Post read time 3 min read
Release Date: 2019Publisher: Folded Space

 
Clans of Caledonia by Karma Games comes with a lot of wooden pieces, cardboard tokens, player boards and the modular game board. Fitting everything in the box, while keeping things organized, isn’t easy. It’s a very tight fit, if you separate all the different pieces into baggies or small plastic containers. However, the insert from Folded Space sorts everything neatly into separate boxes.

Inserts are generally useful, and the Clans of Caledonia Insert is no different. Not only can you safely store all components and boards neatly into the original game box, but setup time is greatly reduced, because you can quickly hand out player tokens to everyone and put resources and coins in reach of people, and set up the game board, end of round goals and contracts without fuss. Putting everything away is also very quick, and once everything is back in the box, the lid closes nearly fully, with standing only a couple of millimetres proud, which is really hardly noticeable.

As with all inserts, it takes some time to put everything together, but the parts punch out very easily and the instructions are fairly good, consisting of mostly illustrations, making it relatively easy to work out what parts go together. In fact, related parts are grouped together on the same foam sheet, so it should be no trouble to find what you need. I found a couple of things that weren’t fully clear, but only took me a couple of minutes to work out for myself. For example, it wasn’t clear to me that there were two of some of the containers, but when I ended up with extra pieces, it became clear what they were for. So it was no real issue, even for a first timer like me.

The foam is pretty sturdy, due to the coating, and when each box is assembled, it is very strong. It needs only a little glue to keep things in place, and the insert is very light, which is great, because Clans of Caledonia is already a fairly hefty box, especially if you have upgraded to metal coins. Speaking of which, the containers easily support the metal coins, which is impressive given how much weight there is in those coins.

It’s the first ever insert for me, so I don’t have any comparisons, but I feel the Folded Space insert does a great job of keeping everything in place inside the box, without anything rattling around too much. That means you can easily take the game with you to a friend’s house without worrying about facing a heap of loose components when you open the box at the other end.

Folded Space make inserts for a large number of other games, and I would recommend you look at their website to see if there is one for your game. Just bear in mind that the table presence of a foam insert isn’t as impressive when compared to a wooden one, especially if the wooden insert has been stained or otherwise customised, but to be honest, when playing Clans of Caledonia you don’t really look at the containers, as the focus is on your player mat and game board, as well as the contracts, market, etc. However, it might be different for other games, where the insert might be a more integral part of gameplay, so it’s something to consider if you decide to buy an insert for your game.

Speaking of which, also check out my article Keeping it in, where I discuss inserts and other storage solutions in general.

As I say, I’m really impressed with this particular insert and very happy with the overall quality and durability of the product. So have a look and see if one of your games could benefit from a Folded Space insert.

Transparency Facts

I feel that this review reflects my own, independent and honest opinion, but the facts below allow you to decide whether you think that I was influenced in any way.
  • I backed the insert on Kickstarter and paid for it myself.
  • At the time of writing, neither Folded Space, nor Karma Games, nor Juma Al-JouJou have supported me financially or otherwise.

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