While The Ultimate Boardgame Backpack started off the GeekOn! company’s spree of gaming products, the team has returned to the drawing table with the ShuttleTote Game Bag, a more affordable design that gives gamers a bag with a lot of ways to pack up all the games needed for a night of tabletop euphoria.

But it still holds a massive amount of board games! There are 59 liters of space available in this cavernous tote—and lots of ways to carry it.

If you’ve got games to carry, then the ShuttleTote has you covered. Let’s see how well it holds up to the strain of carrying cardboard tubs full of plastic and wooden pieces.

What’s In The Box

Just a bag…

But what a bag it is! It’s big. It’s hefty—when the games are in it.

It folds. It zips. It stows. It does what you need to do with your games.

The ShuttleTote can hold up to 50lbs of games and other items. It’s almost 20 inches wide and the height will differ depending on the way you use it—tote or duffle.

There’s also something invisible inside the box: a lifetime guarantee. If you have any issues with the ShuttleTote Game Bag, then GeekOn! will have your back and be able to help out. That’s always a comforting reminder to have in the back of my mind whenever I’m investing in ways to protect my boardgame collection.

Aesthetics And Design

So here’s what the bag has to offer:

It’s got a big central compartment that fits the majority of the games you’ll pack away into the ShuttleTote. It features light padding so that you won’t be damaging the game boxes every time you set it down somewhere.

There are two ways to carry it. The least-strenuous will be the padded and adjustable shoulder strap. I like using this if I’m carrying the bag over a longer distance. It comfortably rests on my shoulder, and I didn’t feel any undue strain. The strap should hold up well, but it also has hooks that are easy to open if you want to take the straps off. You can also use the handles that clasp together over the main compartment. This is super easy to grab if you’re moving the ShuttleTote quickly or crossing short distances indoor or outdoor. I like grabbing these straps most of the time when lifting the bag. I have better control.

If you have smaller games, like micro-games or card games, you can fit them in the front pouch, which is an additional zippered section on the side of the bag. It’s great for games like Coup, Sushi Go!, Love Letter, etc.

My favorite part about the design, though? It folds flat. So I’m going to be able to keep it tucked away until I need it. That’s a big plus for me. I don’t want big bulky bags lying around all crumpled and cluttered.

And for all of the worriers out there, the nylon material is constructed to be waterproof and tear-resistant. This will ensure that your games are protected out in the elements, even if you’re not. Who thinks to bring an umbrella on game night?

GeekOn! offers two color options for the ShuttleTote Game Bag. You can get the blue and neon green color scheme that is pictured through most of the review. But you can also grab the classic black-and-red look, that you’ll see on my other GeekOn! reviews. For a bag that you’ll use periodically—and that’s not a fashion statement—I think the two design choices are enough for most gamers.

Gameplay Use

When I tested this out, I grabbed some of the bigger boxes on one of my bookshelf tiers.

I know this fits Gloomhaven, so I didn’t feel the need to test that out. I packed away Cloudspire, Reavers of Midgard, Mysterium, The Phoenix Syndicate, and Letters from Whitechapel into the main compartment. All five games fit really well. I didn’t have any problem closing the zippers.

Then, in the front zippered pouch, I added an ordinary pack of playing cards, Coup, and Front Line No Komrades. I didn’t try to fill out the smaller space.

So that’s eight games—or more if you count the versatility of a simple deck of cards!

The carrying capacity of the ShuttleTote should definitely be enough for a typical game night. Especially if other players are bringing games as well. And the main zipper, the plastic clasps, and the straps all make it feel secure during transport.

What It Could Have Done Better

GeekOn! also sells Elastic Box Bands to help keep game boxes and lids together during travel. For the price of the ShuttleTote Game Bag, I would have liked to have at least one of these packs included with the tote bag. Having four or eight of these simple elastic bands would make sure that all of the games were stowed away safely.

If you don’t want to splurge on the backpack—or comparable products from other gaming companies—then the ShuttleTote is a reasonable price. I’d prefer to see a bundle offer, though, so that gamers could get the bag, bands, and either the Taco Bit Case set or the Playmat Drybag all together.

A bundle offer would definitely make the ShuttleTote Game Bag more enticing for gamers.

Verdict

The ShuttleTote Game Bag is a great way to start organizing and protecting your games when they’re in transit. Taking games out of the house is sometimes scary because it’s easy to lose pieces or damage the boxes if you’re not careful. Investing in something to safely transport them is smart if you’re big into tabletop gaming, so GeekOn! has smartly provided multiple ways to accommodate that need.

Expensive Kickstarter products are sometimes intimidating to buyers who aren’t sure if they are worth the money.

Rest assured, the ShuttleTote is a comfortable step into the shallow end of boardgame preventative maintenance. As a wise wizard once said, “Keep it secret. Keep it safe.”