How to Spot a Counterfeit Board Game Before You Buy

A counterfeit board game usually gives itself away on the box and in the components. Check for the publisher’s logo on the front, sharp printing, sturdy boards and a normal price. Stonemaier Games warns that fakes often lack the publisher’s logo, use glossy, poor-quality mats and have blurry printing. A price far below other sellers is another warning sign.

Why counterfeit board games are a problem

Popular hobby games are copied and sold as new. The buyer gets a game that looks right in a photo but falls short in the box.

The problems go beyond looks. A 2025 Tabletop Gaming feature, drawing on publishers and distributors, described these issues in counterfeit copies:

• Codenames: Czech Games Edition, the publisher, told the magazine it gets customer complaints about misspelled cards and inappropriate words, and that these mean the copy is counterfeit.
• Katamino Family: its UK distributor said unauthorized copies raised paint and wood-splinter concerns, a risk for young children who put pieces in their mouths.
• Oink Games titles such as Deep Sea Adventure: the UK distributor described fakes of these small games made with thin cards, flimsy chits and pixelated printing.
• Kelp: fake copies reached buyers before the crowdfunded game shipped, and in them the shark miniature was replaced by what was described as a toy brick shark.

For a gift, a fake is worse than a disappointment. It can be missing pieces the recipient never knew existed.

How to spot a counterfeit board game

Work through these checks in order. The first two can be done from the listing photos.

1. Look for the publisher’s logo on the box front

Stonemaier Games lists a missing trademarked logo as the first sign. Its example is Wingspan, the bird game that won the Kennerspiel des Jahres in 2019: on counterfeit copies, the Stonemaier Games logo is missing from the upper right of the box front.

Compare the listing photos with the publisher’s own product images. If the logo, the box art or the title placement differs, ask the seller before buying.

2. Check the print quality

Stonemaier describes low-resolution, blurry text and images. Tabletop Gaming’s examples add dull colors and garbled text on the box.

Zoom in on the box photos. Small print on the back, such as the rules summary and the legal text, is where blurring shows first.

3. Feel the boards, mats and cards

Once the game arrives, Stonemaier says to look for player mats, boards or playmats that are glossy and poor quality. Thin cards and flimsy cardboard tokens are the other tells publishers mention.

4. Check the shrink wrap on card decks

Stonemaier notes that on counterfeits, the shrink wrap on card decks lacks an easy-peel opening. If every deck needs cutting open, be suspicious.

5. Count the components

Compare the contents with the component list in the rulebook or on the publisher’s website. Missing or substituted pieces are common in fakes, as the Kelp example shows.

Warning signs in the listing and the price

Many fakes can be caught before you pay.

The price. Stonemaier’s advice is blunt: if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Compare the price with a few other sellers of the same edition. A new copy of a popular game listed far below the rest deserves a closer look.

Stock photos only. A seller who shows only the publisher’s marketing images, with no photos of the actual copy, gives you nothing to check.

Hard-to-find games in bulk. Stonemaier specifically warns about buying hard-to-find products from secondary marketplaces. Many sealed copies of an out-of-print game from one seller is a warning sign.

The seller’s record. Read recent feedback and look for comments about print quality, missing pieces or “not original.” A long, clean record selling games is a better sign than a new account.

What to do if you already bought a counterfeit

Stonemaier Games suggests three steps.

1. Tell the publisher. Include photos of the copy and a link to the listing.
2. Report the product and the seller to the marketplace, such as eBay, Amazon or Alibaba.
3. Report it to a consumer body. Stonemaier names the FTC, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Getting your money back on eBay

eBay’s Money Back Guarantee covers items that do not match the listing, and its policy lists “strong indicators that the item is counterfeit” as a covered case. The buyer must request a return but may not be required to ship the item back.

Timing matters. For items that do not match the listing, eBay says to request a return within 30 calendar days of delivery, or within the seller’s return window if that is longer. The guarantee does not cover items paid for outside eBay checkout, so never agree to pay a seller directly.

Where genuine copies come from

Stonemaier’s advice is to buy from publishers, local game stores and reputable websites. Marketplaces can still be a fair place to buy when you apply the checks above.

Before you buy any gift, it helps to know which games are most worth giving. Our strategy board games roundup covers the next step after Catan, our guide to Spiel des Jahres winners explains the awards on many boxes, and the board game gift finder sorts games by players, age and play time.

Buying popular games on eBay with these checks

The listings below are new, fixed-price items filtered to exclude used, incomplete and replacement copies. They are live listings, not verified by us or by the publishers, so run the logo, photo, price and seller checks on any listing before you buy.

For more gift ideas, go back to our main board game gifts guide.