Today, I’m going to talk about ModCube, a product that I have had a lot of fun using, and which I think really improves the “user experience” for a number of naval games. ModCube started out as a Kickstarter campaign, but has now transitioned into being available through a web store.

Description

In simple terms, ModCube consists of a two-piece frame that, when snapped together, forms a cube that is rougly half and inch to a side. The six faces of that cube accept acrylic tokens, meaning that you can configure a cube to do any number of things. Most commonly, that something will be to serve as a token/counter replacement for a miniatures game. The ModCube store has a number of “off-the-shelf” token sets that, when combined with the cubical frames, allow for a much more convenient way of keeping track of status conditions, damage, and the like. If there is not a ready-made set for your particular game, there are two options. First, ModCube has just rolled out a custom token maker, where you can upload designs that the company will then cut of out acrylic for you. The other solution is to buy blank tokens and adapt them to your chosen game (more on that in a second!).

However, that is just the start of what ModCube can do. For example, you can put symbols on the sides of the cube, to make a custom D6 for a game you might be developing (these things are pretty robust, and actually roll fairly nicely). Or, you can use the cube to represent a crate or objective marker. Some gamers have even found a way to make their ModCubes “glow” by using translucent tokens and internal lighting mechanisms! Simply put, these things are extremely flexible, and their possible uses are really limited only by your imagination.

Quality & Value

ModCubes are very well made; the engraving on the tokens I received as part of the Kickstarter is clear and sharp, and the frames snap together tightly and securely. I definitely get the impression that these things will stand up to plenty of normal (ab)use. Cost wise, ModCube sets are competitively priced with many of the acrylic templates and tokens for the same game system. For example, a set of ModCubes for X-Wing will run about $42, while a set of comparable acrylic markers from Litko will run about $37. However, I should point out that a significant chunk of the ModCube cost comes from the plastic cube frames, which can easily be separated and reconfigured for a different game. So, you wouldn’t necessarily need a unique set of cube frames for each game system you are using Modcubes for.

Case Study: My Custom DW ModCubes

What better way to show the flexibility of this product than a practical example? Like  probably many Dystopian Wars players, I have struggled with keeping the sheer number of tokens used in the game organized. Often, the tackle tray I kept mine in would get scrambled either due to me not putting tokens away where they need to go, dropping the tray, or other such calamities. Many times when I’ve been playing DW, I found myself hunting for a minute or more through my token tray trying to find the right token to use! When my ModCube KS order arrived, I saw a golden opportunity to solve this issue once and for all. However, to date ModCube has not offered an off the shelf token set for DW, which means I would have to make my own.

My solution was to re-size the Spartan Games tokens down to the dimensions of the blank ModCube tokens I bought as part of my order. I then printed them out from my computer, cut them out, and glued them to the blank tokens. Here are a couple of shots of this process in action:

Thinking it out, I realized that the most common tokens I used during a game fall into one of 3 categories: Ship status (derelict, prize, disordered, etc), Critical Effects (shredded defenses, half AD, ect), and Persistent Effects (Lighting Rod, Spotted, Fire, etc). So, I made a set of cubes for each category. The great part is, with the rainbow of colors available for the frames, I was able to color-code them by grouping as well for even easier identification during a game (Red for Critical Effects, Black for Persistent Effects, and Military Green for Status). So far, I’m very happy with the result. The glued-on cutouts seem to be staying on with no trouble, and it really has streamlined what before was always an aggravating part of playing the game. Here is how they look in action:

Conclusion

I am very happy with my ModCubes! I’ve been very impressed by the value, quality, utility, and flexibility of this product. If you are looking at upgrading the components for one of your games, ModCube should be your first stop!