The Hotness
Games|People|Company
Eclipse
Gunship: First Strike!
Mage Knight: Board Game
Midnight Men
Agricola: Die Bauern und das liebe Vieh
Hawaii
Star Wars: Battle of Hoth
Wiz-War
Ora et Labora
Rex: Final Days of an Empire
Snowdonia
Barbarian Prince
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Twilight Struggle
War of the Ring
Agricola
7 Wonders
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (second edition)
Dominion
7 Wonders: Cities
Kingdoms
A Few Acres of Snow
Risk Legacy
Arkham Horror
Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization
Thunderstone Advance: Towers of Ruin
1812: The Invasion of Canada
Dixit 3
Elder Sign
D-Day Dice
The Castles of Burgundy
Le Havre
Kingdom Builder
Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game
Race for the Galaxy
Cosmic Encounter
Dominant Species
Dungeon Petz
Battlestar Galactica
Power Grid
Mansions of Madness
Last Will
Twilight Imperium (third edition)
Nexus Ops
Agents of SMERSH
Puerto Rico
Star Trek: Fleet Captains
Kairo
Core Worlds
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Card sleeves a must!
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Recommend
7 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
I'm not known for being particularly condition concious when it comes to my games. Heck a lot of them come from thrift stores and I even take advantage of the ding-and-dent sales from the on-line game stores. But when it comes to the components themselves I'm a bit of a stickler for keeping them in the best possible condition. This is to prolong the life and functionality of the pieces as long as possible (or so I tell myself, it could be that I'm just a bit retentive). Besides, I just like the extra heft and glide that a high quality card sleeve can give to any deck. It'll make the deck thicker and more slippery but that's a small price to pay.

Card sleeves are my big want for games that get used a lot. One, the card sleeves help preserve the cards in games that require an excessive amount of shuffling. Two, they help preserve the cards in a condition that won't stand out when new expansions are added down the line. And three, sometimes the cards are things of beauty but their construction is just not conducive to easy shuffling. In the latter case, I've seen cards that actually have perceptibly square edges making normal shuffling almost impossible.

So what are some of these games. The following list is for those games that are enhanced by the use of card sleeves.

Your Tags: Add tags
Popular Tags: sleeves [+] [View All]
1. Board Game: Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game [Average Rating:7.31 Overall Rank:169]
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
These cards are the ones that gave me the idea for the list. I love to play the game but the cards drive me crazy. They are thicker than normal (and inconsistent between the expansions) and made of something akin to chipboard. They're also coated with a material that will stick together with the slightest change in humidity. The answer: Card Sleeves! Now they shuffle easily and don't stick anymore.
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
2. Board Game: Race for the Galaxy [Average Rating:7.88 Overall Rank:13]
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Is there a card game harder on cards than Race for the Galaxy? The cards are high quality and gorgeous but the sheer amount of handling and shuffling can beat down any cardboard. Card sleeves will protect these until I can integrate the new expansion. Worst case is that I have to replace the old sleeves.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
♪ Isaäc Bickërstaff ♫
United States
Greer
South Carolina
designer
Entropy Seminar:
badge
The results of a five yeer studee ntu the sekund lw uf thurmodynamiks aand itz inevibl fxt hon shewb rt nslpn raq liot.
Avatar
mbmbmb
I have a well-worn copy that's still holding up remarkably well, but I do recognize that once the expansion comes out, they won't be compatible any more. I purchased a replacement copy on the cheap (right at $20, including shipping), and will keep it in shrink until the expansions are released.

I don't like using card sleeves.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 2:40 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Jon Theys
United States
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
What size sleeves work best for RFTG?
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 3:31 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Jason
United States

Indiana
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
AnakinOU wrote:
What size sleeves work best for RFTG?


Thankfully, they are standard Poker size cards, so Magic sleeves work great.

One of my biggest gripes with boardgame manufacturers is the use of nonstandard cards. PLEASE use either standard Poker(Magic)or Bridge (Yu-Gi-oh and other Japanese CCGs) size cards unless there is a VERY good GAME reason not too. (such as playing space considerations in Wings of War).
3 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 3:51 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Richard S
Gibraltar
Reading
Berkshire
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Role/action cards only. They are the ones that get used turn after turn, game after game and are most likely to suffer. Most of the home planets go straight on the table and the rest of the cards get cycled through hands, decks and tableaux, so the wear on them is not quite so high.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Sat Aug 9, 2008 3:46 am
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
3. Board Game: Gloom [Average Rating:6.27 Overall Rank:1195]
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Clear acetate cards? The squarish edges on these make them hard to shuffle, especially since any printing on the card results in a raised ridge. Card sleeves will smooth them out and won't interfere with the see-through aspect (as long as the sleeves are clear).
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
4. Board Game: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game [Average Rating:5.38 Overall Rank:7270]
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
I don't own this but I've seen enough cards to know that they don't stand up well after repeated use. These things are printed on the kind of cardboard that they keep shirts stiff with. The thickness of the cards just scream for sleeves to make them easier to use.
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
5. Board Game: Magic: The Gathering [Average Rating:7.34 Overall Rank:134]
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
They can be used to just protect the value of the cards too. When is the last time you saw a Black Lotus being used without a sleeve. Was it past 1995?

