Who Are we?    

The tImeline

  • One of our founding members is introduced to Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition by his father. He invites his friends over to learn and they schedule their first session zero.

  • Our group grew to 6 weekly players and we decided to adopt the term “Basement Dweller” and spin it into a positive. This is the origin of our name, The Basement Forge. It’s where we go to create new tools for other basement dwellers.

  • By this point most of the Basement Dwellers had gone their separate ways for one reason or another, university, joining the military, and in some cases just trying to escape their hometown. Some members attempted to bring D&D to new friends, but needed a system to make introducing the game easier. So 35mm tiles from the hardware store were used for a game grid and paper cut outs were used as stand in for characters and monsters.

  • A close friend reached out asking for helping building sets and game boards for their hobby shop. We build small set pieces and started printing OpenLock tiles for game nights. That’s when we realized there was potential for improvement.

  • Sadly, due to the events of 2020 & 2021 our friend’s hobby shop went under and we were left playing D&D virtually. In our off-time we started looking at how we could improve the OpenLock design and simplify the sets. That’s when we discovered Devon Jones, a designer who improved the clip system. We had been working on a way to stack rooms and decrease the print time of tiles. We’ve incorporated much of their design into our sets.

  • We finally incorporated and started selling tile sets and some miniatures in the Milwaukee, WI, area. Gathering feedback and iterating until we had something we and other players were happy with, what we call “Gen 5.”

  • In February we decided we were ready to bring our updated system to anyone who wants to try it. We are excited to see the response. The website launched in March with a plan to add new features and make our entire product catalog available to ship by summer.

What Makes Us Different?

We know there are several different tile systems available today, believe us, we’ve played on more than we can count. We believe there’s a gap in the market and players need a system that is simple and more reasonably priced. We ship unpainted tiles and minis because, as players, we know painting our own parts brings the game to life in a way that mass market parts can’t. This approach means we can get your order to you quicker and pass the handling savings on to you. For more information check our FAQs.

Why play on tiles?

Tile systems and miniatures help new players get immersed in the game faster, and elevate the experience of long time players by introducing a new dimension of play. On several occasions we have introduced tabletop games to kids and teens to promote collaborations and socializations, in our experience, a physical element to the games helps get people playing. That being said, tiles and minis are not necessary to enjoy the game, some of our best memories are playing with a few sheets of paper, a set of dice, and the theater of the mind.

How do we do it?

Our team has years of 3D modeling, design, and marketing experience. We reviewed the dungeon tile systems currently available on the market, we adopted the things we liked, improved the things we didn’t, and brought new some new ideas to the table. From there we fired up our 3D printers and started building sets. This means all of our products are made in the USA. We are also always taking suggestions for new tiles or terrain types, and when the design is perfect you can find it here.

Why do we do it?

We’re players too. We want to bring a better solution to players because we know if we bring it to you, you’ll provide feedback and suggestions to help us improve and the whole community can benefit. We also have a long term goal of brining our product free-of-charge to spaces serving children and teens. We believe the act of collaborating with others to create, develop, and explore a world can be a rewarding and healthy hobby for a developing mind. We’d like to make the hobby that has brought us so much joy available to as many people as possible.

Frequently asked questions

  • No, we don’t currently offer painted tiles. Our approach of shipping unpainted tile allows us to offer affordable prices and to get your order to you as quickly as possible.

  • Yes, on the product page there should be an option to add “pre-primed.” This means you can jump straight into painting when you receive your order.

  • The design of these parts poses a challenge for traditional manufacturing processes like injection molding. 3D printing technology has advanced significantly over the last few years and the quality is comparable too or better than mass produced parts. Worried about the look? In most cases a single coat of primer and a light sanding makes is nearly impossible to tell the tiles are 3D printed.

  • Yes, we offer a 14 day return policy if you’re dissatisfied for any reason. Use the contact form here to start the process. More information about our return policy can be found in our Terms and Conditions.

  • No, In many cases we are using models licensed under Creative Commons BY or permission has been granted by the original designer. We also support creators on websites like Patreon where commercial-use permission is granted by the modeler. Credit and information about the original modeler will be included in each listing. Consider supporting their work.

  • Yes! We really like the direction the community is moving, trying to use one clip maximizes compatibility. Our tiles are 35mm and our clips are simply scaled up by a factor of 1.378. We plan to release and adapter to fit and adapt inch scale clips, this FAQ will be updated when the part is available.