Solstis Insert: I Printed 2 Organizers to Find the Best One
Solstis is one of those small games that hits the table a lot, so I didn’t want to settle for just any insert.
Solstis Tiles
For a small game, it doesn’t take long before the box turns into a loose pile of tiles and tokens.
BeforeAfter
I printed two different Solstis insert designs until I found one that works for me.
Here’s how they compare, and which one I ended up keeping.
Inside This Post
Tile Closeup detail
What Is Solstis? (Quick Overview)
Solstis is a 1-2 player tile-laying game by Bruno Cathala and Corentin Lebrat. You build a mountain landscape from a shared grid of tiles, connecting peak to valley while grouping tiles to attract spirits that score points or grant abilities.
Solstis Spirit Tile closeup
It’s quick to learn, plays in about 20 minutes, and has just enough components to benefit from a bit of organization.
Why You Need a Solstis Insert
Solstis comes in a small box, but there’s still a fair number of tiles and tokens inside. Very quickly, the Land and Rainbow tiles get mixed together, Spirit and expansion tokens get separated, and setup takes longer than it needs to.
Solstis components
For a game that feels quick and zen, I wanted an insert that keeps setup just as smooth.
Laualo Solstis Insert (Thingiverse)
This was the first Solstis insert I printed. It organizes the components well and even includes space for tile stands, which I’ll cover in a separate Solstis Upgrades post.
I printed the expansion version in Overture Matte PLA in Light Green.
On a Bambu Lab P2S with a layer height of 0.24mm, the print used approximately 41g of filament with a print time of an hour.
Laualo Insert in slicer
Laualo Solstis Insert – Full
How it fits the game
This insert does a nice job separating everything:
48 Land tiles – separated into two wells
19 wooden Spirit tiles with a special spot for the red Evil Spirit token
Firefly expansion tokens (only 6 of my tokens fit, leaving 2 tokens out)
Some empty space remains along the length of the box
No box lift
Everything has a defined place, which already makes setup and cleanup smoother than the base box.
Extra space in Laualo insert
What I like
Simple and effective – It organizes everything without overcomplicating the design.
Room for upgrades – The empty box space for tile stands is a big plus if you plan to upgrade the game with small tile stands.
Special Spot for Evil Spirit Token – This special token sits in a special spot in the insert and can be easily left out of the game if you prefer.
What didn’t work
Doesn’t fit all my Firefly tokens – It only fits 6 of the 8 Firefly tokens from the expansion. The description is in French, so it might fit non-USA editions better.
Have to remove Insert out of the box to grab the tiles – You have to pull the whole insert out to access tiles. There’s no way to grab them from above unless you dump everything out. Once you remove the insert, there are cutouts to allow accessing the tiles. (See image below)
Bottom of Solstis Insert with tile cutout holes
Overall Thoughts
This is a good insert, especially for a free file. It improves organization and adds flexibility for upgrades.
Evil Spirit tile
But after using it, I started looking for something that could fit my version of the game and make it easier to access the game components.
BoardGameMeta Solstis Insert (MakerWorld)
Recently, one of my favorite board game insert designers released an insert for the game.
I printed the two-color version in Bambu Lab PLA Basic Jade White and Matte Sky Blue.
On a Bambu Lab P2S and AMS 2 with a layer height of 0.24mm, the print used approximately 106g of filament with a print time of 3 hours and 17 minutes.
BoardGameMeta Insert in slicer
BoardGameMeta Solstis Insert
Solstis with easy access to components
How it fits the game
This design fills the whole box, leaving room at the top for the instructions and Player Aid.
Land tiles stack vertically in one column and are easy to remove
Firefly expansion tokens have a dedicated cutout
Everything sits snug with very little wasted space
No box lift
It turns the small Solstis box into something that feels much more intuitive and organized.
What I like
Excellent use of space – It fully uses the box, and everything fits cleanly without shifting around.
All components fit properly – Unlike the first insert, this one handles all the firefly tokens without any issues.
Looks great – The design is clean, and the two-color print really makes it stand out.
What was Meh
Multi-color printing waste – This was a two-color print, which means more filament waste. I included a photo below of the purge just to show how much that adds up. If that matters to you, you can print the one color option to save time and filament.
More print effort Between its size and the multi-color setup, this one takes more time (3.2 hours vs 1 hour) and effort to print than the first insert.
A Note on 2-Color Purging
If you’re printing the BoardGameMeta insert in two colors with an AMS (or similar multi-color device) and a single nozzle, expect a significant purge pile. The color changes between white and blue add up fast – 28 grams of poop plus a 7 gram purge tower.
It’s still worth it for me, and luckily, it’s quite a small insert. But if filament waste is a concern, you can print the whole thing in a single color, and it still looks great.
AMS Purge from 2 color Solstis Insert
Overall Thoughts
From one of my favorite insert designers, BoardGameMeta, this insert has a stylish, deluxe look. Everything fits cleanly, including the Firefly expansion tokens.
BoardGameMeta Solstis Insert full
The white body with sky blue accents matches the Solstis color palette almost perfectly, which is a nice bonus. There are finger cutouts throughout so you can grab components easily, dedicated wells for the firefly tokens, and separate sections for each tile type. The insert and components can stay in the box during your game.
Solstis Insert
Best Solstis Insert: Laualo vs BoardGameMeta
Here’s how the two Solstis inserts compare, side by side.
Laualo Insert with optional Tile Stands
BoardGameMeta Insert
Category
Laualo Insert (Thingiverse)
BoardGameMeta Insert (MakerWorld)
Box Fit
Has extra space for small upgrades
Uses the full box space
Organization
Could be improved, must take the insert out of the box to remove tiles
Intuitive design and easy access to components
Firefly Tokens
Doesn’t fit all tokens for US edition
Fits all tokens
Setup & Cleanup
Faster than base box
Excellent. Insert stays in box and can be used during game.
Print Difficulty
Simple, easy print
More complex (if printing multi-color)
Filament Use
Uses less filament
More waste in multi-color (multi-color purge)
Aesthetics
Functional
Best-in-class aesthetics
Quick Take
Laualo is a simple insert, easy to print, and gets the job done. Bonus space for Tile Stand upgrades.
BoardGameMeta requires more effort and filament for the 2-color version, but offers a more stylish, more component-accessible design.
Topdown view of Laualo Insert with space for upgrades
BoardGameMeta insert has space for everything
Both are simple, one-piece designs that slide easily in the box. Neither of these Solstis inserts has any box lid lift.
No box lid lift
Which Solstis Insert I’m Keeping
I am keeping the BoardGameMeta insert.
It simply uses the box better, and I can take the tiles out without removing the entire insert. Everything fits cleanly, nothing shifts around, and it looks absolutely great.
Solstis Game with 3D Printed Insert
What’s Next for Solstis
The insert is just the start. My next post covers some must-have Solstis upgrades that make your game experience so much better.
Solstis Upgrades
Final Thoughts on the Best Solstis Insert
Small games benefit from inserts just as much as big ones, especially games you play often.
If you want something simple, efficient, and quick to print, the Laualo insert gets the job done and leaves room for tile stand upgrades. If you want something that fits every component cleanly and looks great doing it, the BoardGameMeta insert is worth the extra print time.
Either way, your box will be in much better shape than it was to start.
Solstis organized with an insert
Have you played Solstis? If you use a Solstis insert, which one are you using?
