Monthly Rambling: My Top 10 Boardgame Accessories By Importance
Boardgame accessories serve a multitude of purposes: functionality, aesthetics, convenience, experiential, transportation and many more. This month I would like to cover some of the boardgame accessories that to me, are as essential as the boardgame itself, and some I could live without.
CARD SLEEVESCard sleeves are so essential to me that I will actually buy them at the same time that I purchase a boardgame. I will check Adam Kranzel’s very handy dandy Card Sleeve Sizes geeklist on BGG to find out how many cards are in a boardgame and what size sleeves they require then pick them up at the same time. Sleeving the cards then becomes part of the unboxing process, making the boardgame ready to go once it has been unboxed. I think this is an internal compulsion that is a legacy from years of playing Magic: The Gathering. Thankfully the quality of decently priced sleeves has increased tremendously so I don’t have to Dragon Shield every boardgame I own.
TABLE & TABLE SURFACEWhilst I have yet to purchase a boardgaming table, the lastest table purchase in my house was done with the purpose of boardgaming in mind. I am personally envious of how others manage to play boardgames on the floor or a coffee table without coming away immediately needing a chiropractor for their spine. When we used to have a glass dining table I would always have my anti-slip surface airline blanket ready, but playing on a smooth wooden surface takes the cake as well.
STORAGE BOXESI really dislike plastic baggies to store boardgame components. Although technically made of the same material, storage boxes have one single overwhelming advantage to plastic baggies, in that I don’t have to spill everything on to the table to get a component I need. They also act as in-game storage for player resources & bits which prevents them from rolling off the table into the void otherwise known as “underneath the couch”. I actually have extra storage boxes on hand waiting to be used in future boardgames joining the collection.
INSERTSBoardgame inserts are actually more essential than storage boxes but will rank lower because they are either too expensive or take much longer to produce by myself. Also, the need for inserts actually stems from publishers not taking into account sleeved cards and proper storage boxes in their original insert designs. The issue is so prevalent that sometimes I wish boardgames would come with just the bits in the box so I don’t have to throw wasted plastic out. I also like to have separate inserts for different categories like components that are used once in the game (like scoring tiles, bonus cards etc), player pieces and common resources.
MUSIC PLAYLISTSI generally like to have something playing in the background, whether it is when I’m working, reading or even playing boardgames. I do have my favourites on YouTube and Spotify but once in a while I like to live dangerously and see what melodice scrounges up for me. I’m not entirely certain if having background music bothers any boardgamers but so far no one in particular has complained.
CARRIER BAGI don’t have an IKEA carrier bag but I do have various bags in different sizes from different brands. Some from clothing stores, local gaming stores, insurance companies and so on. This has generally fallen down the list because I have not had to host boardgaming meetups since the pandemic. Back when meetups were a monthly affair, I would burn through these carrier bags at a fairly decent pace. I guess if I had carried on, the IKEA carrier bag would be something I would consider as it is probably the gold standard in carrier bags. These days I much prefer simple game nights with just 3 or 4 of us.
CARDHOLDERSThere was a time when I loved cardholders, mostly because I was gaming with my preschool children who had a tendency to bend cards. Having the cardholder kept them occupied trying to slot the cards in and also made sure the cards stayed bend-free. My set of cardholders were a tremendous labour of pain as they were actually originally Rummikub tile holders which I had to saw a slot into. I still find use for the cardholders but only for games where I have to separate my hand into “useful now vs useful later” like in Terraforming Mars or where I need to sequence my cards like with Dominion.
DICE TOWERMan I love a fancy dice tower – Man are these dice towers expensive – Man why would I buy a dice tower when my regular gaming partner hates dice games. So whilst dice towers are really cool, the only functional dice tower I have now is the one that came together with Wingspan. I did to make one with really thick paper but as expected, although functional, its durability doomed it to failure from the beginning.
OVERLAYS & UPGRADED RESOURCESThese accessories technically belong in the category of “Things that came with my boardgame purchase”. Whilst I have definitely enjoyed the functionality and aesthetic upgrade that these accessories bring, the pricing on some of these things are the equivalent to having cosmetic surgery for your boardgames. There is also always the risk of these accessories not being compatible with expansions, case in point being the deluxe edition of Orleans. In summary, a pricey luxury that can become obsolete quickly.
There might be some surprise that metal coins are not listed. Sorry but I’m not a metalhead ^_^"
Until next time, keep calm and play better.
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