Besides if they're in sleeves you can build your towers much higher because the cards are stronger.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
Aaron Watson
United States
Herriman
UT
designer
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
I've pretty much gone all digital with this game now, but after spending a fortune on the game, I thought it best to protect my investment. Still my all time favorite #1 game though.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 8:49 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
6. Board Game: Arkham Horror [Average Rating:7.57 Overall Rank:69]
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Arkham has many, many decks that get reshuffled EVERY STINKIN' TIME A CARD IS DRAWN! This will tell on the cards after a while and as new expansions come out about every other week, the newer cards will shine through if the old ones (get it? - Old Ones ... oh, never mind) aren't protected.

Do the make protectors for the half size cards that are the items and such?
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
William Hostman
United States
Eagle River
Alaska
designer
Gaming in Greater Anchorage area, Alaska since 1978. Looking for Indy-willing RPG players in Eagle River (or willing to drive to Eagle River). Geekmail me if interested.
badge
Yes, this really is what I looked like when I uploaded that avatar. Not that it's quite current anymore.
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Several Japanese and Korean sites do carry sleeves in odd sizes.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 7:33 am
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
7. Board Game: Runebound (second edition) [Average Rating:7.00 Overall Rank:320]
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
This is my goal - to sheath every card in Runebound and its expansions. I've already pimped it out by getting heart-shaped beads for the hits and glass beads for other markers. I want this system to weigh in at about 25 pounds when it hits the table!
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
James Ludlow
United States
Saint Louis Park
Minnesota
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Does this use poker-sized cards?
3 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 4:10 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
8. Board Game: Dead of Night [Average Rating:7.29 Overall Rank:2011]
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Card sleeves can enhance playability in print and play games that rely on cards. Just use sleeves with an opaque back (even better if the back picture fits the theme of the game). Since most home printers can only handle 110 lb cardstock, the printed cards are rather thin and not too durable. The card sleeves solve that problem without going to the expense and pain of lamination. Now you can shuffle them like a real deck.
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
9. Board Game: Citadels [Average Rating:7.28 Overall Rank:139]
Richard S
Gibraltar
Reading
Berkshire
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
The character cards from Citadels get a lot of handling. They get shuffled and passed from player to player all the time.

You only need 9 sleeves (only need more if you play the expansion).
7 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Good point. I was going to include this one and it slipped my mind. Isn't age wonderful?
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 4:05 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Mike Adams
United States
Brigham City
Utah
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
I prefer not to use sleeves and don't mind some wear on my cards in general. The only cards I have sleeved are the character cards from Citadels and Fist of Dragonstones. You just can't afford to have any marks there with a small deck of secrets.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 4:24 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
♪ Isaäc Bickërstaff ♫
United States
Greer
South Carolina
designer
Entropy Seminar:
badge
The results of a five yeer studee ntu the sekund lw uf thurmodynamiks aand itz inevibl fxt hon shewb rt nslpn raq liot.
Avatar
mbmbmb
OK, for this game, I use card sleeves. It actually makes it easier to shuffle the character cards, since I have to do that side-shuffle thing.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 5:41 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Aaron Watson
United States
Herriman
UT
designer
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Yep. Sleeved the characters in this one.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 8:50 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
10. Board Game: RoboRally [Average Rating:7.25 Overall Rank:155]
Rik Van Horn
United States
Livonia
New York
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
The cards get shuffled every turn.
And each game has at least a million turns.
I almost wore my cards to the nubs before I wised up and sleeved them.
3 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
Tim K.
United States
Seattle
Washington
Avatar
mbmbmbmb
The last AH edition had horribly cheap/thin cards too yuk
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 4:21 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
11. Board Game: Up Front [Average Rating:7.87 Overall Rank:95]
Jeff Myers
Spain
Los Ranchos
New Mexico
"Always rely upon a happy mind alone." Geshe Chekhawa.
badge
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
These are good to protect, but it makes the big stack of cards a challenge to shuffle....
2 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
When faced with huge piles caused by adding the sleeves, I have no problem dividing the stack into two and giving the option to pick the top card from either.
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 4:03 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Scott Smith
United States
Madison
Alabama
Avatar
mbmbmb
statman8 wrote:
When faced with huge piles caused by adding the sleeves, I have no problem dividing the stack into two and giving the option to pick the top card from either.
That's how I set up the game. The action deck is sleeved, but put into 2 smaller piles.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Wed Sep 3, 2008 4:02 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
12. Board Game: Pandemic [Average Rating:7.63 Overall Rank:37]
Tim Porter
United States
Thousand Oaks
California
Visit the Wargame Bootcamp guild
badge
To mark the 60th Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
lots of card handling and deck manipulation during setup and during the game.

