A new spin on board games! Check out our list of 35 exciting 3D-printed board games you can make yourself. How many will you print?
Although we all love League of Legends, there’s something different about playing board games. It’s face-to-face interaction, and you get to rage at your friends IRL.
There are countless board games to choose from, with options getting more creative every day. Even more so thanks to 3D printing, which has removed many limitations about accessories and allowed independent creatives to come up with new game concepts.
In this list, we’ve selected the best board game models for you to 3D print. We’re not looking at gaming accessories (though we’ve got lists of dice and towers if that’s what you need)! Instead, these are full board games and expansion sets.
If you see your perfect game but don’t have the patience to print it yourself, try a service like Craftcloud by All3DP. With suppliers around the world ready to print 32 pieces for your new checkers set, you’ll be winning battles before you know it!
ORIGINALS
These games are original creations from the maker community. Some are more board-based than others, but all will be great fun and unlike anything you’ve played before!
Crosshairs
Crosshairs is a war game set in WWI, where each player is in charge of a fleet of planes. The discs that support the plane represent aerial altitudes and are a part of the gaming strategy. The game consists of trying to destroy the enemy fleet. You win the game when the other player only has one plane left.
Most of the pieces are flat tiles and will be simple to print, though the plane models need supports.
- Who designed it? Anubis_
- How printable/popular is it? This model has no makes yet, so you could be the first to share one.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Chair-Stacking Game
This game is simple enough that it doesn’t need much explanation, but it’s still fun and challenging. Starting from one single chair, players take turns stacking chairs, and the first one to cause the structure to fall is the loser. Chairs have different backrest patterns that offer different ways to stack them.
- Who designed it? Thomas H.
- How printable/popular is it? This popular design has 15 makes. The chairs need supports but otherwise should be easy to print.
- Where to find it? Printables
Gearz
This is a smart game useful for understanding mechanics. Starting from the Master Cog, the gear with the arrow, each player takes turns adding connecting cogs to their line, until they meet with the other player’s cog line. You win by making the other player’s Master Cog turn in the direction of its own arrow, but if you make an attempt and get it wrong, the other player wins.
You need to print the game board and 16 cogs (8 in each color) to fully assemble this game. You’ll want to calibrate your printer to accurately recreate the fine cog teeth, and make sure the cogs are printed with enough walls to survive the strain of regular use.
- Who designed it? scruss
- How printable/popular is it? This model has seven makes in a fun range of colors!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Hallway Seej
This is an exciting accuracy game that will cause chaos in your corridors. Although this game isn’t on a board, it’s still a fun game to try to challenge friends. The objective is simple: the first person to take down the other player’s flag wins. But remember, you may only do so using the trebuchet and balls. (The balls are not included in the model.)
Print these in a less rigid filament; PLA should work but PETG is likely to shatter under the strain. You’ll also need some rubber bands to power your trebuchets.
- Who designed it? bLITzJoN
- How printable/popular is it? This original game has nine makes and two remixes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Balancing Game
A reverse Jenga with a twist. Instead of taking blocks off, you have to put them on. Additionally, there are different shapes, so you can be strategic and use what’s easier for you, or what will make it harder to others. However, take into account that you’ll have to use all your shapes eventually. How to win? Don’t be the one that makes it fall.
It’s very easy to print because it doesn’t require supports or even different colors, though we think it looks great with a rainbow of shapes. The number of shapes you print is up to you – see how long you can keep the game going!
- Who designed it? DCMake
- How printable/popular is it? This balancing game has 4 makes shared and has been added to 37 collections.
- Where to find it? Printables
Pocket Tactics: Legion of the High King
An iteration of the land-conquering game genre, this fantasy game is a long-running project and you can find all its information at IllGottenGames, including instructions, a suggestion box, and detailed printing guidelines. They even have different versions of the game, all centered in a different fantastic universe with its own lore, such as bionic freedom fighters and worshipers of a cosmic king.
The pictured models were printed with two walls and a 0.1-mm layer height at 10% infill.
- Who designed it? Dutchmogul
- How printable/popular is it? This model has one shared print and over 3,400 collects on Pinshape.
- Where to find it? Pinshape
Quoridor
Next up is a new type of maze challenge. Obstacles are placed live during the game, and in each turn, you have to choose between placing an obstacle or moving your pawn. You win the game by reaching the other side before your opponent, so you need to block them from reaching your side, but be careful not to block yourself!
The pieces are mostly flat and shouldn’t require supports, so while it may take a while to complete, it shouldn’t be too difficult to print.
- Who designed it? Ziyay
- How printable/popular is it? Nine makers have shared prints of this strategy game, and they report that it was an easy print.
