The tabletop gaming hobby is growing in popularity every day. Each year over 3,000 new board games are released and many new board game companies are created. With the growing popularity of the hobby has also come the desire for ways to spruce up or enhance a player’s gaming experience.
Many gamers enjoy gaming accessories as a way to upgrade their current games or upgrade their gaming in general. There are accessories of all types in every price range. From painting miniatures to building scenery, gamers everywhere have continued to find ways to make game night even more impressive and immersive.
10 Laminators Can Improve The Quality Of Player Boards
Laminators are great little machines that can be purchased online for less than $25. Gamers use laminators for all different kinds of reasons. Some games offer scenarios that are only available online so instead of having to look at a screen or print it on standard printer paper, players can print out the scenario and laminate it for a better-quality component. They are also very helpful for creating dry-erase surfaces. Instead of single-use paper sheets, players can laminate them and use dry-erase markers.
9 Extra Dice Can Upgrade A Game Immediately
Extra dice are always a good thing to have on hand. While many games include the number of dice needed, some games do not and require players to roll multiple times and note previous results. These minor annoyances are quickly dismissed by adding extra dice to the game.
There are also themed dice available that can match the style of the game being upgraded. An extra set of dice is also often used to eliminate the need for players to pass the dice after each turn by simply giving all players their own dice to roll.
8 Game Organizers Make Setting Up A Game Easy
Game organizers can reduce setup and teardown time a lot. By utilizing a game organizer specifically made for a particular game, players can get to the gaming faster without having to separate all the pieces. Organizers are often made out of foam, plastic, or wood, and some of them even come with bonuses like dice towers. Organizers also offer a good amount of protection of game components and stability of the game box itself so there is less to worry about when traveling or transporting games.
7 Etsy Upgrades Can Bring A New Flare To A Favorite Game
There are many wonderful creators on the Etsy website. Gaming fans and artists are all over the website, creating and selling goodies for favorite games. Many gamers like to upgrade components in their favorite games to make them more engaging and flashier on the table. Etsy sellers provide a wide scope of different types of upgrades for games ranging from simple card boxes to fully painted plastic replacements of a cardboard token. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what is available on Etsy.
6 Poker Chips Are A Great Replacement For Paper Money
Many gamers agree that the most-hated component in any board game is paper money. Paper money generally does not last very long, it’s cheaply produced, and one gust of wind could send it all flying. A great alternative for this is poker chips. Poker chips are available in many places and some companies even make poker chips specifically for board games. Some gamers even go the extra mile and replace money in games with custom metal coins. However, poker chips remain a favorite among many gamers.
5 Card Sleeves Keep Game Components Safe
Card sleeves are sure to be familiar to any gamer who has played a collectible card game such as Pokémon or Magic: The Gathering. Card sleeves are a great way to protect cards in a board game, especially when a lot of shuffling is required or if the secrecy of the card is crucially important.
Some card sleeves are made specifically for certain games so players can continue to feel immersed in the experience even after sleeving all of the cards. The most popular sleeves are clear for players who prefer the original backs of cards.
4 Play-Mats Make It Much Easier To Pick Up Components
Every player has felt the struggle of trying to pick up a card on a hard wooden surface, only to realize it is next to impossible and end up just sliding the whole card off the edge of the table instead. Play-mats solve this issue by providing a soft, flexible play surface that makes it much easier to pick up cards, player sheets, and more. They also provide a soft surface for rolling dice so the piercing sound of plastic hitting wood doesn’t disrupt game night. Many play surfaces replace game boards while others are simply used for ease of play.
3 Board Game Tables Are The Most Expensive Accessory Around
While many gamers play board games on a somewhat casual level, some gamers take the hobby a bit more seriously. For board game hobbyists, one of the best accessories out there is a gaming table. Gaming tables usually have sunken play surfaces with a play-mat which makes handling components easier and the lip around the table keeps dice and other components from falling off the board. While it may be quite expensive as a purchase, a gaming table can also transform a gaming experience entirely.
2 3D Printers Allow Full Customization
When it comes to customizing and creating components for a board game, 3D printing is the easiest and fastest solution. When 3D printers were first released, they were extremely expensive. However, nowadays many entry-level printers can get the job done for most gamers.
Many hobbyists also use 3D printers to upgrade components — some even post the files of their creations online so others can easily download and print them themselves. Players are limited only by their creativity when it comes to printing new and upgraded components for their favorite games.
1 Component Trays Keep Everything In One Place
Most board games require players to place components within reach of all players in a neat pile next to the board. However, this is much easier said than done as it can be difficult to keep components all in one place. The best solution for this inconvenience is component trays. There are tons of different component trays out there made of plastic, rubber, and wood. These helpful accessories make it much easier for players to organize components during setup and they also help a lot with usability during the game.
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About The Author
Marc Musso (33 Articles Published)
Marc Musso is a writer, board game enthusiast, and aspiring board game designer based in Dallas, TX. He posts pictures and reviews of board games on his Instagram at @MarcMusso He has been a semi-professional game reviewer, a miniature-painting Etsy seller, an amateur musician, and is now a list writer for CBR.com. Marc loses most board games because he’s usually too distracted by the quality of the cards. His favorite games include Everdell, Gloomhaven, and Dungeon Fighter.