Enhance Your Gaming With The Perfect Table

Posted Sunday, 6-Dec-2015

When a folding table just won’t cut it, a dedicated board game table may be just what you need.

Contributed by Crystal Pisano

Board games come in all shapes and sizes, from the boxes they are stored in to the space needed to most efficiently play and enjoy them. For the many people who live in apartments, small houses, or like to travel with their games, the smaller the footprint of the game, the better. But not all games have a small footprint. Some tables are too small or too large to comfortably game on.

Having a table built for board gaming can enhance your gaming experience in a number of ways. We spoke with Chad from BoardGameTables.com to find out what the design process is like when making a board game table and how gamers should go about choosing the right one.

Chad explained that he knows the struggles many gamers go through when trying to game on a conventional table. He says, “Everyone has tried to play a game on a table that was too small. As a result of this, the natural reaction of most people is to buy a table that is too big. Sure it’s nice once a year when you break out a massive eight player game. But the rest of the time it is uncomfortable, you can’t reach things, and you can’t read the cards on the other side of the table.”

Chad also mentioned that some extra additions to board game tables can be a nice bonus that become a can’t-live-without-it feature. He says “The cup holders really are worth it. Especially the built-in, slide-out cup holders like we offer. The nice thing is that they are always there. A quick slide and your drink is out of the way.”

Chad also gave us some info about what’s coming to the tables on his website in the future when he explained, “I also really like a new accessory we have that isn’t even on the website yet: Wing shelves. They are just a simple surface to store your snacks. They don’t look like much, but they are incredibly useful.”

And if that cool information wasn’t enough, Chad also gave us the inside info that BoardGameTables.com will be offering three new tables (in addition to the rectangle and hexagon tables currently on their website).

The new options will consist of a larger rectangle, a bar-height square table, and a coffee table. They just showed off the prototypes at BGG Con and these new styles will be on their website soon. Anyone interested in more details can email help@boardgametables.com to ask for more information.

Any furniture purchase is going to take a small chunk out of your wallet, and a gaming table is no different. When we asked Chad about the prices of the tables, he said “If you love playing games and you play a lot of them, then a quality table is a good investment. It will last for years and you will play thousands and thousands of games on it. One of your favorite hobbies will be better. I understand that our tables are expensive. For most of us, it’s not a purchase that we can make hastily. For that reason, we’re more than happy to talk to you as you are considering your purchase.”

So how will having a gaming table add to your gaming experience? Chad boils it down to two main points. “First, the practical. It really is a lot easier to pick up cards. It really does keep your bits on the table. It really is comfortable to rest your elbows on the rail. Second, the epicness. You’re playing a board game for an experience. Whether that’s to pretend to be a starship captain or to prove you are a better rail baron than your friends. A nice table—the backdrop of your game—makes every game bigger. It makes every game a feature event.”

So if you’re looking to upgrade your playing surface to something that will add to your gaming rather than detract from it, you should consider buying a gaming table. The tables currently offered and soon to come to BoardGameTables.com are some great options that are less expensive than some other gaming tables but are sure to make game night even better.

So what if you buy a board game table and you want to really break it in? There are times when you want to play something epic. Something that the sight of it would stop a non-gamer in their tracks and make them ask, “What in the world is that?”

The five games listed below are all epic games that definitely need more than the average amount of table space to play. These games might even be the motivation for purchasing your first gaming table. All five of these games are rated in the top 100 games on BoardGameGeek.com so they are definitely worth checking out.

Twilight Imperium

Diplomacy, warfare, and technological progression each play an integral role in your quest for galactic domination. This game allows 3 to 6 players to each control an alien race and build an empire on their way to victory. It also takes up a lot of real estate on your gaming table.

Aside from the large amount of table space required, this game also takes hours to play so it is perfect for a group of gamers looking for an in-depth gaming experience.

Find the best prices for Twilight Imperium

Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game

Star Wars hype is reaching a fever pitch in media, games, and other retail products as a result of the upcoming release of The Force Awakens movie. Gamers know that Star Wars has been utilized in a number of impressive board games over the years.

One of the most popular of these games is the X-Wing miniatures game where you and your friends take on roles within the Imperial Fleet or Rebel Alliance and battle it out in space. Engaging in dog-fighting combat is far easier when you’ve got a spacious table to spread your ships out on.

Find the best prices for Star Wars X-Wing

Battlestar Galactica

It’s humans versus cylons in a battle to save (or destroy) humanity. For fans of the rebooted TV show, this is a must-play. It is widely regarded as one of the best board game interpretations of a popular Intellectual Property and while the base game can be set up on a reasonably small table, this game really shines when you add in some of its expansions such as the Exodus Expansion that adds extra boards into the mix.

Giving yourself more space to lay out the boards and cards will make for a more comfortable gaming experience and allow for a less squished set-up, which is always a plus since you never want to be TOO close to a cylon.

Find the best prices for Battlestar Galactica

Descent: Journeys in the Dark

This fantasy-themed adventure game has one player taking control of all the bad guys as the overlord and everyone else controlling heroes who are embarking on quests and venturing into caves, forests, and dungeons to battle monsters.

The game doesn’t have a typical board, rather it has modular pieces that are double sided and can be build out to accommodate the game’s many scenarios. Some scenarios take up more space than others, so the bigger your table, the more options you will have available to you.

Find the best prices for Descent

Sid Meier’s Civilization

Inspired by the legendary video game series of the same name, this board game adaptation allows 2 to 4 players to take on roles of famous leaders from civilizations throughout history, each with different abilities.

You develop technology, military, economy and culture in a effort to claim victory through a number of different methods. A large amount of table space is needed for all the components of this game but whether you’re a fan of the video game series or like strategic games and want to dive into this world for the first time, it’s worth checking out.

Find the best prices for Sid Meier’s Civilization

Main image photo credit: Bart Quicho

Published by BoardGamePrices.com



