As Arielle is undoubtedly the queen of board games at NAG, the rest of us must fall somewhere below. [Ed’s Note: Only queen for now, Cody won’t admit it, but his board game collection is well on its way to rival mine.]
If owning a deck of cards or one or two games, like Monopoly or Catan, puts you on the board as, say, a pawn, then I would probably be a knight.
However, in my recent journey up the board game ranks, I have picked up a few tips and tricks that would be great for beginners, and are probably so ingrained in Arielle’s head, she would scoff, calling them common knowledge.
Still, if you pick up these few things for your board game adventures, I assure you that one day we will be at equal levels of awesome to the queen herself, staring each other down across a table, battling it out atop a board.
Card Sleeves
Board games are expensive. And no longer are we 19 years old playing a game of Kings, where every drop of liquid to exist will soak into your cards, and we just don’t care.
No. Now, we do care, and we care because this board game was bought with our hard-earned money, and it needs to stay pristine. So, we sleeve our cards.
Card sleeves come in various sizes, brands and styles, and at the end of the day, it’s really up to you which ones you go for. But don’t cheap out.
A cheap card sleeve will bend at the first sign of friction, expose your board game cards, and become pointless.
I like to use Arcane Tinmen Board Game Sleeves with a matte finish. They are affordable, while still offering excellent protection.
Arielle uses GameGenic sleeves, which many board game designers recommend. Each size is colour-coded, making it easier to identify which ones you actually need.
Bowls
Yes, for snacks, which your new card sleeves will protect against, but also for tokens and other board game goodies.
Most board games will come with compartments for all their accessories, but sometimes one tray of tokens is just one tray too few. Or, the tray is so small that it’s a mission to pick anything out of.
This is where a couple of lovely bowls come in handy.
Pick some that you think will look cool, set them up on your table with an equal share of all the different game accessories needed, and not only will the other players appreciate you thinking about them, but the game will run a whole lot smoother.
Just make sure you don’t confuse the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos for the rubies.
Ziploc Bags
This one should be pretty obvious, but when you have to pack everything away, it’s nice to have it all organised, and this is where these little bags come to save the day.
Little tip: prick a small hole in the bag so you can squeeze all the air out later, for maximum space-saving ability.
As the saying goes: “Only drug dealers and board gamers own this many dime bags. The way you tell the difference is that drug dealers have made good financial decisions.”
Table Toppers
Now I wouldn’t say this one is a necessity, but it will certainly upgrade your board gaming experience.
A Table Topper is just something you use to cover the top of your table for a night of board games.
It could be a large sheet of neoprene with artwork so stunning it would look good on a wall, or it could be something as simple as a sheet of black felt cloth.
Both of these work well in protecting cards and cardboard from getting scratched, and they offer a nice surface to play on over plastic or wood.
If you want to go all out, you can get a table with a Table Vault, a deep table that you can open up to play your games inside of and close up to save for later, turning your board game table back into a simple dining room table.
Of course, there are a myriad of things to add to your new board game addiction.
3D printers provide an endless source of printable add-ons, and cup holders that hang off the side of your table are maybe other things to look at.
But here are the four tips that I think will make a big difference in your overall experience without being too difficult to implement.
You’re now ready for promotion, young padawan pawn.
