Why I Wanted One

Besides the fact that a board game table just seems cool. I did have reasons that I wanted to get one. In particular with Malts and Meeples I want to stream campaign games. However, with my current set-up that means every time I stream, I set-up the game, set-up the cameras, set-up the lights. It isn’t too bad when I play something like Paper Dungeons, but with Sleeping Gods, I needed 25-30 minutes to rush to set it up every time.

And I don’t consider Sleeping Gods to be that hard when it comes to set-up. So other games that I want to try, things like Folklore: The Affliction or Solomon Kane or Middara: Unintentional Malum Act 1, those are much bigger. That means it’s going to be a whole lot more work to get it to the table. And some evenings with a toddler, I am rushing at the very last second to get stuff ready for the stream.

I could stream later, start at 8:30, buy an extra half hour. But that is not that useful for me a lot of the time. Mainly Marvel shows come out on Wednesday and I like to watch them without it getting late. So I like that start time at least for myself right now. And having a table with a topper would solve a lot of the problem.

What I Wanted in a Board Game Table?

So what did I want in a board game table? Firstly and most importantly, I wanted a table that I could get a topper for. So one with a decent recess to play at one level, and then the topper for normal gaming. I also wanted to get one that would fit the playmats that I already have.

So I own three Watson sized playmats from Board Game Toppers LLC. They do some with great artwork. So I didn’t want to not be able to use that. I want a table that is going to fit it nicely on top or on the inside.

There are other elements as well that interest me. I wanted to work with a company that had stuff in stock. Too many companies run Kickstarters or Gamefound campaigns that are going to be delayed for when they ship them out. I also wanted one where they’d have accessories in stock later. Stuff like cup holders are very nice. I do have TV trays that drinks can be put on, but a cup holder is also very nice.

Jasper by Board Game Tables

So why did I pick this one?

Let’s start out by talking about price. Board game tables are not cheap and to get everything I wanted at once, and to get new chairs, it probably would have been $2000+. That is more than I’d be selling from my collection.

So I looked it down to more stripped down options. And I looked at a few different companies before landing on the Jasper by Board Game Tables. The big thing for me, like I said, is the topper and using the mats that I already had. I found a place that would do more custom work, but that was more expensive. No surprise there, really. But that is the only way to get the mats I had to fit in the recessed area.

The Jasper by Board Game Tables, on the other hand, comes with a mat. That means that I already had something that’d fit down in it. It with the topper fits, however, the Watson playmats from Game Toppers LLC just about perfectly. The width is right and the length is just the tiniest bit longer for the table, but that is the right direction to err.

So just with that, the shipping, table, and topper, the whole thing came to $1400, much better than a $2000+ bill for something custom. And the other companies out there, like Wyrmwood, they make amazing extremely high quality and hand crafted projects. However, that also made their base stuff more expensive, and less ideal for the playmats that I already had.

Final Thoughts on a Board Game Table

Board games are 100% a luxury item. And I am fine picking up something like that. On an average week, I would use the table three times, or two, for playing games. It’d also help make streaming easier for me.

I love to stream board games. But it becomes work towards the end of most campaign games. The amount of set-up as you unlock more things, that can be a lot. Even if a game is not a legacy game with unlocks, some games just have a ton. I don’t even know how to film something like Middara: Unintentional Malum Act 1 because of how much it has.

But a game table is going to help me out a lot. And I am excited to get it and get it set-up. I ordered the game yesterday and I know the shipping labels are printed already. I hope that it gets picked up today. If that is the came, sometime this weekend it’d likely show up. And when it does, I’ll be posting pictures on Twitter.

Do you want or have a specific table for playing games? Is it like my current one an DIY project and do you want a recessed one like I am getting?

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Pros

• Price
• Variety of options
• Legs for the toppers
• Mats

Cons

• Price

The Page

This isn’t the first Kickstarter that Game Toppers LLC has run, and you can tell. Now, it can be a bit intimidating to look at because there are a ton of different options. So you need to scroll through all of them to see what there is and what you might want. I wish that there was an easy to read infographic about the size differences.

Now, with that said, for each topper size, they do a solid job of laying out what the size would probably be best for. And the do have a graphic that shows what different mat designs are in different sizes, but it doesn’t scale well on the page, so I had to mess around with it to figure out which images were available on which sizes.

The Product

The products look really good. Even with the legs, these are a whole lot cheaper than most board game tables. And I think that it’s a product that makes pretty good sense. Now, I will knock it a tiny bit because you need to store it, and these aren’t small, even coming in multiple parts. If I were to get one, I would just put it onto my gaming table and leave it up for good, and I guess that a fair number of people just do that.

So, I do have price as a con as well, and that’s more just that these are a luxury item. They are priced really well, and I mean really really well. But $700 plus if you want to get some different mats and shipping, it adds up pretty quickly. But that is very reasonable for the product being sold.

And finally those mat designs. There are a ton of awesome ones in there. I like a lot of them, in particular the Viking, Laukat, and Cthulhu all look amazing. Even if you aren’t in the market for a full topper, those are great looking. And again, super reasonable price for the size of mat that you are getting.

Back or Brick

So, is this a back or a brick for me? You probably guessed already that it is a back for me. Now, I am not backing for a table topper. I have a decent gaming table already. But I want a mat, or two. The mats make it so much easier to pick up cards, and these are some of the best priced mats I’ve seen. The Kickstarter is definitely the time to get them as well. And I won’t lie, I am really tempted by the double mat bundle and give my games a little bit of thematic choice so I can match what type of game I am playing. Plus the Game Toppers LLC is from my home town.

Is Game Toppers 3.0 a Back or a Brick for you? Do you already have a special gaming table or game mat that you use to play?

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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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