For many years I’ve been lucky to have an Allplay Jasper board game table. It’s a rectangular 6-person table with an inset and a 3-piece topper. It looks nice, yet it isn’t too heavy to move when needed.
However, we’ve been talking about upgrading to an 8-person table. I’ve been flooded with ads and recommendations for options (Bandpass Design, Uniquely Geek, etc), and I thought I’d talk through it here in case you had any thoughts.
Based on how we use our current table, it’s really rare that we play on the inset (a receded area underneath the main surface). That space works great for campaign games, but we don’t play many campaign games (and if we do, we’ll still have our 6-person table). So I don’t even know if a special gaming table is needed or if a nice dining room table would work just as well.
There are, however, two luxuries I’d prefe to have: built-in cupholders (which seem to be surprisingly rare) and built-in card holders.
Last, many of the companies that make custom tables offer options for the legs: 4 legs on the outside, a central trestle, etc. I tend to think that something central can more flexibly fit people (no bumping knees or chairs into legs).
What do you look for in a dining table that can also be used as a gaming table?
Jamey,
Several years ago, I decided to back the Wyrmwood Table Kickstarter and it was a tremendous purchase. I can’t touch a game table now for what I paid for that table (~$2K). I did purchase the topper and I have tested it by pouring a bit water over the top and the seal is exceptional. That was a big thing for me. Not that I use it as a dining room table, but because I host and conduct so many playtests for publishers throughout the year, the bottom holds my playtests while the topper is used for weekly Game Nights.
Cheers,
Joe
Thanks for sharing this, Joe! That’s a good point about the seal.
I have had a uniquely geek table for maybe 4 years and love it, but mainly for the inset so I can setup a game before a dinner party and then set the table atop it etc. and avoid the potentially long game setup after it’s all cleared away.
That said, the cup holders are absolutely terrible on this thing and we’ve had more than one broken glass because the magnets just aren’t strong enough. So, beware.
That’s a clever way to prep for game night in advance. Thanks for the word of warning!
Something to make sure you do if you’re getting a larger table: Measure the amount of walking space. We have an 8 x 4 table, and if I have one regret, I wish I could saw one foot off of the long side, because my game room is not the most maneuverable place in the house sometimes.
That’s a great point about measuring!
Cup holders are great to have vs glasses on the table with the game. I always worry about a spill.
I actually have the Dresden XL table in your image with the same legs and the table top leaves. I love the built in card holders and cup holders. We don’t really use the dice bins much and I usually have the covers on those which match the bamboo.
It has 8 “game stations”, but with the table top on, it easily fits 10 people (which we have at Thanksgiving).
The other nice thing about the size is you can actually have a couple games set up or a game and a puzzle on the game surface. One thing I like on this one vs others is that the playing surface is actually adjustable. You can have it almost flush with the surface or at the bottom. We don’t often keep games set up under the tabletop, so I keep the game surface at the top level which we find the most comfortable.
It is certainly a luxury to have a game table, but this is also a really nice dining room table.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the Dresden, David! You make a great point that it’s big enough for multiple games.