The number of popular big and complex board games has grown over the years. This usually means games come with many components, often stored in plastic baggies, making setup and teardown a time-consuming process. Some publishers try to solve this by including inserts in the box, but well-designed default inserts are rare.

This isn’t a big deal if you occasionally play a game, but for frequently played titles, organizers are a godsend. SETI has quickly become a favorite in our group, and while unboxing and organizing it, one of my first thoughts was that this game could use an insert. Enter Laserox’s SETI organizer!

Like most wooden inserts, this one arrives as flat sheets. You punch out the pieces and assemble them. The assembly instructions include a map of the pieces on each sheet. It would’ve been easier if the sheets had numbers printed next to the pieces instead, but this is not a big deal, as you only assemble the insert once. The process took me a few hours. The instructions recommended glue for some parts, but I didn’t use any, and everything held together perfectly. A few pieces were a very tight fit (I even needed a mallet to tap them into place), but Laserox mentions this is rare and offers replacement parts if it happens. So, make sure to reach out to them if you experience this.

The insert features separate compartments for everything, and the design is excellent. I was impressed by how neatly all the components fit and how well the trays locked together. Most importantly, there is no lid lift once everything is stored in the box.

Now, let’s talk about the trays. Three card holders fit sleeved cards and leave room for potential future expansions. The two resource trays come with lids to keep tokens in place regardless of the orientation of the box on the shelf. You can place these around the table for easy access.

Each player gets their own tray for tokens, which also fits their starting income card.

The alien compartments are also excellent. One holds all tokens for each species separately, while the other stores the cards. The card holder even has each species’ name engraved on the side.

One of the insert’s best features is the technology trays. They hold both the tiles and the victory point tokens, and removing tiles from them is effortless. During setup, you just pull these trays out of the box and place them on the game board.

Solo players aren’t forgotten; there’s a dedicated tray for solo cards and objective tiles, with a lid to keep the tiles secure.

Overall, this insert is fantastic! If SETI hits your table often, this is one of the best investments you can make to save time on setup and teardown. It’s functional and beautifully designed, with thematic engravings on most of the trays that look great on the table.

Disclosure: We received a review copy of this insert.

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