Gamebound Collection for Catan Explorers and Pirates

See my other Gamebound Collection Storage Books here.

Note before download: The original boardgame and additional hardware is required. 

This is a replacement storage box for Catan: Explorers and Pirates, sized to also fit the 5–6 Player Expansion. It's part of my Gamebound Collection — a series of book-styled game storage boxes designed to actually look like a matched set when they're lined up on a shelf.

This one was frustrating - many of the pieces were very different from one another, so it was hard to find a good way to stack them.

As a result this one has many pieces sticking out of the top of a separate bin, "sleeve" section. 

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Why the Gamebound Collection?

Most book-style game storage systems size each box to the bare minimum needed for that game's pieces. That keeps individual boxes compact, but it also means a shelf of them ends up looking mismatched — every box a slightly different height and depth.

The Gamebound Collection keeps height and depth consistent across the whole series (width varies by game), so they read as a matched set rather than a pile of random boxes. That consistency started as a request from my wife, and it's become the core design goal for every box in the line since. The Apples to Apples and Catan boxes, for example, are noticeably thicker than the Playing Card box — but they all share the same spine height and depth.

Alongside that, I've aimed to maximize space savings while keeping everything printable on some of the more common buildplates.

Before you print

I'm still refining how to store the game's instruction booklets — right now, fitting them into the box can shift the other pieces out of place, so I'd recommend storing instructions separately for the time being. I'm actively working on a fix.

This design is currently available as a multicolor-filament model. If you're on a single-color printer, you can remove the embossed text — the box should bridge cleanly enough without supports once it's gone. A single-color-friendly version with glue-in letters is planned for a future update.

What you'll need:

Printer:

• Minimum 250 × 250mm buildplate (this is sized for a BambuLab P1/X1 buildplate)

• Multicolor capability for the current version.

  • You can choose to delete the individual letters from the .3mf file and have the printer simply bridge across where the letters would go. With a good temperature calibration, most printers can achieve these short bridges. 

Filament:

PLA. Please don't substitute PETG — it shrinks too much for some parts to fit together cleanly.

Printing Tips:

These panels are large, wide, and thin — exactly the shape that likes to warp. Clean your buildplate well, turn off auxiliary fans if your printer has them, and make sure your filament flow and temperature calibration are dialed in (OrcaSlicer's built-in calibration prints are a good way to check this if you're not sure).

Print Settings:

Hardware Required:

• (8) M3 x 20mm (or longer) Machine Screws (Socket or Panhead)

• (28) 6x2mm Cylindrical Magnets

• Superglue

Tools Required:

• Allen (hex) key sized for the M3 screws — a beveled key makes the center-hinge screws much easier to reach

• Deburring tool (strongly recommended for brim cleanup)

What to Print:

• 1× Top cover

• 1× Bottom cover

• 1× Spine

• 1× Book-box

• 1x Lower Box

• 1x Centering Piece

• 6× Player piece bins

• 1x Fish Bin

• 2x Small Coin Holders

• 3x Large Circle Holder

Assembly: (Read all the way before starting)

1. Lay out the front cover, spine, and back cover, aligning the hinges — they should fit snugly.

2. Screw the M3×20 screws into the hinges. A beveled Allen key makes the center-hinge holes much easier to reach.

3. Press the 6×2mm magnets into the main box piece. Most will be a snug press-fit — but tolerances are slightly loose on purpose in case your printer is not perfectly calibrated. Test each one by trying to pull it back out with another magnet, and add a dot of superglue if it comes loose.

4. Double-check polarity before you commit. I'd recommend using one polarity-insertion tool for all the box magnets and the opposite for all the insert-piece magnets, so you don't have to think about it part by part.

5. Press the 6×2mm magnets into the insert pieces, making sure their polarity opposes the box magnets. One trick: seat a magnet in the piece, place a second magnet against it, then press the insert down into the box — the second magnet helps pull the first into correct polarity and alignment.

6. Insert the 6×2mm magnets into the top cover, using the same press-fit-and-test method as above.

7. Glue the "centering piece" in the bottom of the main-box piece or the top of the lower-box. This is purely to help indexing the two together. 

8. Glue the lower box piece and the main box piece together. Make sure the large opening of the lower box is "up;" that is, make sure it is on the same side as all of the player pieces. 

9. Glue the combined box pieces to the back cover.

Legal Disclaimers

Affiliation

I'm not affiliated with Catan (Settlers of Catan) in any way. This is an unofficial, third-party accessory designed to store the original game's pieces — it does not replace and is not a substitute for the official game or its components.

License

Remixes and commercial resale of this Gamebound Collection design are not permitted.