There are various reasons that a gamer may consider buying a premium organiser for a game. These range from personal taste (a relatively low priority) to the game not having in-box storage at all (much more serious). The game Dinosaur Island from Pandasaurus Games demonstrates two of the common reasons for upgrading:
Lots of components: Dinosaur Island comprises of 11 game boards, 119 tiles, 89 cards, 116 meeples, 54 dinosaur meeples, 10 dice, 126 tokens, 64 marker cubes and a cloth bag.
A cardboard insert: The manufacturer's storage solution for all these parts is made from very basic single thickness corrugated cardboard. While this will do, it is rather flimsy and does not fully organise out all the components relying on the zip-lock bags to finish the job.
Therefore, an upgrade is desirable. Various companies have stepped up to tackle this demand using a range of materials, including cardboard, foam-core and wood products. We recently took a look at the “Dinosaur Organizer” from Laserox, a company based in Hungary. For the UK/world market this can make shipping expensive. However, if you arrange collection at an event such as the UK Games Expo (as we did) then you can save yourself some pennies. At the time of writing the organiser itself costs 50 Euros (approximately £42.50).
This organiser is confirmed to be compatible with Dinosaur Island (2017), Dinosaur Island Extreme Edition (2018) and Dinosaur Island promo packs. So it is important to check the buying guide to ensure this will work for your game.
The organiser is supplied flat packed as five and a quarter sheets of A4 sized, 3mm plywood. To turn these into a fully fledged storage solution you will require a fine blade such as an Exacto knife, sandpaper and wood glue. Before starting your project it is wise to consider if you are likely to apply any finishes to the organiser such as paint, stains, varnish, wax etcetera. If you feel this is something you would like to do, it may require you to take some extra steps, before assembly, to achieve the best results. For examples of applying finishes, see my earlier reviews for the Hogwarts Battle and Oathsworn organisers (also by Laserox).
In this instance, I chose to assemble the product as provided as the finishes I may apply can be done equally well once assembled. The Dinosaur Organizer is a fairly simple, small-medium size Laserox product. It comprises of 81 components making 10 trays/holders. To build it you just have to follow these simple steps:
Cut Out: This is best done one organiser item at a time. Carefully cut out all components for the chosen tray/card holder using a sharp, narrow blade. This is done by cutting the small joining tags that hold each component to the sheet. If the tag does not cut fully then some gentle twisting should free it.
2. Clean Up: After removal most components will have a small amount of the tag left on their edge. This should be removed/smoothed with sandpaper or an emery board. Care should be taken to not remove too much material when doing this, as it can effect how well pieces fit together.
3. Layout: Before gluing I highly recommend laying out all components in their correct orientation this will help avoid making any mistakes whilst gluing up.
4. Glue and Assemble: Sparingly apply glue over all connecting surfaces ensuring good coverage. This is best done with a fine implement such as a small brush or a toothpick. To make it easier to keep components in place whilst gluing and assembling, I recommend using some masking tape. This will help hold pieces in place while you add more components and while the glue dries. Ensure to remove as much excess glue as possible using a sharp knife and/or a damp cloth.
5. Soften Edges: Once the glue is fully dry, remove any masking tape and lightly sand
down the external surfaces, paying particular attention to the edges and corners of each organiser item. This will make the organiser much nicer to handle and will be safer for you game components.
6. Wipe Down: Before putting your organiser to use, ensure to remove all dust and loose material with a cloth or a vacuum cleaner. Once this is done, you're all set to enjoy the benefits of having a proper storage solution for your game!
The whole process, if given the due care and attention described above, will take the better part of a day to complete. I personally enjoy such projects but if crafts and construction are not your idea of fun you may find this a little tedious. However, once built and cleaned up you get to fill the organiser with all the games components. This is pretty straightforward, as many items have laser etched details showing what they hold or clearly hold components based on size and shape. There are some details that aren't necessarily accurate for every compatible version of the game, however. For example, the coin tray has an area marked for coins with a value of 10 but these are not featured in every version.
That being said, however, this organiser fits very well in the original box with almost no lifting of the lid. All the components are protected and secure with plenty of space to accommodate the sleeving of your cards. The Laserox design is so effective that it allows for the game to be stored vertically without items getting jumbled.
Overall, I think this is a really well-designed product with some lovely laser-etched details to enhance its visual appeal as well as aid packing away and game play. The build is fairly straightforward and the instructions clear. What you end up with is hands down a vast improvement on the standard cardboard and bags provided by the manufacturer. It is sturdy, visually appealing, well organised/separated. The only issues that stop this scoring top marks are:
Compatibility - while not Laserox's fault, there are multiple versions of the game and this product sadly is not able to work with all of them.
Price - for a mid-sized game this organiser is quite expensive. However, if Dinosaur Island is one of your favourite games you would hate to see it damaged and therefore investing in its safe keeping is probably worth raiding the piggy bank a bit.
Therefore, I award Laserox's Dinosaur (Island) Organizer a roarsome 5/6 on the DOALG Dice Rating. I can't wait to see what new items they will be showing off at the UK Games Expo. Until next time folks – Stay safe and keep gaming.
Samwise
Comments