Possibilities for the Future of 3D Printing & Gaming

From classic games like checkers and Tetris IRL to originals like chair-stacking and crosshairs, 3D printing goes well with gaming. Anyone with access to the correct hardware and SLA files can easily recreate, invent, or customize games of all stripes. Already, it’s led to a rollout of brand new board games and tabletop titles.

For some 3D printer fans, tinkering with mechanics is a significant pull. Rather than reassemble a mechanism, they’re creating all parts of a machine from the ground up—and no project is too fringe or small. For example, there’s even an SLA outline for creating a mini pokies machine.

Today, most pokies fans have moved online to play Mega Moolah and other jackpot titles with virtual casinos. In a digital setting, pokies are some of the most visually dynamic and memorable games in the casino industry—not to mention, they tend to have higher RTPs.

But historically, pokies were a simple lever-and-pull mechanism, called a ‘one-armed bandit’ in certain regions. For the pokies player who has moved on to a virtual casino, recreating one of the original machines through an SLA outline is a great way to honor the game’s legacy—and create a unique challenge.

So, what could the future of 3D printing and gaming hold?

Fan-First Board Games & Unending Accessories

As mentioned above, 3D printing puts the power into a creator’s hands—the sky’s the limit for many projects. But rather than reinventing classic titles, 3D printers are a great way to add more fanfare to board games like Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, Scrabble, Magick: The Gathering, and more.

Creators are able to print out unique characters or pieces, whether looking to add a new player token in Monopoly or flesh out characters and powers from collectibles card games like Magick: The Gathering. The idea is that 3D-printed figurines add a layer of customization and personalization to beloved games.

Rather than imagining a spellcasting wizard, skilled fighter, or deadly rogue, a player could have a small token that represents their powers in a game like D&D. Given the game usually comes with a starter set, regular players who have access to a 3D printer can turn theirs into a one-of-a-kind collectible edition.

Customization for Digital Gamers

Clearly, 3D printing has a promising future as a board game, strategy game, and puzzle game solution—either to create new titles or simply add more personalization to existing games. However, 3D printing can also affect the future for digital gamers who spend their time before a screen.

3D printing could provide viable solutions for hardware customizations, such as an ergonomic mouse shell that is fitted to a user’s hand. This can lessen the strain on wrists and fingers for gamers with hair-trigger responses to FPS and RTS titles like Call of Duty and StarCraft. The same goes for other hardware like headphones and keyboard shells.

A New Battlebots Scenario

Lastly, 3D printing also has the potential to change remote-controlled games, such as BattleBots and even drone races. Competitors who are responsible for building their own bots or drones from the ground up are already likely using some form of customizable production, which 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize.

Going forward, 3D printers could provide a solution for even remote events. In other words, as competitions like BattleBots and drone races expand globally, could 3D printers allow remote contestants to participate? Much of this will also rely on more streamlined connectivity, which is occurring now through the rollout of 5G networks.

Already, some events like this exist, such as RemoteGames. This lets remote competitors race on a virtual course with real vehicles from vast geographic locations—and all the competing vehicles are created from 3D printers.

This is a paid guest post.