Space Base Player Boards

UPDATE 2025-01-27

As requested, I have added variants of these boards that have raised (rather than embedded/flush) icons and numbers for those who don't have MMU capability and do not mind the extra height these add to the boards. These models all start with "raised_" in the filename and should not be merged with the numbers models.

Original post:

This is a multi-layer player board for the game Space Base. Unlike nearly all of my other game models, this one does NOT support sleeved cards. Each player board is printed in three pieces but there are two options for how they connect.

Option 1 is using 3mm x 6mm cylindrical magnets (such as these: https://www.apexmagnets.com/magnets/3mm-x-6mm-cylinders-neodymium-magnet) in the corners of the boards. (You'll want the strongest such magnets you can find and all the magnets I've seen on AliExpress are N35 which are not nearly as strong as the ones from Apex, which are N48.) You will need 8 magnets for each 3-piece board. (Four go in the corners of the center board and two each on the corresponding corners on the end boards.)

Option 2 is 3D-printed hooks as a part of the model. In my limited use so far both options seem to work pretty well. The boards using magnets are quicker and easier to assemble when setting up the game and are probably less likely to break over time.

Each of the board pieces are the same length and width as the boards that come with the game, although these are thicker so 5 full player boards will not fit in the provided insert of the base game. To solve for this, I have designed an insert [https://www.printables.com/model/754378] to replace the one that comes with the game. (I don't have Space Base: Command Station so I don't know how these would fit in that box.)

Another feature of these boards are recessed and offset card layers for the "deployed" cards, so you don't slide the cards under the boards when using these, but rather tuck them under the top card and let them rest against the built-in stops. (See the pictures for what this looks like.)

The numbers on the board are embossed but I have provided the number STL files so you can import them together with the board models to easily set the numbers to different colors if you have a printer capable of automatic filament swaps. (Or if you want to manually swap, using one board color plus two different number colors—as in the pictures—should result in only 9 filament swaps.)

These models were designed to print at 0.16mm layer height, including the first layer. If you print at another height the card stops will not be at consistent intervals, and this might impact the fitment of the magnets/hooks. You will probably also need to use the Arachne wall generator to get the numbers across the bottom of the board to print decently.

I printed these with 15% gyroid infill, but you can use 10% infill if you increase the number of top shell layers by one (or if you don't care about slight imperfections in the top surfaces). PLA/PLA+ works great for all of these.