The Best Board Game Accessories for Your Game Night Adventures

It’s board game night and all your closest board gaming pals are at hand, ready for an incredible night of deck building, dice rolling, bluffing, deciphering, and strategizing. You’ve technically got all you need with a bowlful of chips, a room full of players, and the best games on the market. But you’ve got an even better game night planned because you’ve stocked up on some of the best board game accessories ever.

There are, of course, tons of these amazing options out there, but you know this art – you’ve collected the best accessories for your board gaming crew. And we at The Game Board Collection are here to help ensure that’s true. Below, you’ll find the best game board accessories, what they’re ideal for (and who!), and the differences so you can choose the best ones for your board gaming experiences.

Dice Game Accessories

Dice game accessories can add a lot to your fun game night experience, making it more enjoyable and engaging for everyone involved. From custom dice to dice trays, these accessories not only enhance the gameplay but also contribute to the overall atmosphere of the evening. Whether you’re hosting a casual get-together or a competitive game night, having the right accessories can make a significant difference.

Dice Bags

Invented for practicality and designed for stylish fun, dice bags will wind up being one of your best friends in gaming. They secure your dice collection and protect them from knicks and scratches, while also allowing you personalization to keep your dice distinctive from your gaming pals’. You can choose from just about any color, material, style, or fandom motif, so be sure to shop around a bit before deciding. Dice bags also make great gifts during the holiday season for your fellow board gamers.

Dice Trays

To keep things even better organized when you host a game night, consider grabbing a few dice trays. These are small surfaces designed for rolling dice in – and have sides built up on their edges to keep dice in as you roll. They could be made of leather, fabric – like cotton – wood, or just about any other “stiff” material that allows standing sides on the tray. If you’re crafty, you can even find simple patterns online and make your own with a sewing machine or cardboard if you want to test out the idea before investing in more expensive options like fine-quality leather-made trays.

Extra and Custom Dice

Of course, you’ve got to keep loads of dice on hand to keep the gameplay going. These little beauties get lost all the time (unless, perhaps, you don’t have cats who like to steal them). These days, you can find just about any color, fandom, or theme in gorgeous dice online. Hit up the local game store or craft fair and you might find some even more unique options, as well. Ideally, keep at least a half-dozen dice on hand in d6 (6-sided), d12 (12-sided), d20 (20-sided), and a few d% (percentage dice). Custom dice can also breathe new life into old board games, making them feel fresh and exciting again.

Dice Cups

If you play party games with folks you don’t know that well or friends who like to ante the competition, you might want to invest in dice cups. These keep folks from manipulating dice rolls and having some on hand means you keep your ever-cheating Uncle Charlie from getting away with murder on game night. Dice cups tend to be made from leather, but you’ll find plastic, silicone, wood, clay, or metal cups as well.

Dice Towers

Dice towers are particularly useful for players who have disabilities – or folks with arthritis or carpal tunnel, and folks who want to keep the gameplay honest while playing games in roleplaying sessions. These devices allow players to roll independently and fairly to keep gameplay fluid, organic, and fun. Plus, they come in a ton of fun designs for some amazing aesthetics on game night. Designs may be found in everything from dragon-guarded castles to singing ravens or Eldrich monsters on a crypt. They’re typically made of plastic, silicon, wood, metal, ceramic, or plexiglass.

Card Games Accessories

Card Shuffler

For many, the card shuffler is a luxury. If you don’t mess with a lot of cards, a shuffler isn’t necessary. But, if you do a lot of card games, they can help ensure fair shuffling and dealing, while also saving your hands. They’re also a great gift for gamers if you’re not sure what else to snag for them. Card shufflers are usually made from plastic and come in a wide range of styles and types, with 1, 2, or 4 or more deck shuffling options and smart features. Peruse the options before you decide how fancy you want to get – and determine if having that Bluetooth feature is helpful for your gameplay style or just a frill.

Card Trays

Card trays are simple game board accessories that help keep your cards organized and easy to play. You can use them in storage within larger boxes, but more conveniently, they help keep cards in place during gameplay. If used in gameplay, you’ll need multiple card trays, though, as folks may each need one for the game. They’re great for Magic: The Gathering, Marvel Champions, and similar card-collecting games, as well as for playing solitaire, Skipbo, or deck-building games like Dominion or Ascension.

Card Stands

Card stands, on the other hand, are the ideal game board accessory for folks who play games that require players to hold many cards in hand at a time. They allow players to see cards more easily, while not having to hold them, meaning they’re particularly useful for folks with hand-holding challenges and disabilities.

Deck Boxes and Binders

If you do collect cards for Pokemon or Call of Cthulu the Card Game, having easy access storage for your cards is a must. Your best bet for this is to use deck boxes for your non-high-priced cards. Deck boxes keep your cards safe, organized, and easy to grab when you’re ready to head out for a Magic: the Gathering tournament at your local game shop. Be sure to have some extras on hand so you can use those for specific event deck-building options, so you’re set to go on the fly.

If you’d rather see your cards at a glance, grab a binder and some card sleeve pages designed for collectible cards. Verify the pockets are designed for your specific game though, before you purchase. Many cards have matching sizes, but some oddballs exist and may be too large for the standard sleeve page.

Card Sleeves

For gameplay, you’re going to want to grab some high-quality card sleeves. These keep your collectible cards protected against spills, crumpling, or other damage. They also allow you to use proxy cards (for non-championships, of course!) for gameplay without showing off the fact that you’ve got them instead of the higher-priced or hard-to-find legit cards.

