One of the most important decisions you’ll make as a board game creator is how many copies of your game to print. Whether you’re preparing for your first Kickstarter or managing a reprint of a successful game, choosing the right production run size has a big impact on your production costs, your margins, your logistics, and your game’s overall success.
We offer flexible production brackets to help creators at every stage of their publishing journey. Our standard pricing tiers start at 500 copies (our minimum order quantity), with better per-unit pricing at 1,000, 3,000, and 5,000+ units.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each production run size, and help you think through the right quantity for your game based on your specific situation.
Why Your Game’s Print Run Size Matters
When it comes to production run size and cost, it’s simple: manufacturing more copies brings down your cost per unit. This is the principle of economies of scale.
However, while higher volumes mean better margins, they also come with higher upfront costs and more storage requirements for your game. The goal is to balance your financial risks with your game’s sales potential.
Let’s say you have a successful Kickstarter campaign. Printing too few copies might leave you with unmet demand and no stock just when your game is gaining momentum. Printing too many can lead to unsold inventory, ongoing warehousing costs, and financial stress, since you’ll have used your budget for production and won’t have enough left over for marketing your game.
When it comes to production quantity, the right answer depends on your goals, your audience size, and your business plan for your game.
Order Quantities for Board Games With Hero Time
We’ve designed our standard pricing brackets around what makes sense for both creators and production efficiency. Here are the common breakpoints:
- 500 copies. Our minimum order quantity. Ideal for test runs and new creators.
- 1,000 copies. A common size for successful small Kickstarter campaigns.
- 3,000+ copies. Where per-unit pricing becomes significantly better.
- 5,000+ copies. The best pricing, suitable for publishers scaling up or aiming at distribution.
Let’s look at what each of these print run sizes offers.
500 Copies: Ideal for Testing Your Game Commercially
A print run of 500 copies is perfect for creators launching their first game or looking to test the market with minimal risk. It’s also useful for producing limited editions or convention-exclusive versions.
Printing 500 copies of your game offers a few benefits. It has little financial risk, since you will only need to fund a small print run. This means that you don’t need to sell many copies of your game to recoup your production investment.
It also means your storage needs are minimal, your production and shipping timeline could be faster than for larger orders, and you have a great small inventory of games that you can make use of to get early reviews or sell directly at events.
The drawback of a very small print run like this is that your costs per unit are very high. These high per-unit costs mean your margins are smaller, limiting your distribution channels to those that you control. Many distributors and retailers are unviable with these per-unit costs.
Another drawback is that your game might sell out quickly if demand is higher than you initially anticipated, such as if your Kickstarter or Gamefound campaign is a success.
If you’re unsure about demand or want to build buzz with a limited release of your game, doing a small 500-copy print run could be a smart move. You can always reorder once you validate interest, although this may slow down your game’s long-term growth.
1,000 Copies: A Balanced First Print Run
A production run of 1,000 copies is the most common choice for independent creators who’ve successfully run a Kickstarter or built an audience of a few hundred buyers. It offers a balance between cost savings and relatively low risk.
Key benefits of printing 1,000 copies for your first print run include better per-unit pricing than a smaller run of 500 copies, all while maintaining an order size that’s manageable for small-scale fulfillment. This quantity is suitable for direct sales, small retail orders, and gaming events.
Another nice benefit of ordering 1,000 copies is that it gives you some breathing room to try out different sales channels, such as Amazon or your own e-commerce store. Selling 1,000 copies of your game can give you statistically significant data on what works and what doesn’t.
The drawbacks of this production run size is that your costs are still relatively high compared to full-scale production, meaning retail margins are hard to accommodate, and also that you could face shortages if your game is more popular than you anticipated.
If you’re fulfilling 300 to 800 backers or have a growing email list and sales plan, making 1,000 units gives you enough stock to meet demand without over-committing your budget.
3,000 Copies: Retail Ready
At 3,000 units, you’re entering the territory of retail and distribution. The unit price for your game drops significantly, opening up your profit margins for bulk sales and partnerships with stores or sales channels that involve advertising.
