We design and produce one-off board games for families, clubs and businesses across Leeds. From first sketch to finished box, every component is made to your specification.
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A Leeds workshop that has been designing and building board games to order since 2017.
Nestinsightanswers started in a small rented unit off Meanwood Road with two people, a laser cutter and a stack of prototype boxes that never quite closed properly. The first commission was a family history game for a retiring teacher in Chapel Allerton — sixty hand-numbered cards and a board painted with a street map that no longer exists. That project took three months longer than planned, mostly because nobody had worked out how to varnish plywood without it warping in the drying room. We kept the notes from that mistake. They are still pinned above the cutting bench.
Nine years on, the company has grown into a team of sixteen people working across design, woodwork, printing and rules-writing. We have completed 2,302 jobs for 1,584 clients, and 398 of them have come back for a second commission — an anniversary edition, a sequel game, or simply another gift for a different relative. We do not treat that repeat business as a marketing figure; it is closer to a working relationship, and it shapes how we plan our schedule each quarter.
Our work is to turn a client's idea — often vague, sometimes just a memory or an in-joke — into a playable object with rules that hold up after the fifth round, not just the first. That means testing every mechanic on paper before it goes anywhere near a laser cutter, and it means saying no to a concept that will not survive contact with an actual dice roll. A game that looks good in a photograph but breaks down in play is not a finished product; it is an unfinished one that shipped too early.
We want board games made in Leeds to be known for lasting past the first Christmas. That is a modest goal, deliberately. We are not trying to compete with mass-produced titles on shelf price; we are trying to make sure that a piece someone paid for and waited on is still being played in five years, with the corners softened by hands rather than by neglect in a drawer.
Across fourteen services — from full custom design to rules editing and component restoration — the workshop has built expertise that would not exist in a single specialism. A card-game illustrator who also understands laser tolerances catches problems a pure designer might miss. A rules-writer who has sat through failed playtests knows which sentence in a manual actually causes the confusion. Most requests reach a first response within four hours during our working week, Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 16:30 — outside those hours, messages wait until the next working day, since we are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
None of this is glamorous work in the way it might sound. Most days involve sanding edges, checking print registration under a loupe, and rewriting a rules paragraph for the fourth time because a tester misread it. But it adds up: sixteen people, fourteen services, and a client list that keeps returning for the next box.
Works out core mechanics and turns a client's brief into a tested rule set, usually starting with a paper prototype long before any wood is cut.
Runs the cutting and assembly floor, checks material tolerances, and signs off every board before it leaves for finishing.
Below is the full list of work carried out at our Meanwood Road workshop. Prices reflect materials, printing method and finishing chosen at the design stage. A written quote follows every enquiry, usually within four hours.
We work with you to define mechanics, player count and theme before any artwork is produced. Includes a short design brief, rules outline and a comparison of similar games already on the market.
From £280Clear, tested rule text laid out for print. Covers setup, turn structure, scoring and edge cases. We check wording against playtest notes so instructions match what actually happens on the table.
From £190Digital layout of the main board, sized for the chosen box format. Includes grid alignment, colour separation for print and two rounds of revision before files are sent to production.
From £320Original artwork for card decks, priced per finished card. Style, palette and level of detail are agreed in advance; reference sheets keep every card consistent with the rest of the set.
From £18 per cardDigital sculpting of player pieces or tokens for 3D printing, supplied in a size suited to standard board scale. Includes one revision pass and a test print for approval.
From £95 per figureLathe-turned pawns, meeples and markers cut from birch or beech, sanded and ready for staining or paint. Priced per set of 20 pieces; larger runs are quoted separately.
From £140 per setRigid or folding box construction with a fitted cardboard or laser-cut insert to hold all components securely. Dimensions are taken from your final component list, not a standard template.
From £260Offset or digital printing on 300gsm linen-finish card stock, rounded corners, cut to standard poker or tarot size. Price shown covers a run of 100 cards, double-sided.
From £110 per 100 cardsEngraved or printed six-sided dice in a colour and material of your choice, including resin or wood. Minimum order of six dice; artwork setup is a one-off charge included in the price.
From £60 per set of 6A single working copy of the finished game, hand-assembled from approved files, used for final proofing before a full print run. Includes minor adjustments spotted during assembly.
From £340Structured playtests with written feedback on balance, pacing and rule clarity, run at our Leeds premises or arranged remotely. Priced per two-hour session with up to six testers.
From £150 per sessionProduction of 10 to 50 complete copies for family use, gifting or limited release, including boxes and full component sets. Quoted per copy once component count is confirmed.
From £48 per copyFinal packing of completed copies, including shrink film, box labelling and protective corner guards for transport. Suitable for collection or onward courier delivery within Leeds.
From £6 per copyUpdates to an existing custom game, such as new expansion cards, corrected rules text or a replacement component after wear. Charged by the hour of design and production time.
From £45 per hourNine practical reasons behind nine years of building bespoke board games for players, families and businesses across Leeds.
Every project starts with a blank sheet rather than a template. Rules, board layout and card sets are drafted together with the client, then tested and adjusted over several rounds before a single piece is cut.
Boards, tiles and tokens are cut from birch plywood and beech, sanded smooth and sealed with water-based lacquer. No thin cardboard substitutes are used for pieces meant to be handled for years.
Enquiries sent during working hours receive a reply within four hours on average. Early contact means measurements, budget and rough timelines are confirmed before the working week is out.
Sixteen people cover design, woodwork, printing and packing under one roof in Leeds. Work is not passed between outside contractors, so the person who cuts your board is the same one who checks its fit.
Illustrations, box art and card fronts are drawn to match the theme requested, whether that is a family heirloom map or a company anniversary edition. Colour proofs are approved before full printing begins.
Out of 1,584 clients served since 2017, 398 have returned for a second commission, usually an expansion set or a gift edition of an earlier game. That history shapes how new orders are handled.
Insert trays, box lids and token slots are measured to close tolerances so pieces sit flat without rattling in transit. Prototypes are dry-fitted by hand before a final production run is approved.
Clients across the three districts served near Leeds can collect finished games directly from the Meanwood Road workshop, avoiding courier delays and allowing a final check in person before taking a set home.
Every custom ruleset is played through internally at least twice before delivery, checking for contradictions, unclear phrasing and balance issues. Notes from these sessions are shared with the client alongside the finished game.
Below are answers to the questions we hear most often from people enquiring about a custom board game. If your question is not covered here, the contact details at the bottom of this page will reach someone who can answer directly, usually within about four hours during business hours.
If you are considering a custom board game for a family occasion, a company event or a personal project, write to us or call during office hours. A member of the team usually replies within about 4 hours on working days.
Our workshop sits just off Meanwood Road, within the Meanwood area of Leeds. View the location on a map.
The information on this website relating to Nestinsightanswers and our custom board game production process is provided as is, and is accurate to our knowledge at the time of publication. Details such as pricing, timelines and materials may be changed without prior notice as our workshop practices develop. We make reasonable efforts to keep content current but accept no liability for errors, omissions or delays in updating this page. Visitors are encouraged to confirm specific requirements directly with our team before placing an order or making decisions based on this content.