- Where to find it? Printables
Table War
This game was actually the winner of the “Tabletop Games and Puzzles” design contest by Printables. It’s similar to Pachisi, but each square on the board has a different theme to it. For example, when a player lands in the battle square, the player has to pull the safety pin of the grenade and pass it around players until it “explodes” (which will simply be a sound), and the loser has to put their tank back in the base.
- Who designed it? peaklin
- How printable/popular is it? This model has two makes. In addition to the 3D printed parts you’ll need an Arduino Nano and some other additional components. But no soldering is required!
- Where to find it? Printables
Solitaire
This is a game you can play with up to four players, or by yourself, hence the name. Pins can defeat another pin, taking it out of the board, by jumping over it. You may only move one pin per turn, and at the end, only the victor’s pin should be left in the center of the board.
The designer has included an option to be printed with Prusa’s multi-material upgrade.
- Who designed it? Dormo
- How printable/popular is it? This model has no Community Prints shared yet. The board has a size of 200 x 200 mm so make sure it fits in your printer!
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
SPIN-OFFS
These games are spin-offs of popular games or popular culture!
Star Wars Seven Stones
This is an interpretation of an app-based game called “Sevn”, but in this version, you’ll have to battle between different powers in the Star Wars universe. Use the Force and all your strategic capability to win this game.
If your printer isn’t large enough, the boards can be printed in parts and assembled with bolts and glue. The blocks also include dowel joints to keep them fixed to the board while playing.
- Who designed it? Hiob
- How printable/popular is it? This Star Wars-themed game has four makes. The creator recommends PLA as a good filament choice.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Star Trek 3D Chess
If chess is just too easy for you, take it up a notch with a 3D version. This one is almost a classic, and even if you haven’t watched Star Trek, you’ve seen this 3D chess reference in many other pop culture shows, from The Big Bang Theory to Zoe 101.
There are three main boards, which are 4×4 grids, and to complete the other four rows, you have to use “attack boards” which are 2×2. After printing, you’ll need some Ø1/4″ threaded rod to fit everything together.
- Who designed it? alan_one
- How printable/popular is it? This is a popular model with 18 makes. The complete instructions are available online.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Save the Last Unicorn
In this spin-off from the classic game Penguin Trap, you don’t have to save a penguin from the melting of the icebergs, but instead a unicorn, from an imaginary threat. You could say the game seems less ominous this way. You have to chip the stones one at a time, trying to keep the unicorn from falling. The first player to make it fall is the loser.
You need to print at least 36 stones, as well as a wand, a frame, a unicorn (of course), and a unicorn stone.
- Who designed it? DorAndy
- How printable/popular is it? This model has five makes and two remixes on Thingiverse.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Cyvasse
This is the game from the universe of Game of Thrones, created by George R.R. Martin, and brought to life thanks to this maker. The game doesn’t have a strict set of rules, so you can play it however you like, which makes it interesting because different people may find ways to make it more challenging.
George R.R. Martin suggests playing it like a mix of chess, Stratego, and Blitzkrieg, but the creator of this model also includes his own version of the rules.
Some parts need supports, and the smaller the layer height, the more details you’ll be able to capture.
- Who designed it? dutchmogul
- How printable/popular is it? This throne-conquering model has 35 makes and 11 remixes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Double-Triangle Dominoes
The concept is very easy: you play it like Dominoes. However, the extra challenging factor comes when you take into account that each piece has more than the usual connection points, and the way you stack them will affect the available space and therefore, what moves you can do later on.
You can pause the print to switch filaments and produce the impressive dual-color effect as pictured.
- Who designed it? Jožka Horsák
- How printable/popular is it? The triangular dominoes have 81 downloads. While there are lots of different parts to print, they won’t need supports.
- Where to find it? Printables
Tetris IRL
Did you know that Tetris used to be the best-selling video game of all time? It’s now been supplanted by Minecraft, but it’s great to see such a simple and retro game held the title for so long. And now you don’t have to stop at your phone, you can also play Tetris in real life. You know how it goes: stack them up from the top, turn them around, and complete lines.
And if you aren’t sure how to select each piece, Axus designed dice so that you can roll what you’ll be trying to fit in next.
- Who designed it? Fjodor_NL
- How printable/popular is it? IRL Tetris has one community print. You may need some sanding to make the parts slide nicely.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
CLASSICS
We couldn’t put together a list of board games without covering the classics. From chess to Settlers of Catan, these are the iconic games that we all remember.
Settlers of Catan
No one takes their strategy game as seriously as a Settlers of Catan player. In this game, players have to collect resources to build roads, expand cities, and conquer the territory. The board will vary from game to game, and with so many types of tiles, it’s a great choice of game to 3D print.
This set is a full recreation of the game in 3D. The only thing you’ll need to bring is the cards, but if you don’t already have a set, these can be bought separately.
