When it comes to playing tabletop games, there’s one surefire way to enhance your experience: getting a gaming table. Grabbing yourself one of the best board games of the year might provide some fleeting excitement, and organising your collection with a nifty board game storage solution will streamline each session. But if you really want to make your gaming more convenient, a board gaming table is the ultimate pick.
Offering a range of bespoke, board game-focused features, they’ll make playing quicker, easier, and more enjoyable. From hidden storage areas for dice and accessories, cup holders to prevent unfortunate spillages, and folding mechanisms that will quickly transform them into regular dining tables, they make taking a game from shelf to table heaps more convenient. Plus, most look gorgeous in their own right.
We’ve compiled this list of the best gaming tables to save you the effort of furiously hunting down the appropriate furniture. Every table on this list is designed with tabletop gaming in mind, whether that be a simple game of cards, or a sprawling strategy board game. You’re sure to something of the size, type, and variety you need.
While you could spend an eye-watering sum of money on a gaming table, there are plenty of affordable options available. We’ve collected the gamut of options.
Wyrmwood Prophecy
Gorgeous, classic, and maybe even infamous, the Wyrmwood Prophecy is the definitive gaming table. Boasting all the bespoke features you could ask for in a gorgeously handcrafted package, this premium option will cater to every one of your tabletop needs.
This premium option will cater to every one of your tabletop needs
While other tables might include a sunken play area that can be covered for storage, the Prophecy cuts out the middleman with its hand-cranked lift mechanism. Play a game on the table’s flat surface, before lowering the central play area and covering it. Your game will sit safe and sound, until you’re reading to lift the lid, crank up the play area, and resume the game, right where you left off. It means you can play on a flat surface without having to awkwardly reach into the recess, while being able to keep everything in one place when you’re done.
Additional accessories can be attached to the table’s perimeter, too, using a magnetic rail system. Add cup holders, dice trays, card shelves, or a “master shelf” to accommodate your GM screen and tabletop RPG books. You can even customise the Prophecy with a gridded, wet erase battlemat, or an acrylic overlay that lets you annotate maps and notes.
This table, however, is as expensive as it sounds. After placing a $7,000 / £5049 deposit, you’ll have to shell out extra for its various customisable gubbins. Available in a range of wood and fabric options, this is a table for those you really love convenience, and have the wallet to match.
Jasper
On the more affordable end of the spectrum sits Jasper. Solid and straightforward, it boasts all the most important features of a gaming table. A sunken play area lets you set up games and play to your heart’s content, knowing no dice will make a daring exit off the table, or a carless knock will send your game pieces skittering over the edge.
If you’re pressed for space, the optional ‘table topper’ can be placed over the recess, transforming your gaming space into an ordinary dining room table at your convenience. The idea is for the table to double as your gaming station and dining area, saving space and faff.
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Except this isn’t a normal table. Customisable cup holders, wine glass holders, interior wing shelves, and dark walnut or natural finish will make it stand out from your average piece of four-legged furniture.
The interior play area is wide enough to accommodate the biggest games, and not so deep that you’ll be straining your neck as you crane over to get a look at the action. Coming in at $749 / £540, and an additional $398 / £287 for the topper, this won’t be covered by your loose change, but the functionality of leaving your games mid-way through without any packing up could make all the difference.
Buy nowJIGSAW TABLE
For a slightly more unusual option, consider a jigsaw table. Even if you won’t be fitting together little pieces of shaped cardstock, they offer a good size playing area that will cater to most popular board games, and feature convenient storage draws for game components.
A good size playing area that will cater to most popular board games
This wooden jigsaw table fits the bill. Its large playing area is certainly big enough to hold any two-player game you’ll be placing down, and even party games can comfortably fit across its area. Its green felt top is a little unnecessary for board gaming purposes, but won’t do any harm – it might even help with games of Jenga. The storage trays are its real charm. Large enough to fit dice, pens, paper, or even packs of cards, this table might just become your next Pokémon playing area.
Made from sturdy wood, and sporting a raised lip around its perimeter, it might be designed for puzzles but it has all the essential features for a solid gaming table. Plus, fold-down make it portable – whether you’re taking it around am ates or shoving it behind the sofa. Handy.
Buy nowChess table
A stout, square, wooden table with a chessboard inlaid on its surface might not look like much, but could be all you need. If you’ll mainly be playing card games, or tabletop games with small boards, chess tables offer a classy solution that take up little space, and look good in any room.
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This table is a prime example. There are no hidden features to speak of; it’s just a flat top, with a draw for storing pieces and components. But its small size and narrow frame make it easy to cram into tight spaces, and its polished wooden surface isn’t too hard on the eyes, either. Plus, you’ll get a chess table. Learning how to play chess isn’t nearly as difficult as it might look, and will open a world of strategic tabletop possibilities. This is a good pick if you’re limited on space.
Card table
If you won’t be playing sprawling board games that cover vast areas, or are after a portable solution that can be set up and taken down in a jiffy, card tables are a solid bet. Their smaller area will fit nicely in a tight spot, folding legs make them portable, and their flat, square surface means they can usefully function as a dining table if you’re looking to hit two birds with one stone.
Their smaller area will fit nicely in a tight spot
This affordable folding card table ticks all the boxes. With its metallic legs, plastic top, and slim profile, it won’t win any awards for aesthetic vitality, but is more than serviceable. Most importantly, it’s sturdy, comfortable, and has a cheerful design that’s just as suitable for playing Magic: The Gathering as opening up a mid-size eurogame.
And the price isn’t too bad in our books. You won’t be getting any bells or whistles, and you’ll have to look for another board games storage solution if you want to neatly organise your games. But for those after a straightforward option on which you can game without having to worry about dinner interrupting you, this is a good pick.
Buy nowPoker table
Whether you’re looking to throw down a few chips, or are after a large area to cover with board games, poker tables are a brilliant option. Their large size is enough to accommodate even the biggest Gloomhaven dungeon, and their elliptical shape keeps every player in on the action.
This folding poker table may not look like much, but there’s a lot of utility under its felt. Cup holders around its edge can be used for cold brews and handfuls of meeples alike, and its ridged card holder in the centre also doubles as a useful token store.
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Sure, the divided green felt wouldn’t pass muster in a poker game, but when you’re trading in Catan, who cares what’s under the board.
Folding legs might not be the most attractive choice, but if you need an inexpensive table to throw dice or play cards, this should see you right. And who knows, maybe you’ll kindle a newfound interest in poker.
Source: Wargamer
