Nuts & Bolts – What Goes on a Box?

[Read our full Nuts & Bolts series]

Let’s talk board game boxes - best practices, and the labels you’ll need for regulatory and legal compliance.

Below is my checklist for what goes on a box, sorted by category. And, for reference, here is the production file of our Nut Hunt Box.

Branding

Game Name: A best practice is to have the game name large, legible, and on all six faces of the box. This makes it easy to pick up off a shelf.

Company Name & Logo: Company branding is also a good practice to put on most faces of your box. Especially if you plan to release multiple games, then it’s good for consumers to be able to easily identify other titles by the same publisher.

Credits: I’d refrain from blazoning designed by across the front of your box - unless the game is actually designed by a well known and established designer. Otherwise, it comes off as a bit self-indulgent. Or at least a little disconnected. But, boxes have plenty of room, and the back of the box is a great place to celebrate the people who helped make your game a reality.

Game & Gameplay Details

Player-count, Age-range, & Playtime: I like the best practice of making it as easy for consumers to see if a game meets their baseline criteria. This means putting key information on as many sides as possible.

Game Description: I like games that make it easy to get a feel for what the game is about. This typically goes on the bottom face of the box as a short description of gameplay, or hook.

Contents & Components: Also for the bottom face of the box, I like including a list of components, as well as nice images of components.

Retail Marks

See our Guide to UPCs, GTINs, SKUs & Barcodes for information on getting your codes.

UPC/GTIN Barcode: If you want your game in retail, you’ll need a barcode.

SKU: A Store Keeping Unit or SKU isn’t mandatory, but many publishers will put it above their barcode.

Mandatory Legal Labeling Requirements

Panda GM’s Graphic Design Guidebook has a good overview of mandatory labels on pages 14-15.

CE, UKCA, & CPSIA: CE & UKCA are safety standards required on products intended for use by people aged 13 or younger (so if your game is anything other than 14+), in the EU and UK respectively. At request, your factory will arrange for testing (it costs a few hundred bucks), and you must visibly display the marks on your packaging. CPSIA is the equivalent in the US for any product for intended for use by people aged 12 or younger (so anything other than 13+). CSPIA does not have a specific mark for your packaging, but it is important to get the testing done if you are importing games to the US.

No 0-3 Choking: I don’t think babies read the warning, but the mark ensures that non-babies don’t give your game to babies who might choke on it.

Country of Origin: Made in China, etc. You need the country of origin clearly marked.

Publisher Name & Mailing Address: A point of contact is required. If you don’t have an office, you may want to get a PO box for this.

Lot Number: A lot number is required in case of recalls. Your manufacturer may apply a small number to the print run.

Copyright Mark: This one isn’t a legal requirement, but it is a best practice and protects you.

Other Best Practices

Be Wary of Weird Shapes: Having an odd-shaped box may be tempting, but be conscious of the consumer and retail use-case. A lot of people have limited space for games and need them to fit flush on a shelf to maximize storage.

Barcode & Legal Markings on the Bottom (Short) Face: I’m sure it had been done before, but Furnace turned me onto this layout. They put their barcode and legal markings on the bottom short face of their box. This left the box-back for big graphics and information. I really like the layout, especially for rectangular boxes.

QR Code for More Information: You can get creative for what you put on your box. Websites are relatively common. We put a cool QR code on Nut Hunt so consumers can find out more about the game and check out how to play before buying. Check out our article on Making Custom QR Codes.

A Visual Trade Off: Some of these best practices are my own preference. Not all publishers put their logo on all the faces of their box. Some only have key information like age range, and player count on either the large box top or bottom. I can see an argument for preserving as much visual space for artwork on as many faces as possible. So, use your best judgement for what works for you and your game.

Look at Other Boxes: The easiest way to get inspiration for your box is to look at other board game boxes. See what you like, see how publishers lay out their packaging, and take inspiration for your game.

What games have your favorite boxes?