I was researching how to create the cards for my board game, and I thought about business cards. They're extremely cheap, even the ones with full color on both sides. Has anybody gone down this path? How did it work for you?
The only downside I can think of is they may not have curved corners.
Thanks,
- Jeremiah
Monopoly, & The original Kill Dr lucky also have business card like cards and they are adequate.
They don’t get shuffled much so it works. Cards that will be handled allot need rounded corners and a coating to keep them from wearing out.
I have used business cards in the past and I will comically disagree with the wear and tear issue.
What is the worst that could happen they love the game so much they wear the cards out and need a booster pack!
Ka-ching
When you sell a car you actually make money on the parts.(lol)
Business cards work fine but do not give you that polished edge.
Just a thought.
Standard playing cards have a finish to keep them from wearing out and to make them shuffle properly. Im sure the exact coating varies from one manufacturer to another.
Are you looking to self publish a game or just make a prototype?
I've found that business cards work great for prototyping. I haven't had any professionally printed, but I have used old personal business cards left over from prior jobs and hand-marked the blank side as the card face ... it's a great way to see if the card-related mechanics work in the game.
The only problem I can think of with doing professionally printed business cards is that they generally do a bulk run (500-5000) of the same exact card ... so, no deck of 54 different cards. But, in some cases, that might still do the trick.
-Bryk
If you're just making a nice prototype, don't underestimate the value of your local Kinko's. I made ~40 decent 54-card decks as a special game for a friend's wedding a while ago. They were two-sided, color, one side glossy, with proper registration, and they cut them for me. I wish I could remember the price, but it wasn't upsetting.
So yeah... You could do worse than Kinko's. It all depends on what you need, I suppose.
You can also get Avery business cards for your inkjet or laser printer and then punch them out. They won't last but will work great for prototyping, as each one can be different. Double-siding them is hard though, if not impossible, as they can come loose and jam the printer.
Obviously there are Monopoly style cards, as has already been mentioned, and "Mythgardia" by the guy who did Talisman, uses business cards and postcards, and I used them for "Ruby Rush", and have a couple of copies that have seen literally over a thousand plays.
my only advice is that i would ask for samples first, to check whether they flake or display a visible "crumple" from shuffling. (gloss coatings will often crumple slightly when bent, and heat inks and foils will sometimes flake with repeated use)
Actually we print as few as 24 business cards and they run $8 per hundred color both sides. For a little extra we could round the corners.
But you can get 2.5x3.5 playing card decks for under $5 a deck and order as few as three right on our website.
Superior POD
You can also get blank playing cards that you can print out yourself at http://plaincards.com/ but blank business cards are cheaper :)
I've done a ton of card games and find that business cards work really well. if you get the scored template kind, they're easy to punch out. And believe it or not you can buy a thing called a "corner rounder!" Google it. But you don't really need it.
However, i've found that what works best for me is card stock paper and a laminating machine. The machines are really inexpensive. There are shortcuts to cutting out the cards - don't cut all the way to the edge of the page and use a box cutter rather than an x-acto knife.
 | How to design and balance a Rock-Paper-Scissor like mechanism (33) by X3M |
| End of Year Playtest Event at The Game Crafter (0) by The Game Crafter |
| New Board Game Pieces: 13mm Wood Cubes (0) by The Game Crafter |
 | DuelBotz: Sample New Card (13) by questccg |
| Board Game Blueprint - New Episode Every Wednesday (24) by The Game Crafter |
| Madison Game Design Cabal (0) by The Game Crafter |
| PoA — Major shift back closer to FCE (13) by questccg |
| Voting Begins for "VHS Case Challenge" at The Game Crafter (0) by The Game Crafter |
| New Product: Large Quad-Fold Game Boards (0) by The Game Crafter |
| 2025 New Year Sale at The Game Crafter (0) by The Game Crafter |
| New Board Game Design Contest: ZSA Cards Challenge (0) by The Game Crafter |
| Black Friday Sale Ends Tonight (0) by The Game Crafter |
| The Shadow Of The Nokizaru Update! (0) by Jacob |
| Build your own [insert game genre here] (11) by questccg |
| Black Friday Sale at The Game Crafter (0) by The Game Crafter |
| Power Creep, a Dungeon Pages adventure (0) by jasongreeno |
| Premium Bullet & Premium Toxic Waste Board Game Pieces at The Game Crafter (0) by The Game Crafter |
| What “Should” Be in an RPG Design Book (11) by lewpuls |
| Blank Poker Card Sale - 3 Cents Each! (0) by The Game Crafter |
| Blank Playing Cards - Bridge 57mm x 89mm UK (1) by questccg |
| Finally returned after all these years (1) by DyminoMonsters2004 |
| State of the let-off Union - November 2024 (0) by let-off studios |
| Shoppe: The Simulation of Guilds (1) by questccg |
| The fine line between a game and a simulation (22) by X3M |
| Only 24 hours left to bid on games for the Extra Life Charity Auction (0) by The Game Crafter |
I've done some google searches for companies that sell business cards, and I have found some that have rounded corners and a glossy finish. What kind of coating are you talking about that would keep them from wearing out?
Thanks,
- Jeremiah