Here's a good start of terms that relate to game making. This section relates more specifically to terms used for creting a game board, but many apply elsewhere. Feel free to add more to the list!
Acid-Free: A term applied to paper products from which the acid content has been removed and in which an alkaline balance is maintained by the addition of buffer chemicals. This means that the materials won’t adversely affect other paper products in contact with them (won’t yellow or weaken surrounding papers) and will typically last longer.
Adhesive: The life blood of game board production. For most all applications, some sort of spray adhesive is the material of choice for its ability to coat a large area with an even coating of adhesive.
Backing: The covering applied to the back of the game board. Generally equalizes the curling and warping forces exerted upon the board by the facing. Used to protect and decorate the back of the board. On a case wrapped board, allow an additional 3/4” on all sides for extra backing material to wrap around the board and under the facing. The backing material may be cloth, paper, or any number of synthetic alternatives made to simulate a wide variety of materials.
Bleed: Also called bleed zone. Area outside the finished dimensions of a game board. Artwork that is to touch the edge of a finished game board must extend beyond the trim edge by 1/8”-1/4” or more. This is to ensure that any misregistration when trimming a piece to it’s finished size doesn’t expose unprinted paper. Also, the extension of artwork into said area.
Board: The central component of a game board that provides stiffness. Usually a dense paper product, though other materials may also be used.
Board, Book Binder’s: Also called Davey Board (brand name). A stiff, durable board that is created in a single ply to resist warping and bending. It’s dense quality also resists deforming of the corners. Available in multiple calipers including .098 (VERY thick, like 3-ply chipboard) and .079 (closer to 2-ply chipboard) and usually sold in 13” x 19” pre-cut sizes. Typically fairly expensive for game boards (a bundle of four 13” x 19” sheets costs about $12-$16). Book binder’s board is almost always acid-free and archival quality.
board, Chip-: Also called pressboard or box board. One of the least expensive board material for use as game board. Typically created in a single thickness that is then laminated to create greater thicknesses. Single ply chipboard is typically used for making game boxes. 2-ply chipboard is ideal for boards and tiles. 3-ply and heavier are available, though their thickness will make it more difficult to cut evenly. The laminated multi-ply versions are susceptible to warping and bending, though typically not a problem for game board applications.
(Board) Foam Core: A lightweight material made from 2 layers of paper sandwiched around a central core of foam. An inexpensive material that is usually thicker than most board stocks and is also susceptible to crushing and disfiguring of the edges and corners. This makes it more ideal for prototyping than for traditional game boards.
Board, Illustration: A medium quality, less expensive alternative to mount board. Only slightly more expensive than chipboard. Available primarily in white (one side is white, the reverse is typically a dull white). Comes in varying thicknesses, most of which are about the thickness of single-ply chip board, some slightly more, but none are as thick as 2-ply chip board. Available in two finishes: Hot pressed has a smooth working surface (good for printing directly onto), and cold pressed, which is more coarse.
board, Mat-: Also called matte board. Typically used for matting pictures for framing, matboard may be used for a game board or for game counters. Matboard is almost always found as a single ply only slightly thicker than single-ply chipboard. It has the advantage of being available in an unbelievably wide variety of colors and finishes. Matboard also comes in a variety of core colors. This allows it to be used for an exposed edge game board with no backing required. Prices range widely from inexpensive to prohibitively expensive depending on color, material and finish of the matboard. Not all matboard is acid-free, so be sure to ask if that is important to you.
Board, Mount: A medium quality, less expensive alternative to matboard. Only slightly more expensive than illustration board. Available in only a few color combinations (all black and all gray cores are available). Available in single thickness (slightly thicker than single ply chipboard) and double thickness. Not all mount board is acid-free, so be sure to ask if that is important to you.
Board, Poster: Inexpensive card stock that is generally available in large sizes. Not suitable for most game board applications, but ideal for printing out tuck-boxes or display boxes that won’t fit on standard letter-sized card stock. Typically coated on one side (which will NOT accept ink-jet printing) and uncoated on the other (which will accept ink-jet printing).