Other Game Board Accessories

Game Trays

Sometimes called puzzle boards, game trays are the perfect game board accessory for folks who like to play games that take more than an hour or two to explore (think: Risk 2210 A.D. or Civilization). These trays allow you to keep your gameboard set up, with pieces in place, to be set aside between rounds of gameplay. These trays come in many sizes and shapes, allowing for smaller games, larger games, or even large 3D games to remain intact between rounds.

If you tend to play with miniatures or games with tall player pieces, be sure to check measurements on any game tray before purchasing – and don’t buy one that doesn’t offer depth as a dimension as you could wind up with something with sides too short to protect your primary games.

Card and Bits Holders

Complex games tend to use more than just cards or dice; in fact, many games include cards, dice, meeples, tokens, and other pieces all at once. During gameplay, it can be hard to keep track of your pieces (or prevent spills and loss), so having some card and bit holders on hand is a great idea. These are basically a group of small cups, paired with a card stand or card tray, in a single unit. This means you can give each player a full setup to track their tokens, cards, and meeples, without fear of revealing your hand or losing your play tokens. Card and bits holders are particularly useful for games like Juicy Fruits or Above and Below.

Extra Meeples and Player Tokens

Something always goes wrong and some player token goes missing. That’s why it’s suggested that you keep extra meeples and player tokens on hand for your game nights. These also come in handy if you want to expand your player numbers on games you can get a little flexible with. Meeples, in case you don’t know, are human-esque figures used (like army meeples in Risk), while player tokens are the racecar from Monopoly. Each meeple represents a given player in some way, whether it’s an army occupying a region of the board or a unicorn racing across a rainbow in Unicorn Fever.

It’s best to keep a variety of player tokens and meeples in a range of colors on hand so you can make them work for any game and easily distinguishable from others on the board. There’s a whole rainbow of colors and styles out there, too, so you shouldn’t have any issue collecting your favorites for your game night gatherings.

Poker Chips or Metal Coins

Some folks like to replace in-game currency with poker chips, tokens, or metal coins. Depending on your particular taste, you may prefer that satisfying metal “clink” of the coins or you may prefer the tactile texture of the poker chips. Metal coins tend to be more thematically neutral and weigh less than poker chips, but poker chips tend to be less costly. Whichever you opt for, be sure the coins or chips have easy-to-identify denominations on them for easier gameplay.

Game Mats and Playing Surfaces

Casual board gamers might not realize these are a thing, but game mats and specially designed playing surfaces can really help save the day. The texture of these surfaces helps make using cards, dice, meeples, and other game board components much easier – and can help prevent the loss of pieces. You’ll find them in neoprene, felt, polyvinyl, synthetic cloth, and similar materials that provide both protection and easy playability.

Enhancing the Gaming Experience

Once you have planned your game night and chosen your games, there are several ways you can enhance the gaming experience for your guests. Here are some ideas to consider:

Lighting and Ambiance

Lighting and ambiance can play a big role in creating a fun and immersive gaming experience. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Use Dim Lighting: Dim lighting can create a cozy and intimate atmosphere that is perfect for game night. It helps set the mood and makes the space feel more inviting.

• Use Colored Lights: Colored lights can add a fun and festive touch to your game night. Consider using lights that fit your theme to make the night even more special.

• Use Candles: Candles can create a warm and welcoming ambiance that is perfect for game night. Just make sure to use caution and follow safety guidelines to keep everyone safe.

• Use Sound Effects: Sound effects can add a fun and immersive element to your game night. Consider using sound effects that fit your theme to enhance the overall experience.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your next game night is a hit with all your friends and family. Whether you’re hosting a family game night or a fun night with your gaming group, these ideas will help you create the best game night ever.

Game Apps and Digital Tools

Many specific games have apps for players who love to keep exploring the same game through expansions and add-ons.  Some of these apps are free, while others may cost a little bit (usually under $20). If your game hit the market at least a year ago, check and see if there’s an app for it available. You could discover hours more exciting game time from the app, new themes, and other add-ons that really crank up the gameplay time.

Board game apps also include options like Board Game Stats (for tracking your games and stats), Melodice (music for board gaming, to set the mood), Dized (game rules, interactive tutorials, etc.), or Teburu(interactive game system merging digital and physical games). You’ll also find dice rollers, decision-makers (like Chwaziwhich chooses which player starts the game), randomizers, and scorers.

Where to Find Your Best Game Board Accessories for Board Gamers

Amazon, of course, offers tons of options in board game accessories, but you’ll also find that sites like Etsy and eBay provide a whole new world of gaming options. Artisans and collectors love offering up unique pieces – like fandom-based playmats or dice bags – that you won’t get anywhere else. You can also hit up craft fairs at churches, high schools, street fairs, and artist alleys at fan conventions. (Note that most craft fairs happen in the months leading up to Christmas.) Your local game shop also has a lot of great options to select from as well, with card sleeves, deck boxes, meeples, tokens, binders, dice, and many, often unique and locally made options.

Conclusion

Whether your game pals have a birthday coming up or you just want to flesh out your game board collection for the ultimate game night, you’ll definitely want to consider the above game board accessories. Grab inexpensive easy options like dice cups, new colorful dice, or a card tray or two for easy gifts – or go all in and get the collection for your game cupboard. You’ve never had such an amazing game night as this!

Board Game Accessories FAQ