2 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
13. Board Game: Kragmortha [Average Rating:5.87 Overall Rank:3283]
Aaron Watson
United States
Herriman
UT
designer
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
When a game requires you to stick one of its cards in your sweaty arm pit or the moist crook of your elbow for the remainder of the game. You NEED card sleeves on the cards in that game.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
Don Weed
United States
Broomfield
Colorado
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Needless to say, I hadn't thought of that reason.
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 9:27 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Marc B.
United States
Palm Bay
Florida
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
We use sacrificial cards for this purpose in this game. I keep a chunk of some old playing cards in the box for the armpit/knee/chin etc gripping.
2 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Wed Sep 3, 2008 5:58 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
14. Board Game: Blue Moon [Average Rating:6.88 Overall Rank:383]
Stefano Castelli
Italy
Rome
designer
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
This one. Absolutely. The cards are huge and are black-borded.

Too bad it is nearly impossible to buy card sleeves for it...
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
15. Board Game: Zoon [Average Rating:5.41 Overall Rank:6756]
Stefano Castelli
Italy
Rome
designer
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
You are costantly moving the cards on the table. Plus, for each combat you are grabbing one of the 4 corners of the card and show it.

Sleeves definitely make Zoon a better game.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
16. Board Game: Battleground: Fantasy Warfare [Average Rating:7.10 Overall Rank:574]
Stefano Castelli
Italy
Rome
designer
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
In Battleground you have to write on the cards.

Of course, you can use dry markers, easy to clean. But almost every people I know use card sleeves for it.
2 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
17. Board Game: Guillotine [Average Rating:6.53 Overall Rank:703]
tom moughan
United States
Rochester
New York
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
A coworker of mine showed me this game for the first time in sleeves - the nobles were one color sleeve...the actions...another. It was very helpful in keeping everything separated.

The quality of card is nice, but they don't seem to thick. When I purchase a copy this weekend, I am sure to do the same.


and for the record, I have never endorsed sleeves...and non of my games have them.

2 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
18. Board Game: Dominion [Average Rating:7.96 Overall Rank:10]
John Cabral
United States
Bristol
Rhode Island
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Since shuffling is a must throughout the game...
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • 0 comments
16 comments [Hide]
Post Comment
Paul DeStefano
United States
Long Island
New York
designer
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Card sleeves are an abomination that prevents the proper tactile appreciation of components.

If a game has cheap flimsy cards, so be it. I want to feel the stock.

If my game becomes marred by overuse, so be it. It shows history and rigorous use.

If I play a game to the point of its destruction, I don't think I would mind buying another copy, even at multiple times its original cost if I loved it that much.

Card sleeves. Disgusting.
4 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 4:18 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Chris B
United States
Oxford
Mississippi
Hotty Toddy!
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
I'm anti sleeve. I've only used them in very specific cases. I have sleeved my Citadels role cards.

I have sleeved a badly marked and worn deck of Daytona 500 cards, after several years of use.

So far, that's it.
 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Wed Sep 3, 2008 4:34 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Stefano Castelli
Italy
Rome
designer
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Geosphere wrote:
Card sleeves are an abomination that prevents the proper tactile appreciation of components.

CUT

Card sleeves. Disgusting.


Your point of view could be ok if card games are being costantly re-printed.

I damaged a card? No problem, two days and I'll buy the game again.

On planet Earth this is not happening, so maybe the only way to find that out-of-print card game that just crumbled in your hands is to search via e-bay and spend lots of money.

Long live card sleeves.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Wed Sep 3, 2008 5:32 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
P.L.A
Spain

La Bañeza/Alcorcón
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
Nobody will touch my virgin cards without a protector with his nasty fingers.
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Wed Sep 3, 2008 5:52 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Stefano Castelli
Italy
Rome
designer
Avatar
mbmbmbmbmb
D0NK1J0T3 wrote:
Nobody will touch my virgin cards without a protector with his nasty fingers.


Right!

Why spend money on card sleeves?

Just use these! cool
1 
 Thumb up
 tip
 Thumb up
  • Posted Wed Sep 3, 2008 6:00 pm
    • Choose your Dice
      • Roll
      • Comment (Optional)
    • Reply
    •  
    • Quote
Front Page | Welcome | Contact | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Advertise | Support BGG | Feeds RSS
Geekdo, BoardGameGeek, the Geekdo logo, and the BoardGameGeek logo are trademarks of BoardGameGeek, LLC.