Startup cost
$69k
TRUiC Business Ideas
How to Start a Board Game Company
Decision Snapshot
Board Game Company
Idea Score
56
Profit margin
8%
Break-even
4 mo–12 mo
Time to launch
12 wk–36 wk
Demand trend
Rising
5-yr failure rate
—
Capital intensity
High
Time commitment
Flexible
Part 1 - How to start a Board Game Company business - Background
Many people enjoy playing board games with family and friends. Board game businesses design and make board games for people to play.
Despite the growth of online platforms, the board game industry continues to remain strong. It’s grown since 2013, and the industry almost broke $20 billion in sales in 2022.
You may also be interested in additional low cost business ideas.
Our guide is in 3 parts:
- Part 1 - How to start a Board Game Company business - Background
- Part 2 - Our planner tool to see if this idea is the right fit for you
- Part 3 - Action plan to get started
What are the costs involved in opening a board game company?
The costs of starting up a board game business are fairly low, although they are significant. It usually takes $18,00 to $20,000 to get a game made and start a business, but some businesses start with lower or higher costs. One board game business on Kickstarter initially asked for £50,000 in initial startup funds (about $69,200), while another board game business began with upfront costs of just $1,000 AUD (about $738 USD).
Assuming a business owner has friends who are willing to test a game for free, the biggest expenses are:
- Trademarking and copyrighting the game
- Hiring an artist to make the artwork
- Manufacturing the game
The costs for an artist can vary greatly, depending on the level of detail required and the experience an artist has. Manufacturing costs often run between $7 and $25 per unit, although larger orders can bring per-unit costs much lower.
What are the ongoing expenses for a board game company?
Ongoing expenses for a board game business include storage costs for games that haven’t been sold yet and manufacturing costs of new units. Business owners can keep storage costs low by storing unsold games themselves. Manufacturing costs for more units can be funded by sales of in-stock units.
Who is the target market?
Board games appeal to a broad demographic. Even millennials are playing lots of non-digital games.
Most board game businesses, however, focus in on a particular demographic that they want to develop games for. For instance, a business might make party games for social outings, strategy games geared towards thinkers or generational games based on certain decades.
How does a board game company make money?
A board game business makes money by selling its finished board games. Games may be sold directly to customers at retail prices or to resellers at wholesale prices.
How much can you charge customers?
According to The Board Game Family, board games can sell for as little as $10 or as much as $70. Many games, however, cost around $30 retail.
When calculating price, business owners should try to make their game’s retail price four times the per-unit product costs. This will help ensure a business is profitable.
How much profit can a board game company make?
A successful board game business can make tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. If a game sells for $30 per copy, selling just 1,000 games would generate a revenue of $30,000. In some cases, businesses are much more successful than this. One board game raised over $12 million on Kickstarter.
How can you make your business more profitable?
A board game business can increase its profitability by creating expansion packs that customers can purchase for an additional fee. Alternatively, board game business owners can create a blog on board games.
A few board game businesses have been developed into video games or apps, but this requires a significant investment in developing digital resources.
Day-to-Day and Growth
What happens during a typical day at a board game company?
Each board game that a business develops has three distinct phases:
- the development phase, which involves testing the gameplay and designing the game’s components
- the manufacturing phase, which involves actually making the physical board game
- the selling phase, which involves marketing and selling the game
During each of these phases, the focus of a business shifts. Development involves a lot of playing and replaying, as well as conceptual design work to create the pieces and artwork. When manufacturing, there are many logistical items to see to. Once a game is on the market, selling requires advertising a game and connecting with potential players.
Businesses that have multiple games in production may be involved in each of these three phases simultaneously. Those that only develop one game will be focusing on one stage at a time.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful board game company?
In order to successfully design a board game, it’s important to be familiar with the different types of board games. David Silverman has a post on board game design that includes a helpful list of different styles of games (e.g. Euro-style games, family games and deck-building games).
There are also several online courses for game design, including ones from MIT, EDX and Coursera. Not all of these courses are specific to board games, but many of the principles taught apply to games of all types.
