As games release additional expansions and content, the amount of bloat and new components will often not fit in the game’s original box. At this point, gamers have a few options. They can learn to live with some lid lift in the original box (ugh). They can hold onto expansion boxes and use those for additional storage (also taking up valuable shelf space). Or, increasingly often, they can purchase a licensed collectors’ box from the publisher that is bigger and usually guaranteed to be future-proofed.
This is distinct from a collector’s edition, which typically includes all the game content published up to that point.
The quirk of these collector’s boxes is that they are, well, empty. By design these are products made for fans who already have all the game components and some expansions. But because of all the materials and printing that go into production of a collector’s box, they are often priced approximately the same as another large expansion.
Now, if you’re a completionist for a game, you have already spent a good deal of money on the franchise, and the cost of one more expansion might not trouble you if it can hold everything. But there’s still something a little strange about purchasing an empty box, particularly if it is more expensive than some board games.
Here are the 11 worst offenders I could find, ranked from least to most expensive. Let me know if I missed any whoppers:
9. (Triple tie) Raiders of the North Sea
MSRP: $30
Year published: 2020
Base game MSRP: $55
Base game originally published in: 2015
This collector’s box was announced at the same time as Raiders of Scythia, which reimplements Raiders of the North Sea with new art and theming. It’s possible this was done to mollify fans of the North Sea version—it was shown some love alongside Scythia. Garphill Games published the original titles in undersized boxes, and they could certainly not hold all the components from 3+ expansions.
9. Star Realms Universal Storage Box
MSRP: $30
Year published: 2018
Base game MSRP: $15
Base game originally published in: 2014
Star Realms has the dubious distinction of being the first game on our list where the storage box is more expensive than the base game. In this case it’s not truly a fair comparison, as the base game is packaged essentially in a deck box. And that makes getting a bigger box a priority even if you only own a single expansion. This is not the only storage solution licensed by and designed for Star Realms, but it is the most expensive.
“I have that Star Realms box, it’s bloody massive,” wrote Reddit user Floppy76. “It turns a very simple portable game into something actually quite intimidating, especially given the implication of how much more it could take.”
9. DC Deck-Building Game Multiverse Box
MSRP: $30
Year published: 2017
Base game MSRP: $45
Base game originally published in: 2012
The Multiverse box is somehow designed in such a way that the the oversized superhero cards, which are in every version of DC Deckbuilding Game, don’t fit easily in the box. This is the only box on this list that I own, and to fit the Superhero cards in, I need to reorient them—either lay them at an angle or on their side. Both ways are awkward. The Multiverse box does come with a mini-expansion, so it can be partially forgiven on that basis.
5. (4-way tie) Scythe Legendary Box
MSRP: $40
Year published: 2017
Base game MSRP: $90
Base game originally published in: 2016
As one of the original poster children for bloated Kickstarter campaigns, Scythe already had several expansion modules planned by the time it finished its campaign. It’s reasonable, therefore, to wonder why this box wasn’t used when selling the base game—StoneMaier Games knew what was coming and how to accommodate it. That being said, the base game box of Scythe is already fairly massive, so not everyone would necessarily want an even bigger version. However, its largest expansion modules, The Rise of Fenris and the Wind Gambit, were based on recommendations from fans and were not envisioned until 2017. The Legendary Box was released with these larger expansions in mind.
“I would recommend the Scythe box with a heavy disclaimer. Without some other form of organization or insert (not including the three boxes that come with it), it becomes a bear to load and unload everything. With all the expansions, it is a hassle getting the game out for a 2-3 player game. This hassle kept it from the table more often than not. With an organizer that eases set up and storage, it’s great storing components in a single box,” wrote Reddit user InfiniteSquareWhale.
More organization will obviously drive up the price, but this is to each owner’s discretion. The wooden organizer designed by The Broken Token runs for about $37.
5. Smash Up: The Bigger Geekier Box
MSRP: $40
Year published: 2018
Base game MSRP: $35
Base game originally published in: 2012
Smash Up is the second game on our list with a collector’s box that costs more than the base game. However, there are so many expansions to Smash Up (16!) that the box seems like a must-have for collectors of the franchise. The publishers had previously sold a smaller “Big Geeky Box” before its expansions caused it to grow out of that one. I presume owners of the original big box were not pleased with the development. While clearly bigger, the new box is “geekier” because it includes two exclusive Smash Up faction: the Geeks and the All-Stars. Buying the collector’s box is the only way to obtain those factions.
5. Space Base Command Station
MSRP: $40
Year Published: 2019
Base game MSRP: $40
Base game originally published in: 2018
The Space Base Command Station makes room for the base game’s expansion, but it also enables people to play the game with 6-7 people. This makes it similar to number 3, except that AEG makes clear this time on the front cover that this is an expansion AND storage solution. Did the publisher learn from a past mistake? Read on to learn more.
“The command station isn’t even expensive considering it comes with components for extra players + sleeves for every single card,” wrote Reddit user GossamerSolid. “Anybody who likes space base and wants to play with a larger group, I’d totally recommend it. It’s worked out great for us.”
5. Time of Legends: Joan of Arc Deluxe Storage Box
MSRP: $40
Year published: 2020
Base game MSRP: $130
Base game originally published in: 2019
This Kickstarter campaign from Mythic Games had not really been on my radar, but I found the “Deluxe Storage Box” notable in that it came out at the same time as the base game. In the same Kickstarter campaign, no less. Without wishing to understate a possible overage in shipping costs, it seems a little bit like the creators could have designed only the bigger box and saved themselves some time. However, this is another Kickstarter with a huge amount of plastic and content added in the stretch goals, so it’s possible the creators did not initially know that the normal box was too small to accommodate the bloat.
