Board Gaming Tables – Will They Change How We Play?

Megan Gaming and Dining Table

Board game tables have become one of the most desired (and the biggest) board gaming related accessories recently. When talking to our friends and people we meet at tabletop game cafes in Europe, plenty of them are considering getting these pieces of furniture. A way to play your games without worrying about the space where you normally live, and have every luxury a gamer would dream of… Sounds great, right?

There are so many hurdles that prevent people from getting such tables through. From high pricing to difficult shipping conditions and often: the questionable quality of the entire thing.

Challenge Accepted

GEEKNSON, a british company made by people with 22 years of furniture crafting experience, has decided to take these matters into their own hands (and tools) and build something that would address all of the above. They started creating tables made specifically for board gaming back in 2015. “We have always produced high-quality hardwood furniture, so switching to making dedicated gaming tables using oak or ash was was not rocket science” says Marcin – the CEO of GEEKNSON.

Despite their experience, the entire concept was challenging. Creating a table that’s high quality, easy to ship and doesn’t cost over 4000 euros might sound insane, but Marcin and his team decided to give it a shot.

The Magnificent Megan

As this wasn’t GEEKNSON’s first board game table, they already knew what their design priorities were. Also: a sizeable part of ideas came from their community. “The feedback from users is always vital for us. Many things you see in our tables come from the minds of our clients and all great people we meet at expos” – says Marcin.

The team wanted a perfect place to enjoy their favourite games. Marcin himself loves Terraforming Mars, Le Havre, Castles of Burgundy, Dominion, Five Tribes, Caverna and Gloomhaven. He plays many of them with his wife. Games like these require space to be enjoyed to their fullest. Even better when said space is comfortable and tailored to the needs of all the players.

The brainstorming sessions and all the feedback gave birth to Megan – the newest project by GEEKNSON. Megan, initially available in retail, is now planned for a Kickstarter campaign. Backers will be able to customize their table and get it without paying a fortune thanks to mass production shipping, and delivery by the company itself (more on that later).

Geeknson Board Game Table | QUESTOWER Ads Sytsem

What Do We Have Here

Megan comes in two different sizes: smaller at 100cm x 150cm (3.28’ x 4.92’) and bigger at 100cm x 172cm (3.28’ x 5.64’). Both models are made of Wild European Oak and come in 2 varnish colours: natural and walnut. All tables are 77cm (2.53’) tall and have 63 cm (2.07’) of legroom below.

Megan comes with an additional wooden lid made of modular “leaves” that can cover the play area and allow for dining while an entire Gloomhaven campaign sleeps below your asparagus, chocolate cake or romantic supper with candles and meatball spaghetti. Leaves are constructed in a way that covers whatever’s below completely and have a special solution called Keep Dry System to protect it even when someone spills a drink. Backers who’d rather get a table without the covering leaves will also have a pledge option made for them.

The gaming area is covered with a rubber mat (blue or red). Also: all Megan tables come with Card Rail System that allows for keeping your hand of cards in a visible place and have a comfortable way to look at all of them at the same time.

Finally: each table has a built-in Aluminium Rail System that encircles the table top and allows for attaching even more add-ons.

The Kickstarter Campaign

So, how exactly is the Kickstarter campaign going to work here? The tables have been divided into 3 variants – each with its own pledge tier. The first pledge offers a small Megan table, the second will allow backing the bigger one and the third is the “bare” version without the lid leaves. More detailed customization will be available through the pledge manager later on.

Stretch goals will upgrade various elements of Megan and will be added to every table no matter which pledge you chose. Some of them include covering the table’s floor with natural oak veneer, color options for the inset and an USB charger in one of the legs.

Even More Features

Some board game players might want to get an even higher level of customization, and get a table with their favourite tabletop game or a pen & paper RPG in mind. This will be possible thanks to a variety of add-on features that you’ll be able to upgrade your Megan with. What can we find here?

The creators mention additional insets, USB chargers, and a variety of gadgets attached to the Aluminium Rail System: cup holders, counter holders, wine glass holders, ipad/smartphone holders, acrylic bins (to keep all the game components close to the player), player desks (attached on the outside and useful for D&D or holding a laptop), flip desks (similar but with card and counter holders on the other side) or D&D benches (to place your character sheets on and locate the dungeon map in the center of the table).

Finally: some smaller add-ons like dice towers, dice trays and dice boxes will also be available for all backers who need t

The Old Continent

Shipping a personalized table was usually the number one challenge for any company that attempted to offer their board game tables trough Kickstarter. Delivery companies have strict rules that often force table makers to design their furniture in a way that’s easy to transport with other goods. This results in many compromises in the design area.

Luckily, in the case of Megan, the problem doesn’t exist as the company is doing the delivery themselves and will ship the tables straight to the home of each backer. “This way Megan won’t get damaged during the transport, and we can use heavier and better materials that would normally ramp up the price. Tables will arrive pre-assembled straight to your place” – Marcin explains.

The above is possible because GEEKNSON decided to focus the entire campaign on Europe. This way safe and problem free shipping can be guaranteed. Same with the easy delivery of new add-ons, should you ever need them.

Will It Change How We Play?

Megan Board Gaming Table by GEEKNSON feels like a creative, innovative and comfortable solution for all board game lovers. The ability to customize almost every aspect of the table and add countless add-ons makes the piece of furniture you back truly your own. Additionally: we love the local shipping idea. Same with the way in which they’ve reduced the price and still created a 100% premium quality gaming table.

Will Megan change how we play board games? It certainly has the ability to make the hobby more enjoyable, simpler and remove many frustrating situations that board gamers deal with on daily basis. Less time spent setting up and more time spent actually playing games sounds rather tempting. Board games are becoming a part of the lifestyle for more and more people so inventing seamless ways to make them fit our homes even more feels like the right way to go.