Many board game business owners also participate in online forums where they can share ideas and get inspiration. BoardGameGeek and Board Game Designers Forum are two popular forums.
What is the growth potential for a board game company?
A board game business may be a small operation that has just one game, or it can be a major international company that has many games created by multiple designers. Cardboard Edison, which has two games, is an example of a small-time board game business. Cards Against Humanity is another, having one main game and several add-on packs of cards. Hasbro is one of the largest board game publishers.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a board game company?
Many board game business owners launch their businesses on a crowdfunding site. In fact, more money has been raised for board games than for video games on Kickstarter.
Launching a business on a crowdfunding site not only lets business owners collect funds that can be used to pay for manufacturing expenses, but it also helps generate buzz around a game. The publicity of a crowdfunding campaign can create momentum that will generate more sales.
How and when to build a team
Many board game businesses have just a few employees. Rather than hiring artists as employees, business owners typically give them contract work. For fulfillment, most business owners either fulfill orders themselves or outsource the work to a warehouse.
Part 2 - Is a Board Game Company business the right fit for you?
Business Evaluation & Strategy Tool
We'll walk you through the four pillars every business needs: Points of Leverage, Marketing Strategy, Financial Model, and Personal Compatibility. At the end you'll see a personalized report and your action plan below will be tailored to your answers.
Step 1 of 4 — Points of Leverage
Every viable business has natural advantages. Below are common leverage points across four categories. Pick the ones that apply to your Board Game Company business. We've pre-suggested a few based on your idea — review and adjust.
Step 2 of 4 — Marketing Strategy
Without a way to connect with customers, even great businesses fail. Pick the channels you plan to use to reach your customers.
Step 3 of 4 — Financial Model
Enter your monthly baseline costs — the minimum overhead to keep the business running. Then we'll calculate how many sales per month you need to break even.
Step 4 of 4 — Personal Compatibility
A business that doesn't fit your life will fail no matter how good the numbers look. Tell us how this business fits you.
Your Board Game Company Evaluation Report
Complete the four pillars and your personalized summary will appear here.
Points of Leverage
Marketing Strategy
Financial Model
Personal Compatibility
Part 3 - Action plan to launch your Board Game Company business in 90 days
Nine concrete steps to take you from idea to open business, grouped into 30-day phases. Complete the planner above and we'll highlight what's most important for your situation.
First 30 days — Foundation
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Form your legal entity
An LLC keeps your personal assets separate from business debts and lawsuits — the most common reason small business owners choose this structure. Sole proprietorships and partnerships do not provide this protection.
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Get an EIN and register for taxes
Apply for your free Employer Identification Number through the IRS, then register for any state or local taxes that apply to your business (sales tax, franchise tax).
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Open a business bank account and credit card
A dedicated business account is required to maintain personal asset protection. Mixing personal and business finances ('piercing the corporate veil') can void your LLC's liability shield.
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Set up business accounting
Recording expenses and income from day one makes tax filing easier and lets you see when the business is actually profitable. Use software (QuickBooks, Wave) or a part-time bookkeeper.
Days 30–60 — Compliance & Risk
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Get permits and licenses
State and local requirements vary widely. Brick-and-mortar businesses typically need a Certificate of Occupancy; service businesses may need specific professional licensing; food businesses need health permits.
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Get business insurance
General Liability Insurance is the most common starting point. If you'll have employees, most states require Workers' Compensation. Specific industries need additional coverage (product liability, professional liability, etc.).
Days 60–90 — Launch
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Define your brand
Your brand is how customers perceive and remember you. A clear name, logo, and visual identity make every later marketing decision easier and protect you legally as you grow.
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Create your business website
Every legitimate business needs a website. Social media pages are not a substitute — you don't own the platform. Modern website builders mean you can launch a clean site in a weekend without a developer.
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Set up your business phone system
A dedicated business number keeps your personal life private, makes the business look legitimate, and lets you route calls professionally. Cloud phone services start under $20/month.