3. (Double tie) Zombies!!! Ultimate Collector’s Box
MSRP: $50
Year published: 2017
Base game MSRP: $40
Base game originally published in: 2001
The Zombies!!! series has 14 sequels, each with its own adventure, so this collector’s box is essentially accommodating a long campaign game (and a very expensive one if you have everything). The price, which exceeds the base game’s, seems more reasonable if you include all those sequels in your calculus. That being said, if each box has its own content, the big box means you would be retrieving a huge number of components you don’t need whenever you get the game out. This is one where having many expansion boxes stacked next to each other may be preferable.
Twilight Creations does sell a “full version” of the collector’s box that includes all its Zombies!!! contents. This collector’s edition is listed at $275, but at time of publishing it was selling for $130 on the publisher’s website.
3. Mystic Vale: Conclave
MSRP: $50
Year published: 2018
Base game MSRP: $45
Base game originally published in: 2016
If you don’t read the details, Conclave looks exactly like an expansion to Mystic Vale. It doesn’t say “collector’s box” or “storage box” anywhere on the front cover, and the naming convention makes it look like like an addition to the game in its own right. Now, that is somewhat true; Conclave does include its own components, including decks for 5-6 players and a mini-expansion module. That may be sufficient for some to forgive it for being deceptive on the front cover. But if someone buys this without knowing enough about it, they may open it only to be disappointed that it doesn’t add any new cards to the game. And that would be an expensive mistake, since Conclave costs more than the base Mystic Vale does.
2. Sentinels of the Multiverse: Ultimate Collector’s Case
MSRP: $60
Year published: 2018
Base game MSRP: $40
Base game originally published in: 2011
Sentinels of the Multiverse has released several seasons’ worth of content in the decade of its existence. In fact, its last expansion, OblivAeon, wasn’t released until 2018—the same year as the collector’s case. This meant there was no danger of additional content being added in the future that would not fit in this case—a major point of concern among collectors. The case has removable trays to group like components from different sets. It does cost more than the base set, but if you’re buying this case, you own at least a couple sets.
“One thing I think is really cool about the Sentinels Of The Multiverse box is it’s designed with fan content in mind. If you have EVERYTHING they’ve put out for the game, you’ll have tons of space left over. It seems excessive at first,” wrote Reddit user TomPalmer1979. “I always thought that was really cool of them to do.”
1. Too Many Bones: Trove Chest
MSRP: $110 (+$10 for shipping from the publisher, the only way to purchase it)
Year published: 2021
Base game MSRP: $130 (+$10 for shipping from the publisher, the only way to purchase it)
Base game originally published in: 2017
All Too Many Bones content is expensive, so it shouldn’t terribly surprise us that a storage solution from Chip Theory Games would be pricey as well. And like most of this content, the product does feature premium materials, in this case metal handles and what looks like fabric protecting each individual tray. Still, at essentially $120, you’re trading off buying three or four big games full of content instead of one empty box.
A big selling point here is that the Trove Chest fits in a Kallax cube from Ikea, which the original box infamously does not. Presumably the chest fills the entire cube, but this is still preferable to fans than an out of proportion box they cannot store with their other game boxes. The chest is also designed to hold different components of the game (character mousepads, enemy chips, cards, etc.) in different trays, so you can take out just what you need for a session instead of the entire game box. I would imagine the game stops being portable at that point.
Honorable mention: The Broken Token Craftsman Series
It did not seem appropriate to include aftermarket storage solutions in my list. The beautiful Craftsman series from The Broken Token, which contains products designed to replace an entire game box, is a good example of why. These are some of the most expensive game storage options available, but they are not licensed, produced, or sold by games’ publishers. They do not feature the game’s art, and they are not comparable to the other marketed products on this list. The Broken Token is an independent entity whose designers work hard figuring out how to cram as many components into the smallest space possible. Those designers deserve payment. Furthermore, almost all Broken Token organizers are made out of high-quality laser-etched wood, which is not a cheap material. If money is no object or games are your biggest passion, you may decide to spring for one of these, and that’s great. But they are not being marketed to the average consumer of board games like the other entries on this list.
Editor’s Note: This post was updated on 2/17/2020 to correct information on Scythe Legendary Box, include information on Space Base Command Station, and add quotes from Reddit commenters.
erotik
February 16, 2021 at 7:30 amExcellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch! Laurie Itch Gensmer
Jamey Stegmaier
February 17, 2021 at 3:11 pmThanks for featuring my photo of one of my cats, Walter, on this post! There’s a bit of a factual error in the Scythe Legendary Box section, though: “As one of the original poster children for bloated Kickstarter campaigns, Scythe already had several expansion modules planned by the time it finished its campaign…StoneMaier Games knew what was coming and how to accommodate it.”
As of November 2015 when the Scythe Kickstarter campaign ended, we had the beginnings of a few ideas for 2 new factions…and that’s it. We did not have several expansion modules planned, nor did we even have ideas for expansions at that point. We did not know what was coming or that we would need a box bigger than the Scythe box to accommodate it. This information is catalogued publicly in a number of places, as The Wind Gambit was born in 2017 from a fan’s idea for airships and Fenris was born in 2018 from another fan’s campaign idea–those fans didn’t have those ideas until they had already played Scythe many times.
Eli Richman
February 17, 2021 at 8:04 pmThank you for the correction (and the great picture). I will edit accordingly
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