Cost

How much does board game design cost?

$57 buys all 5 essentials.

5 priced items · checked 10 Sept 2026 · retailer prices, we earn a commission

Everything essential, cheapest sensible pick

$57

5 items, nothing rented

Against 247 hobbies

Below median

Cheaper than 62% of them. Median hobby: $84.

What each thing costs

Every essential item, cheapest sensible option first. Mid-range and top picks alongside.

Cardstock essential

top $23

$20

Colored Markers essential

mid $23top $38

$17

Cutting Mat essential

mid $40top $58

$8

Craft Knife essential

mid $22top $47

$7

Metal Ruler essential

mid $17top $131

$5

All 5 essentials

$57

What you need

$57

Everything you need to start board game design. None of it is a big commitment.

Cardstock

$20

Sturdy cardstock is the backbone of your early prototypes, allowing you to create game cards and tokens that have a satisfying feel and durability during playtesting.

Veritas White Cardstock 8.5 x 11”, 110LB Index/199GSM Heavyweight Card Stock, 100 Sheets, Thick Cardstock Prin

top $23

Craft Knife

$7

Precise craft knives are indispensable for cutting out game cards, tokens, and other small components with accuracy and clean lines.

OLFA Saw & Art Knife & Spare Blade

mid $22top $47

Colored Markers

$17

Versatile markers are key for quickly sketching out card layouts, icons, player pieces, and basic board game graphics during the design process.

STAEDTLER Triplus Fineliner Pens

mid $23top $38

Cutting Mat

$8

A reliable cutting mat protects your surfaces and provides a stable, precise base for all your cutting tasks, ensuring clean edges for your game components.

JIARON Self Healing Cutting Mat for Rotary Cutting, 12x18 Inch, Double Sided, 5 Layers, for Sewing, Crafts, Scrapbooking

mid $40top $58

Metal Ruler

$5

A sturdy metal ruler is essential for ensuring straight cuts and accurate measurements when creating game boards, cards, and other components.

Westcott 10415 Stainless Metal Ruler with Non-Slip Cork Base

mid $17top $131

Later, if you stay

Not needed to start. These are the upgrades that matter once the habit has stuck.

Dice Set

$14

A variety of dice is crucial for prototyping games that rely on random number generation or as simple placeholders for custom tokens.

Chessex Polyhedral 7-Die Set

mid $19top $44

Sheet Protectors

$8

Sheet protectors are vital for organizing and protecting your game cards and rule documents during extensive playtesting sessions.

Amazon Basics Sheet Protectors for 3 Ring Binder

mid $12top $18

Hole Punch

$14

A reliable hole punch is useful for creating tokens from cardstock or for organizing rule sheets in binders for easy reference.

Swingline 1-Hole Punch

mid $19top $39

Startup cost · all 247 hobbieslog scale
$1
$84
$1245
$70

Board Game Design costs more to start than 38% of the 247 hobbies we price. The median is $84.

Cost questions

How much does Board Game Design cost to start?

About $57 for the 5 essential items, taking the cheapest sensible option for each.

What does each thing cost for Board Game Design?

Cardstock: from $20. Colored Markers: from $17. Cutting Mat: from $8. Craft Knife: from $7. Metal Ruler: from $5.

Is Board Game Design an expensive hobby?

Board Game Design costs about $70 to start, dearer than 38% of the 247 hobbies we price. The median hobby costs $84, so this is one of the cheaper ones to get into.

What should I buy first for Board Game Design?

cardstock, craft knife, colored markers, cutting mat, metal ruler — $57 together. They are the cheap half of the kit and the half you keep whatever you decide about the rest.

Hobbies that cost about the same

The 6 nearest to board game design by startup cost, out of 247.