- Who designed it? trevorclarke
- How printable/popular is it? This board game has 30 makes. You need to print most parts several times, so the creator has provided a complete printing list.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Hive
The objective of this game is to surround the other player’s queen bee tile, effectively capturing and taking over her hive. Each bug type has different moves they can perform, like in chess. But, in contrast to chess, there’s no board, so each game can take on a different form and you never know what’s going to happen.
This set is all flat pieces so it doesn’t need supports, and you can add some color with dual printing.
- Who designed it? Gigbrinus
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 45 makes and 12 remixes, so a lot of people are enjoying their new games!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Sternhalma (Chinese Checkers)
Did you know this game is actually German? It’s believed that the name of “Chinese Checkers” originated in the US as part of a marketing strategy for the game.
To play, you’ll need 60 pegs printed in total, 10 for each of the 6 colors. And as the creator does, you can print them all together and then paint the top of the peg. The board also includes storage for the pegs, that way you don’t risk losing any!
- Who designed it? Pandas
- How printable/popular is it? This board game has 356 downloads. It might be a good idea to use brims for the pins, and you can print many at once to save time.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Ludo
The perfect way to start a fight with friends: to play a game of Ludo. You know that moment when your friend can choose to skip you but they choose to stop in your tile and kill your pawn? That’s not fun.
This game is derived from the Indian game Pachisi. The mechanics are very simple: take your four pawns across the board and into the center before any of your opponents!
- Who designed it? fchamone
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 46 likes, though no makes have been shared yet. You can print the parts separately, in different colors, and then fit them all together.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Dog & Tock
Similar to Ludo and Pachisi, in this game you race your pawns all the way across the board and onto the center. In this version, you can add more pieces to have up to six players.
Dog and Tock are different games but they use the same board and change only in some rules, so you can decide which one you’re feeling up to that day.
- Who designed it? tigerklaue
- How printable/popular is it? This board game has 10 likes and 11 collects. Take into account your printer’s dimensional accuracy to make sure the puzzle pieces fit adequately.
- Where to find it? Pinshape
Chess
When it comes to chess, who can’t say “been there, done that”? And in spite of its traditional rules, it’s as popular as ever – just ask The Queen’s Gambit.
This beautiful chess set uses hexagonal twisted bases and 3D printing to make the game look elegant, yet it’s got a fun side to it since it’s 3D printed. While the maker laser cut their own board, maybe you’ve already got one lying around.
- Who designed it? Tronn
- How printable/popular is it? Five people have printed this chess set, which includes the chess board files.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Mastermind
This is the grandparent of Wordle. A player sets up a code made of four pins, and the other player must try to crack the code. After each turn, the code master tells the other player how many pins are the right color, and how many are the right color and right slot, but they don’t reveal which, just the number.
For this to work, you have to print the pins in lots of different colors, so you’ll need a few different filaments. Other than that, it should be straightforward to print.
- Who designed it? fntsmn
- How printable/popular is it? This game has one community print. Locate everything optimally on your printing bed to avoid using supports.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Quarto
This is a game about detail, and be ready to focus on it. You win the game by creating a four-in-line, with elements that all have a common factor to one another. You win by noticing and completing a pattern before your opponent. It can be the color, the shape, the hole in the middle, who knows?
You’ll need to print two sets of eight pieces in contrasting colors, as well as the board.
- Who designed it? rhynes
- How printable/popular is it? This game has one shared make. All models are easy to print and don’t need supports.
- Where to find it? Printables
Checkers
While this is a slightly less complicated version of chess, don’t get overconfident – you’ll still need your brain to defeat a worthy opponent. Checkers is also played between two players, but the pieces can only move diagonally and can only kill by jumping diagonally in front of another piece. Notice that the pieces must be placed in only one color of the grid.
The pieces all have a pine cone design that adds a nice level of detail. Watch out for warping when you print the board as it’s a wide flat surface that could cause some problems.
- Who designed it? Simakrima
- How printable/popular is it? This Checkers model has 2,000 downloads, and a make has been shared in fun shades of pink and purple.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Rota
Rota is like an advanced Tic-Tac-Toe, and you can play it with anything, from coins to some rocks, or in this case, some 3D printed parts. Each player gets three pieces, and you take turns placing each on the board. After all the pieces are placed, players take turns moving them along the adjacent lines until someone achieves three in a row.
The designer printed this top-side down and swapped the filament at 1 mm high to get the two-color effect. If you use small magnets, it’ll be easier to attach and move around the pieces.
- Who designed it? MakeAnything
- How printable/popular is it? This game has 1,125 downloads and 5 community prints.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Gobblet
This game is another different, more advanced version of Tic-Tac-Toe. In this case, you’re aiming to get four in a row, starting with the smallest pieces. However, bigger pieces can eat the smaller ones, so you have to think about how to slow down your opponent while preventing them from slowing you down.
