A board game table is a piece of furniture specifically designed for housing board games. Typically built on a solid wood base with a recessed velvet top, board game tables will allow you to host game night in style. However, with that luxury comes a price tag that can be a bit steeper than that of most everyday tables. Is the extra cost worth it?
There are at least eight reasons why board game tables are worth it, with factors such as stability, piece protection, and style all important considerations for making a board game table part of your home’s interior layout. With that in mind, the following breakdown looks at the top reasons why board game tables are worth it.
1) They Will Be More Stable Than Makeshift Options
Many people improvise during family game night, often pulling some old, foldable picnic tables out of storage or tipping over a couple of buckets and placing a large piece of cardboard or plywood over the top.
While these may fit the ticket in terms of financial economy, you will be wishing that you had doled out a few dollars when you discover, three turns into your game, that the legs of the old picnic table are annoyingly uneven or when somebody leans too hard on the makeshift top and upsets all of the progress made in the game.
By choosing a table specifically designed and constructed to accommodate intense board game action, you can be sure that your games remain soundly in place as the action unfolds.
2) It Can Help Protect Your Games
While many people rig together makeshift game tables, there is an equally great number of players who decide to clear off sections of the kitchen counter or dining room table to let the play begin.
Not only are these surfaces usually cumbersome to gather around for the sake of a centralized game, but they must be thoroughly cleaned to protect cards and game pieces from building up sticky residue and food remnants.
This is easier said than done (especially in homes with children), and your cards and game pieces will wear out more rapidly if you have to frequently clean them after playing at a dirty table. Therefore, having a special table set aside for games can help ensure that your game components stay cleaner and have a longer useful life.
3) You Can Save Your Games in Progress
Every board game enthusiast has gotten so caught up in a game that 3:00 AM snuck up on them before they knew it. Struck by the overpowering urge to go to sleep, they know that if they stop now before the game is resolved, that it will never be finished because their significant other will clear the table for breakfast in the morning.
With a specialized board game table, all you have to do is put the topper on, go to bed, and resume action at the next convenient time, whether that be in the morning or two weeks.
4) No Lost Pieces
How frustrating is it to plan for a round of your favorite board game, only to find out that one of the pieces is missing, effectively making the entire game set worthless? Or when you go to draw a card and your elbow accidentally brushes a piece, causing a domino effect that sends pieces rolling off the table and clattering across the hardwood floors?
This is not a concern for those with a gaming table, as the recessed playing area makes it impossible for pieces to fall off the table. Just don’t upset your opponent to the point where he or she gets the urge to chuck a piece at you, as the recessed design will offer little help in such a scenario!
5) Easy to Pick Up Cards
It is no fun playing Texas hold ’em when you feel like you need a spatula to see what hole cards you got dealt. When playing on sticky surfaces, players either have to slide the cards across the table to get them to the edge or pick at the corners of the card with their fingers, which often yields more damage to the card than success in seeing what is on the card’s down-facing side.
With the felt surface of a gaming table, it is convenient to maneuver and pick up cards, allowing you to take a subtle peek without drawing the attention of your opponents.
6) Built-in Beverage Holders
Never underestimate the power of cup holders in cars, lawn chairs—or board game tables. As the game intensifies deeper into the night and the competition gets decidedly less casual, it is a foregone conclusion that someone will get excited, forget their whereabouts, and knock over their drink, effectively putting an end to game night and possibly ruining the game with one fell stroke.
The built-in beverage holders on gaming tables may get overlooked, but they are a critical aspect for ensuring that game night is as enjoyable as possible.
7) You Can Use Them for Purposes Other Than Games
Although having a table specifically devoted to games is a great idea, and it can help protect the longevity of your favorite games, it is a bit of a hard sale if you are just not THAT much of a game enthusiast. If this is the case, take solace: a gaming table can be used for far more than just games.
Gaming tables come in various shapes and sizes (more on this below), making them useful for several purposes. Just place the table topper, or a nonporous table covering, over the top of your gaming table and use it as a surface on which to paint, perform your favorite craft, or house the appetizers for your family get-together.
How Long Should a Gaming Table Be?
The size of the gaming table depends on what games you intend to employ it for. No matter what the choice or size you end up going with, the most important consideration is that players are as centrally located to the center as possible and that all players have access to the board.
- For small to medium games of between 2 to 4 players, a small, square table with 36- or 48-inch sides will typically work best.
- As the games and group size gets bigger, a square table can still be good, but not more than 60-inch sides, as anything longer than this makes it hard for the players on the ends to reach the center.
- If you have a large group of players (typically more than 6), oval and racetrack tables are the best bet for getting as many people as close to the action as possible. A nice size for oval and racetrack tables is 96 inches across the longest point of its diameter.
8) It Is a Work of Art
People put their artistic tastes on display in several forms, so put your gaming table on display with pride. The rich wood base and soft, velvet surface conveys elegance and refinement, and the table itself is sure to be a conversation starter when visitors notice these qualities.
Conclusion
While board game tables may be a bit expensive, they are undoubtedly a piece of furniture worth having. From their outstanding stability to how they enhance the gameplay experience, the eight reasons mentioned above are strong considerations to take when contemplating a board game table as your next purchase.