(Board) Wood, etc.: Many good alternatives for a game board may be found at any well stocked hardware store. Such alternatives can range from hardwood, plywood, hardboard, or other such building material. Many materials that are meant to be covered by the facing material (hardboard, etc.) are typically available in any size sheet and starting at 1/8 inch thickness. Hardwoods and plywood may be used without any covering with the playing surface embellished by printing, drawing, carving, etc. Typically, these materials require more involved methods of cutting (a saw is necessary in most cases) and some finishing is required to avoid rough edges.
Caliper: A measurement expressing the thickness of a paper or board stock. Typically expressed in inches (.079 = 79/1000 of an inch thickness), or in a form that represents thousandths of an inch (79 pts. (points) = 79 mil = 79/1000 of an inch).
Case Wrapped: When the backing of the game board is wrapped around the edges and onto the face. The facing is typically laid so that it overlaps the backing that is thus wrapped. The typical case-wrapped game board is 1/8” - 1/4” larger on all sides than the facing material, allowing the backing to show between the edge of the facing and the edge of the game board.
Cloth (backing): Unbacked cloth (as opposed to Book Binder’s Cloth) that may be used as a backing for game boards. Test your adhesive on a scrap to see if it stains or discolors.
Cloth (board): A single or multilayer board composed of cloth or a man-made synthetic. Materials range widely from felt to vinyl. Many types of cloth will readily accept screen printing or other methods of embellishment.
Cloth, Book Binder’s: Also called book cloth. A cloth that has a paper layer glued to its back to allow adhesives to be applied without staining or otherwise affecting the exposed fabric. Excellent flexibility and crack-resistance makes this ideal for board backing, but it can be anywhere from moderate to highly expensive. When used as a backing, the hinge of the game board does not need to be reinforced with tape. Book binder’s cloth will readily accept printing and foil stamping.
Exposed Edge: A game board type with no case wrapping to cover the edges of the board material. The overall size of the game board is typically equal to the size of the facing. Typically the facing and backing (with sufficient bleed) are glued to the board and the board is then trimmed to the finished dimensions.
Facing: The printed playing surface that is glued to the face of the game board. Some board are produced with a printed playing surface on both sides of the board.
Foil Stamping: Also called hot foil stamping. A die made from metal or other hard material is used in conjunction with heat to embellish an item with metallic and/or colored foil in a desired pattern or image. Some game boards use foil stamping to render a logo or image into the backing of the game board so that it is prominent when the board is folded. Some materials (like book binder’s cloth) will accept hot foil stamping more readily than others.
Fold, European: A game board made with no gutter, whose boards butt end to end when opened. Since the stress of the fold is focused along a single line rather than spread over the entire area of the gutter, boards of this type will typically need to have the hinge reinforced with tape.
Fold, Quad: A method of folding the game board so that the folded board is 1/4 the size of the overall board.
Gutter: The gap between the pieces of the core material that allows the game board to be folded. Typical game boards have a gutter of approximately 1/4”.
Hinge: The section of the game board designed and created to allow the board to fold. Boards may be separated by a gutter and may use the facing and the backing to reinforce the hinge. Others may have no gutter between the boards and will hinge entirely on the facing or backing alone. In these cases, the hinge is typically reinforced with book binder’s tape.
Laminate: To conjoin two materials by means of an adhesive. Also a thin material so joined to a typically thicker base material.
Marks, Crop: Short horizontal and vertical lines drawn at each corner of a piece of artwork, showing where to trim the artwork to its finished size. Crop marks are drawn in the bleed so that they are close to the edge of the artwork, but not touching (anywhere from 1/8” or more away).
Tape, Book Binder’s: Also called hinge tape. Heavy duty flexible tape used to reinforce the hinges of a game board.
Tiles: Small, individual boards that may be pieced together or used independently to form a single or multiple playing areas.
Varnish: To coat a material with a liquid that will harden and protect the material. Also the liquid so used.
Darkehorse and some other BGDF memebrs have been working to put together a wiki for this site to post useful information and content in an easily updated and usable format.