In the first of a series of reviews of 3D printed accessories for games I have token holders for the fantastic Quacks of Quedlingburg. I have played this many times, and this is definitely a household favourite. I will get around to reviewing the game proper, but for the time being I have a short review of some token protectors I printed for the tokens.
I trialled two types of token holder;
This one https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3504328 by Kballz
And this one:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4334231 – by pierredesa
Initially when I trialled the kballz token holders the backs were solid and came in two variations a thick one and a thinner one (see photo). I was reticent to push the tokens in here as if I didn’t like them I couldn’t easily go back, and if I printed them with a looser fit I would need to glue the tokens in (again there would be no option to go back). This has since been rectified with a hole in the back, but at the time of printing this was not available. These token holders add a significant amount of thickness to the tokens, which some people may prefer, but for me they altered the feel of the token too much and the irreversibility (at the time) meant I did not choose to take these further than a few test prints.
The pierredesa token holders are much more slimline than the kballz ones and consequently use less filament and print significantly quicker, these also have the benefit of being able to see the full token on both sides, which for me makes them more aesthetically pleasing. The holders clip nicely over the tokens and do not require any gluing, making this modification entirely reversible.
It is worth noting I had to experiment with the size. I printed a batch where I printed 11 tokens resized in 1% increments from 100% to 110% in order to get the best fitment. I managed to achieve a fit that the original cardboard tokens fitted into tightly enough that only friction was holding them in, without damaging the tokens should they ever need to be removed. This size was then printed in batches of 20 using clear PLA. Clear was used rather than coloured PLA as I didn’t have all of the right colours to match all of the token colours and wanted to try to keep the look of it as original as possible.
Once encased the tokens did not take up too much extra space on the track when placed, meaning that even if you are unlucky enough to draw several handfuls of 1s, they will still fit on the board comfortably.
Why use token holders? They protect the tokens from wear and tear. Ultimately the tokens are made from cardboard and are being smashed about in a cloth sack, they are likely to wear over time so this will help to protect the edges from getting too frayed and battered. This however is just a minor beneficial side-effect from the main reason for putting the tokens in holders – tactility. Once tucked into their little plastic bumpers the little cardboard chits become so much more enjoyable to use. Despite the holders weighing in at less than a gram each, they add to the heft of the tokens when using them and consequently give the cardboard tokens a premium feel. In addition to this, they make a much more appealing sound crashing around in the bag against each other.
On a final note upgraded tokens are available from boardgame geek (https://boardgamegeekstore.com/products/geekup-bit-set-quacks-of-quedlinburg) at $42 dollars plus postage. I have not bought these as I think the printed holders do a great job at a fraction of the price, but these are an option. If you are considering these look at a few reviews first as some of the ones I saw for the first batch seemed to suggest that the token images could be rubbed off, this may have changed for subsequent batches, so it is worth checking before spending.
MMAM
