This is a topic that keeps coming up places. How do you get a table for board gaming that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? Now, the ones that are out there, they look amazing, but man can they be expensive. A board game table might run $2-5k depending on how big it is and how many bells and whistles it has. And just a new gaming tabletop, think like a ping-pong table top that you can put on top of another table can cost $700 or more. But it is nice to have a dedicated space for gaming, or something that feels more functional anyways.

The Simplest Solution

The easiest way to make a gaming table, actually, isn’t to make a gaming table. It’s to make a gaming table topper. Now, I said that those can be expensive, but you don’t even need a full topper. The reason gamers like gaming tables isn’t because the table, the padded rail, and all of that make the games better to play, it’s because it can be hard to pick up cards off of a regular table. You can slide them, but that doesn’t always work. So instead of doing a table topper, a neoprene mat is a great option. One that the cards can sit on for each player, if you are doing something like Magic the Gathering, or a big one if you are playing The 7th Continent. Whatever you decide, it’ll help keep the cards off of the table and make them easier to pick up.

Don’t Go Too Fancy

With this, however, don’t go too fancy. There are a ton of gorgeous looking mats out there, but they are super busy. I have a very nice looking one for Hanamikoji, but it doesn’t get used. Why is that the case? Because, it is too busy. You can’t see the cards on the mat. Now, that doesn’t mean you go with a solid color one, necessarily. Game Toppers, is an example of a company that does artwork on a neoprene play mat right. You see how the design is in more detail on the edge, so as you play in the center of the play mat, you don’t lose pieces or cards on the design of the board. With that said, the plain colored mats also look great, and you don’t have to think as much about theming/look in the room.

But You Really Want a Table?

Okay build a table yourself? Now, you aren’t a woodworker, I’m not a wood worker either. But it isn’t impractical for most people to make themselves a functioning board game table. What are the things you look for in a gaming table? Ease of picking up cards and somewhere safe to set a drink are the two that pop into my head.

The Table

Keep it simple here. All you really need is a large enough table. Where you find it, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are both great spots to find a used table set for a reasonable price. This isn’t something you need to go and buy new for, especially since it’ll be getting modified. Instead look for something that is large enough for the games that you have. If you have Gloomhaven, you need a much bigger table than if you play primarily games like Ticket to Ride and Catan. So judge what you need for game play, but also for how much space it takes up in the room. Some spaces can’t accommodate a huge table. You might be playing Gloomhaven, but not be able to fit a Gloomhaven sized table in there. In that case, look for additional things, such as TV trays to help supplement, plus TV trays work well for holding drinks.

Table Surface Options

I already mentioned one with the neoprene mats. But if you picked up a table, you now know your dimensions, and could get one. There are other options a well. For a cheaper option, get some wood staples/stapler and a big thing of felt. Start stapling on one side pulling the felt under the lip to staple it and stretching it as you go. You want to keep the felt tight as you go around so it won’t slide too much. Felt will stretch and get dirty, but you can vacuum is off easily. This won’t be as clean a look as a neoprene mat, but it is much cheaper, especially if you already have the wood stapler or know someone who does.

Drink Holders

Final issue is where do you put your drink. I have coasters that I normally use on my gaming table. But for some people, they want separation between their food/drinks and the game. I get that, I’d prefer not to have wine or beer spilled on a board game. So there are a few options to consider. The first goes back to TV trays. Those are great when it comes to being able to set snack plates on and drinks on. It keeps the drinks completely away from the board game. Or you can get cup holders. Now, some of the fancy tables come with them built in, and you could get nice wooden ones. But I found some that I was going to use that I liked. They were just plastic cup holders that I was going to screw onto the table. They have a little lip to hold onto a rail on a boat, but that set them out far enough that it’d work for a table. Getting 8 of those was cheaper than anything wooden and gave me the distance I needed with the lip of the table.

Start Playing Games

Now, this isn’t going to look as pretty as an actual gaming table. But if you look enough on Craiglist or Facebook Marketplace, you can probably find a solid table and chair set for $100. Even with a neoprene mat and cup holders, you are looking at $300-$500 versus an actual gaming table which is probably going to be thousands. Maybe, eventually, you’ll want to set aside money for one of those, but let me know what creative ways you have made a gaming table.

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