Current and Future Opportunities for 3D Printing in Modern Board Games

Ricardo Simões

doi:10.24140/ijgsi.v1.n2.07

Ricardo Simões Polytechnic Institute of Cavado and Ave (IPCA); University of Minho https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3097-8849

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24140/ijgsi.v1.n2.07

Keywords: 3D printing, Additive manufacturing, Board games, Tabletop games, Player experience

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is a set of disruptive technologies where parts are no longer produced by removing material until the desired form is achieved, but rather build the intended product layer by layer. With significant benefits in the efficient use of resources, optimizing performance, and allowing individual customization of each print, 3D printing techniques have been more widely adopted worldwide, and modern board games are no exception. However, until now its use is mostly hobbyists creating and sharing 3D models for improving player experience in two aspects: customization (upgrade) of game components, and solutions for organization/setup/logistics. Nevertheless, 3D printing opens opportunities also for game designers/developers and publishers. This paper presents a glimpse of the current use of 3D printing in modern board games and discusses opportunities for the future, highlighting how both players and professionals can take advantage of this technology.

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Author Biography

Ricardo Simões, Polytechnic Institute of Cavado and Ave (IPCA); University of Minho

Ricardo Simões is an Associate Professor (Tenured) with Habilitation at the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (Portugal) and a senior researcher at the Institute for Polymers and Composites. He has a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of North Texas (USA). His areas of research include Engineering Design, Sustainability, Complex Engineering Systems, and 3D Printing.
He has supervised 11 PhDs and over 30 Masters theses in the scope of these research areas, and coordinated a total of 20 National and International research projects funded by competitive programs. He has over 87 Publications in Refereed Scientific Journals, 17 Book Chapters, 100 Publications in International Conference Proceedings, 2 Edited Books, and 70 oral presentations in International Conferences.
Founder and director of the Product Development Laboratory, he coordinated the creation of the Masters’ Program in Product Design and Development at IPCA (accredited by A3ES since 2010), and the Masters’ Program in 3D Modeling and Additive Manufacturing (accredited by A3ES since 2022).