The biggest benefit of printing 3,000 or more copies of your game is that you’ll start to unlock a large cost saving per unit at this quantity range. This means that retail pricing starts to become viable and your game is positioned well for success across many sales channels, from retailers to crowdfunding campaigns.
The additional profit margin these low per-unit costs make possible also means you can spend more on advertising your game, giving you a scalable way to reach your target audience and sell your game.
At the 3,000+ units range, most downsides apply to smaller or first-time creators. First, you will need a larger upfront investment to make this production quantity viable. This could come from your own self-funding, or from a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Storage also becomes a logistical factor you’ll need to plan for (we can help you here), and you will need a reliable fulfillment partner (we can also help you here).
This is a good print run size if your Kickstarter is overfunded, or if you’re relaunching an existing title with retail ambitions. With the right sales channels, a 3,000+ units quantity can set you up for long-term growth and give you noticeable advantages in terms of pricing.
5,000+ Copies: Scaling Up
Print runs of 5,000 or more units are typically suited to experienced board game publishers, retail launches, or games that have proven demand through repeat printings or international success.
At this point, the benefits of printing at scale are very clearly realized. You can expect lower per-unit pricing due to economies of scale, meaning you’ll have good margins for retail game sales. Freight shipping also becomes more cost-efficient for your game.
Manufacturing at this scale also gives you lots of supply certainty, meaning you can sell your game with confidence that you’ll have inventory available.
For a medium-sized or large publisher, this order quantity has few drawbacks. However, for a small publisher or first-timer, you’ll have to deal with a significant financial commitment that’s often only possible with a successful Kickstarter campaign or a solid self-funding strategy.
You’ll also need to have clear demand forecasts for your game, a strong logistics plan, and a good strategy for marketing and distribution, as mistakes or unsold stock can lead to greater consequences due to your higher upfront production costs.
If you’re fulfilling thousands of pre-orders, entering retail distribution, or coordinating localized printings for multiple regions and/or languages, this is the print run size that generally makes good business sense.
Other Factors to Consider
Print run size isn’t just about what you think you’ll sell. Ideally, you should base your decisions here on data and practical considerations.
Forecasting Demand for Your Game
Look at your pre-order numbers, email subscribers and prior sales (if you’ve already sold your game or sold previous games). If you have 1,000 engaged backers, that’s a strong foundation for a 3,000-unit print, as you will want to continue selling your game outside of crowdfunding.
Storage & Fulfillment for Your Game
Do you have a plan for where the games will go? A large run will need a third-party fulfillment provider and solid plan for distributing your game effectively. We’re happy to help you with this using our proven methods and fulfillment infrastructure.
Reprints vs. First Runs
If this is your first time printing the game and your budget is limited (for example, you’re running a small crowdfunding campaign aimed at a niche audience), it could be better to start small and reprint later.
A reprint can include small improvements or corrections to your game, and we can help you with optimizing the process.
Cash Flow and Profit Margins
Higher print runs tie up more capital but also improve your profit per unit. If you can afford it, a larger print run is usually a good idea.
However, you will need to make sure your timeline and cash flow can handle the manufacturing investment, as overspending on production can affect your ability to market your game.
Not Sure How Many Copies of Your Game to Print?
Working out how many copies of your game to print can be surprisingly hard, especially if you’re doing this for the first time. It’s important to get your quantity right, as manufacturing in too small a quantity and too large a quantity can both hurt your game publishing business.
If you’re not sure what the demand for your game will be, we can help you. Feel free to contact our team for personalized assistance. We can give you a custom quote for different production quantities and help you select a quantity that matches your needs and budget.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your goals, your audience, and how much of a financial risk you’re willing to take with the production of your game based on your confidence that you can market and sell it effectively.
We work with game creators at every level, from first-timers to large and established publishers manufacturing their games at scale. Our flexible manufacturing, competitive pricing, and global logistics options make it easy to start smart and scale up when the time is right.
If you’re preparing a game quote request, let us know your goals and where you’re currently at in your publishing journey. We’ll help you choose a quantity that’s right for you, and make sure your game is made to the highest standards regardless of your production run size.
