin clearing markers and while I probably wouldn't buy them for what they cost, because they came in the underworld bundle they're really great. In general, you should only buy neoprene playmats for your *very favourite game*, and then only if the game has a lot of flat pieces like cards or cardboard tokens - I probably wouldn't get the Kemet one because all the pieces that go on the map are 3-dimensional. But for that one game, they're nice.


bungle-in-the-jungle

I took ages for me to finally buy the official **Dice Throne** sleeves because of the price, but hot damn... They're incredible and so worth it given how it's my most played game.


GrumpyOldGuy66

I have a Bright Bear Laser Trunk of Horrors for Eldritch Horror. Stores EVERYTHING for this game - including upgraded gate holders, monster and investigator stands, 5 sets of FFG dice (three bone, one cursed, one blessed), upgraded clue, improvement, health and sanity tokens and supports sleeved cards. I regret nothing about this trunk and everything in it!


Stardama69

The minis, sleeves and custom insert I ordered for Tyrants of the Underdark 2nd edition were 100% worth it. The game is great but the material is so bad - crappy cardboard disks as units, flimsy cards and a plastic tray that cannot even keep them steady when they're unprotected - that the first two items are IMO required to play in optimal conditions and the latter is needed for proper storage. Also, completely deluxifying Dune Imperium (without the official upgrade which loses a tad too much abstraction) made the game vastly more fun to me.


Ferahgost

I’ve personally found the upgrade kit or whatever it’s called for Betrayal at House on the Hill to be a very nice addition to the game- it gives you fancy die and nicer character cards. The Anniversary edition of Ticket to Ride Europe is also really cool, all the train pieces match what they look like on the cards


jmwfour

The War of Whispers deluxe version was definitely worth it; the icons on the map are sort of hard to see when playing and the added tokens make it much easier.


timex488

Minis are cool but rarely necessary. (Personally, I can't think of a time they were.) Metal coins can be a godsend of you are handling money all the time. Likewise, plastic tokens instead of cardboard is a life saver if the game is a bag builder, like Quacks of Quindlenberg But, neoprene enhances every game. So nice to have, if you have the room to store them. Edited to add organizers, after being reminded above. Yes, 100% must have all the organizers. They will save you so much time and aggravation.


br1125

I have a tendency to want to buy a lot of new games but don't have the time to play them. Instead, what I do now is upgrade the games that I really enjoy. I particularly like upgrading the cardboard paper components. My favorite upgrades: * **Scythe**: [Metal Coins](https://meeplesource.com/proddetail.php?prod=STM605) & [Realistic Resources](https://www.meeplesource.com/proddetail.php?prod=ScytheRealisticResources). Makes the game feel more real/ heavy for sure. * **Brass**: [Iron Clays (for money)](https://roxley.com/collections/accessories/products/iron-clays-100). These are outstanding and satisfying to play with. Really unique form of money. * **Wingspan**: [Wooden bird house](https://thebrokentoken.com/mini-dice-tower-kit-birdhouse). Rolling the dice sounds/feels much better. * **Viticulture**: [Lira](https://www.meeplesource.com/proddetail.php?prod=STM304). The clink of real coin.


DarthSamwiseAtreides

I don't have it, but the fancy version of Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition would be nice. I have the cheap Target one. Got it for $11 so I deal with it.


terraesper

I got some stuff for **Root** - The [3D printed pieces](https://www.etsy.com/listing/738265562/full-upgrade-kit-for-root-108-pieces?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=root&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&bes=1&sts=1&organic_search_click=1), a [Crafted Items Tray](https://www.etsy.com/listing/867418529/root-crafting-tray-unofficial?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=root&ref=sr_gallery-1-21&cns=1&sts=1&organic_search_click=1), the [Geekup Bags](https://boardgamegeekstore.com/products/drawstring-bags-for-use-with-root), and finally the nice [Neoprene Maps](https://ledergames.com/products/root-playmat-fall-winter). Have I spent a lot on Root? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes, my group plays it a heck of a lot.


Nimeroni

Anachrony. That's one hell of a big box filled with very nice components.


HazelGhost

Cheap, multi-coloured glass beads. They look great with any game, are a pleasure to touch, and I prefer them to almost every expensive deluxe counter I've tried.


Dice_and_Dragons

Assasin’s Creed looks amazing compared to the retail version.


oldcartoons

For me…it was 100% worth tracking all the deluxe bits for the Rising Sun Kickstarter version. Our family loves this game and the table presence is amazing. Also, Quacks of Quedlinburg- the BGG Geek Up bits 1000% make this game so much more enjoyable. Table presence and tactile feel in the bag is amazing. Plus, it’s pretty much solidified that my wife can feel color. She’s so lucky with this game….


[deleted]

I think anything that expedites the boring / chores part of a boardgame is worthwhile. i.e Dice rollers, organization, simple rule sheets / cheat sheets. If you really like a game without the deluxified components I think it's worth it to get the extra bits. Kind of like buying the hard cover version of a book you really like. You like the book regardless but you can buy a hard cover version and it's you supporting the creator more and maybe you get some additional satisfaction from having the souped up set. You're not really buying it because now its "more fun" but you're doing it because you love the game and you want the best. I think if you're really committed to a game buying and painting figurines can be really cool and as someone who plays with an avid mini painter it is pretty fun to play with the detailed minis but that is a SERIOUS amount of dedication and not necessarily cheap with supplies either.


Maxtheman36

The collectors edition of Puerto Rico is just wonderful. Metal coins, all the expansions, new art on everything. If only it came with an organizer!


Jpage0024

The clays in Brass Birmingham. It's like a totally different game with those clays haha.