As with many of these games, you’ll need at least two filament colors to differentiate the players’ pieces. None of the parts should need support.
- Who designed it? PKitz
- How printable/popular is it? This model has one make shared so far and one remixed game board.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Backgammon
A good old classic game of Backgammon, a game which younger generations might have only seen in old PC games, not in real life! Print your own set to bring Backgammon back into the real world.
This game is a combination of strategy and luck, after all, a bad dice roll could be your downfall. The design uses magnets to keep the pieces orderly on the board, but the author warns that the small magnets and other parts could be a risk around young children.
- Who designed it? Modellaner
- How printable/popular is it? This game of Backgammon has two makes and a scaled-up remix.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Scrabble
Does Bizjet count as a word, or not?
By printing your own Scrabble tiles you’ll never run out of words to make up. Or you can even create your own game from scratch by printing a full set and board instead of buying it. Just remember to print the correct number of tiles per letter to keep the game loyal to the original.
- Who designed it? sparkroom
- How printable/popular is it? This model has been downloaded almost 500 times already. The designer used dual printing to achieve the color contrast in the letters, making them easier to see.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
TRAVEL
Finally, we have some travel sets, both of classic and original games. These are miniaturized or pack up neatly into a carry case for easy transportation!
Connect 4
As the classic Connect 4 goes, you win this game by stacking four discs in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Just make sure to do it before your opponent!
This miniature game includes storage in its base for all the pieces. You’ll need 25 in each color, and some glue is required to assemble the frame. For your discs to slide in without issue, you’ll need a good printing resolution and close dimensional accuracy. Otherwise, a bit of sanding could be necessary.
- Who designed it? Ondřej Stříteský
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 11 makes and 2 remixes on Printables.
- Where to find it? Printables
TARDIS Run
This game takes inspiration from others like Backgammon and an ancient Egyptian game called Senet. The Doctor’s opponents are trying to steal the Black Scrolls of Rassilon, but you have the assistance of previous regenerations of the Doctor to beat them to it.
The board is actually print-in-place (if you have a large enough build space) and is assembled with hinges. There’s also a version that prints in parts if you have a smaller print bed.
- Who designed it? joealarson
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 173 likes and 71 collects. The full rules for the game are supplied so it should be easy to print and play!
- Where to find it? Pinshape
Pocket Sternhalma
Sternhalma can be played by two to six players. However, because of the vast amount of pins, 60 to be exact, it can be a bit messy to carry around. This designer has come up with a brilliant way to keep it and easily carry it around without taking up too much space.
Since the pins in this scaled-down version are so tiny, you might want to add prints to keep them attached to the print bed.
- Who designed it? chuckbobuck
- How printable/popular is it? Two people have shared their successful prints so far, and one maker noted that the model is very well designed with great tolerances.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Travel Catan
Hey, that Catan grind can’t be stopped! You have to keep expanding, no matter the place, no matter the time. However, since Catan’s board is built as the game progresses, this can be difficult.
This designer has come up with a baseboard that adapts to all the shapes so it can fit any piece of the game, allowing you to carry it around and play on the go!
- Who designed it? BigBadBison
- How printable/popular is it? This model has two makes, and the designer has included many useful tips to improve the quality of the print.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
BattleFleet Star Wars vs. Star Trek
This game is half strategy, half psychology. Some people have the theory that people shoot first where they themselves have placed ships. Others stack everything in the corners, while others still avoid them completely.
In this version, you can easily pack it and go, to keep fighting the rift of Star Wars vs. Star Trek until the end of time. The author recommends a higher infill on the bottom part of the board for stability.
- Who designed it? chemteacher628
- How printable/popular is it? The Battleship Travel board game has four makes and five remixes shared on Thingiverse.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Travel Tic-Tac-Toe
After many spin-offs from this game, we’ve finally come to what looks like the original. And you can play it anywhere!
Thanks to the smart design, the board can fit both the circles and crosses, and the pieces can even be stacked on top of each other for storage. To win, simply stack three in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line before your opponent.
- Who designed it? Henk
- How printable/popular is it? This model has three makes, with one user mentioning it prints well in PLA.
- Where to find it? Printables
Pokémon on the Go
Spending too much time in front of a screen playing Pokémon? Well, it’s time to change that! Now you can play Pokémon off-screen, too. This is based on the game Fox and Geese but replaces the animals with Pokémon. Best of all, the gameboard can be disassembled, making it easy to take it on the go.
The author recommends using PLA at 20% infill and 2-mm layer height. They also suggest printing a Pokéball to store all the pieces.
- Who designed it? xadow
- How printable/popular is it? This model has one shared print and nearly 6,000 views on Pinshape.
- Where to find it? Pinshape