Print and Play Board Games: Test for the Cost of Paper

Print and play board games are games distributed as files. You download a PDF, print it, cut it out, and supply your own dice, cubes, or pencils. For players it is a cheap way to try something new. For designers it is the most powerful testing tool that exists, because a game that is a PDF can be in fifty strangers’ hands by tomorrow.

This article covers what the format is, how to build a print-and-play version of your own prototype, what makes one easy to assemble, and why so many published games started life this way.

What counts as a print and play game?

Any game where the publisher or designer provides files instead of components. The spectrum is wide.

At one end are games that need a single sheet and a pencil. Most roll-and-writes fall here. Many were shared as free print-and-play sheets during the 2020 lockdowns, and some designs exist only in that form.

At the other end are full card games and board games with hundreds of pieces. Some hobbyists print on heavy cardstock, sleeve the cards with a playing card for stiffness, and produce copies that look professionally made. That takes a weekend. Most players do not go that far.

In between are the designer prototypes this article is mostly about: a rulebook, some cards laid out nine to a page, a board split across a few sheets, and a note that says “you will need twenty cubes and two six-sided dice.”

Why do designers use print and play for testing?

Because the alternative is slow and expensive. Mailing physical prototypes costs money and takes a week each way. A file costs nothing and arrives instantly.

The benefits stack up.

Blind playtesting at scale. The most valuable test of any game is one the designer does not attend. A PDF lets you run twenty blind tests in parallel with groups you have never met. Our article on how to playtest a board game explains why those tests matter so much.

Version control. When you change a card, you change a file and re-send it. No stickers, no hand-corrected prototypes, no three groups playing three different versions by accident.

Honest feedback. People who print and assemble a game themselves have invested effort, and they tend to give careful notes. People who are handed a free copy often say it was fine.

Reach. Online print-and-play communities exist on most major board game forums, and some run regular design contests. A newcomer with a good one-page game can get real attention this way.

How do you make a print and play prototype?

The goal is a file that a stranger can turn into a playable game in under an hour with scissors and a home printer. Everything follows from that.

Keep the component count low

Every card is something the tester has to cut. Sixty cards is a half-hour job. Two hundred is a project most people abandon. If your game needs two hundred cards, the print-and-play version might be a cut-down scenario that tests the core loop.

Use standard sizes

Lay cards out at standard poker size, 2.5 by 3.5 inches, nine to a US Letter or A4 page. Testers can then sleeve them with an ordinary playing card behind for stiffness. Add thin cut lines, and make sure the design does not need to bleed off the edge.

Avoid heavy ink

A black-and-white or light-color version saves the tester’s cartridge and prints faster. Save full-color art for later. Test with text and simple icons.

Specify what to supply

Say exactly what the tester needs to provide: “20 cubes in two colors, or coins and buttons; two d6; one pencil per player.” Choose components people already have. Dice and coins are universal. Custom dice are not.

Include the rulebook in the same file

One PDF, rules first. Testers lose separate files. Put a version number and date on the first page so feedback can be matched to the right build.

Add a feedback form

A one-page questionnaire at the end, or a link to one, raises your response rate sharply. Ask what they would change, where they were confused, how long it took, and whether they would play again.

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How does a print and play file compare to a physical prototype?

Both have a place. The table lays out when to use which.

The honest answer for most designers is both, in order. Print and play early and often, when the game changes every week. Build a handsome physical prototype late, when the rules are stable and you need to pitch it to a publisher or photograph it.

What makes a print and play game pleasant to assemble?

Players who print a lot of games have strong opinions, and designers should listen. A few recurring requests:

• Put all the components a single player needs on one sheet, so a solo tester prints one page per player.
• Print card backs only if hidden information is required. If it is, offer a version with backs and one without.
• Use fonts large enough to read at a distance on a kitchen table. Eight-point text that looks fine on a screen is unreadable on paper.
• Avoid pure black backgrounds. They drain ink and smear.
• Number the pages and the cards. When a tester reports “card 34 is confusing,” you both know which one.
• Make a low-ink and a full-color version if you can.

A game that is annoying to assemble will be assembled badly, and a badly assembled game plays badly. Treat the printing experience as part of the design.

Which published games started as print and play?

Enough that the path is proven. Many roll-and-write games circulated first as free sheets before they were published. Small card games have gone from forum post to Kickstarter to retail on the strength of print-and-play buzz. Design contests built around the format have launched careers.

The lesson is not that every PnP becomes a hit. It is that a game with a public print-and-play version has a track record. When a designer walks into a publisher meeting and says “four hundred people downloaded it and here are the feedback forms,” that is evidence no sell sheet can match.

Can you sell a print and play game?

Yes, and some designers do, through digital storefronts or their own sites. Prices are low, typically a few dollars, and sales are modest. Treat it as a way to reach players and recoup art costs, not as a business.

A more common model is to give the print-and-play away and sell the physical edition later. The free file builds an audience, and the people who loved the paper version are the first to buy a boxed one. Some publishers even include a print-and-play download with the physical game, so owners can print extra score sheets or replacement cards.

Why does paper still matter in a digital age?

Because a printed game pulls people to a table. A digital prototype on a tablet is easier to distribute, but it is played alone or passed around a screen. A printed prototype is cut out at a kitchen table, often with help, and played face to face. The format quietly enforces the thing that makes tabletop games worth designing in the first place.

Print and play is the most democratic corner of the hobby. No publisher, no budget, no permission. A printer, a pair of scissors, and some people willing to try your idea. The game is the reason. The people are the point.

FAQ

What do I need to make a print and play game?

A home printer, paper or cardstock, scissors or a paper cutter, and common components like dice, cubes, or coins. Card sleeves with a playing card inserted behind each printed card add stiffness.

Are print and play games free?

Many are, especially designer prototypes and contest entries. Some are sold as inexpensive downloads, and some publishers include a PnP file with the physical game.

How do I get people to test my print and play prototype?

Post it in online print-and-play and design communities, enter design contests, and bring copies to local playtest nights. Include a short feedback form to raise your response rate.

Is print and play good for all types of games?

It works best for card games, roll-and-writes, and games with small boards and common components. Games with miniatures, many custom pieces, or hundreds of cards are harder to assemble at home.

Print one, bring it

If you have a print-and-play prototype, put a printed copy in front of strangers as early as you can. The Ludarium plans open playtest nights for designers once its Indianapolis lounge opens. And for new articles on design, play, and the people who gather around it, subscribe to the newsletter. Subscribers get new pieces first.