Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition - 3D Printed Insert

For each insert we create, we have a few standard design goals:

• Reduce setup time as much as possible
• Have separate component trays for "setup components" and "gameplay components"
• Allow for vertical box storage without components crushing each other
• Fit sleeved cards

This insert follows the theme of our last foam-core insert for this game, with player trays that hold minis, tokens, and color-specific technology and promissory cards. The cards are designed to store flat but have a slot to stand them up for ease of use during gameplay. Additionally, we wanted shallower bins for ease of grabbing minis, so War Suns have been moved into a separate tray because they are twice as tall as the next tallest minis. These can be handed out during setup and go near your player tray. This insert is designed for each player to have and use color-specific tokens instead faction-specific, for reasons explained here. The tokens have their own slots with dividers to ensure they stand up and are much easier to grab than in our previous foam-core inserts. We have STL files to print your own color-specific tokens. We've also seen players use the closest colored tokens from the game, ignoring faction symbols.

As always, we really try to minimize setup time. To that end, faction-specific cards are separated in labeled trays in alphabetical order, so you can get them quickly. System tiles are divided into home systems, planets, hazards, and warp lanes for optimal setup speed. Play trays go straight from box to table. All play card trays have separate sections labeled on both sides, making it easy to pull cards and return to the front/back as needed. The action deck, which is quite tall with the expansion cards, has a small divider in the middle of it to prevent cards from falling down into the slot as the deck is drawn from.

For this insert, we've opted to fit the base game and expansion in the base game box. If you don't have extras, you can save on shelf space. If you do, the expansion box is left entirely open for mods, 3rd party accessories, or other extras. In our case: fleet stands, the hard copy rulebook, other booklets we've had printed over the years, and any other goodies we might come up with. As an added bonus, we've also designed a technology deck book. It doesn't fit in the base game box, but for those that really want to take their insert the extra mile, it's a really cool way to handle your technology deck. Pictured below is our very rough first print from designing the proof of concept.

Download the Insert STLs

Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition

• Suggested Ambient Audio
• Rules & Other Resources

Rules & Other Resources

• Suggested Ambient Audio
• Board Game Geek Page
• Learn to Play
• Prophecy of Kings Rulebook
• Living Rules Reference v2.0
• Twilight Codex Vol I
• Twilight Codex Vol I Cards
• Twilight Codex Vol II: Affinity
• Twilight Codex Vol II: Affinity Cards
• Twilight Codex Vol III: Vigil
• Twilight Codex Vol III: Vigil Cards
• Alternate Technology Cards
• Alternate Diplomacy Strategy Card
• Guide to the Imperium

Galaxy Mats

Many players wanted a nice game mat to place on their hard-top table, so we made this galaxy mat and have updated it several times to fit requests.

Acrylic Tokens

We designed these laser cut acrylic tokens before we started 3D printing. They're pretty expensive, but awesome if you want that extra flare.

3D Printed Tokens

After trying to find a way to offer color-specific tokens that aren't as crazy expensive as laser cut acrylic, we decided to make our own.

3D Printed Hyperlane Tiles

We printed these hyperlane tiles to make it easier to setup the Hyperlanes variant if you're playing with 3, 5, or 7 players.

Other Insert Projects

NEWSETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

This insert features a custom data slider track to make star setup a breeze!

NEWProject L

Our components didn't fit well into any of our boxes for this game, so we've printed a new box that houses the base game and both expansions.

Star Wars: Rebellion

This is most certainly our best insert ever. It has a lot of cool features that we'd never be able to do with foam-core, like sets of miniatures drawers.

World of WarCraft: The Board Game

This is our biggest insert ever. There are two large sets of drawers to hold the minis and everything else fits in the base game box.

StarCraft: The Board Game

The highlight of this insert is the faction towers. Each faction gets its own tower with reference info on shields for some room to strategize.

Runebound Second Edition

This design covers every expansion, limits the boxes needed to play, and features boxes for Adventure Variants and Character Decks.

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle

This insert houses the base game and both expansions in the base game box. Setup is quick with several play trays that go straight from box to table.

DungeonQuest Revised Edition

This insert is one of the first that we did with multiple trays. It has card drawers for each mini-deck as well as small trays for all tokens.

Wiz-War

For this game we decided to store the base game and both expansions in one box with an overflowing insert (the lid doesn't fit on all the way).

Drakon

The best part about this one is the dungeon tile stacks bin. It makes setup much, much swifter.

Artisans of Splendent Vale

This mini-insert for the small components tuck box keeps numbered meeples ordered and ready for action!

World of WarCraft: The Adventure Game

We designed custom faction boxes for the character decks and tokens. We also made draw bins for challenge decks, and a neat drawer bin for discovery tokens.

Risk: Star Wars Black Edition

This was our first crack at making a 3D printed insert. It features rounded edges for easy component scooping and a draw deck space for each player.

Runebound Third Edition

This design covers every expansion, has tokens sorted for convenience, and features boxes for each scenario.

Sanctum

The best part of this insert is how fast it makes the hero skills table setup. 5 seconds, no joke.

Enigma

This was the first insert we ever made. If we ever remake this it will be very different. But it was certainly a useful learning experience.

D&D Adventure Board Games

We created a box to store all the heroes so we'd be able to easily select any hero from any of the sets no matter which game we pulled off the shelf to play.

Tyrants of the Underdark

This insert fits the first edition box. It has player trays for the houses and organizes the cards (including the expansion decks) to make setup a breeze.

Chaostle

We kept the original plastic insert in the base game box and built this insert for the Melee Expansion box.

Chess

We got a gorgeous new fossil stone chess set, but it came in a decrepit green box, so we made our own.