board games
14 Best Board Game Accessories (Must Have Upgrades & Extras)
Are you looking for the best board game accessories of all time?
Well, you’re in luck!
In this post, we reveal 14 of the best board game accessories.
These accessories have been carefully examined and picked just for you.
They will help make your games easier and fun.
All these accessories are great extras to add to your games and will really upgrade your experience.
These include must have board game table accessories and components.
DISCLAIMER: These accessories are not in order.
Here are the best board game accessories:
Table of Contents
1. Sand Timer
Do you hate it when someone takes forever to end their turn?
Me too!
I can’t stand it.
Don’t you just hate it when board games take so long to finish and you end up zoning out?
This kinda thing would happen to me all the time.
UNTIL…
I got a sand timer.
A sand timer for board games really sets a steady pace and makes sure the game keeps moving forward.
I hate it when someone just sits there and keeps thinking about unnecessary things…
…when in reality, they need to end their turn.
There’s always that one guy in the group who takes too damn long.
Do you have a new person to your board game group?
A sand timer can be a subtle hint that he needs to hurry his ass up.
Also, sand timers add an element of urgency to the game, this really adds another layer of enjoyment to the game.
On top of that…
…it’s a sand timer.
Who doesn’t love sand timers?
The sand timer makes a delightful sound, it’s something you can’t resist and adds authenticity to it.
Forget your digital timer and grab this instead.
2. Premium dice
Think about it…
…you spend so much time rolling a dice, so why not make it a more enjoyable experience?
Make sure to invest in a premium dice, something that feels comfortable to hold and is a joy to roll.
A wooden dice or a metal dice will do the trick.
3. Counter tray
Counter trays are a brilliant way to optimise your storage.
There are so many different pieces that come with board games and…
…the default storage your board games come with typically suck.
A counter tray will make it so much easier to store your board games.
Once you start implementing counter trays as your way to store board games…
…you’re going to be saying to yourself, “Where has this been all my life?”
They really are that useful.
Do yourself a big favour and get yourself some inexpensive counter trays.
You won’t regret it.
4. Dice tray
A dice tray will allow you to stop the dice from running wild on the table.
You can really let it rip and make game masters tremble with the power of your dice attacks.
Give yourself a +5 rolling ability and watch player cower at the thunder of your dice rolls.
5. Dice Pouch
Constantly losing your dice sucks.
It’s better to just have them in one place.
That’s why you need a little space to store your dice.
There’s just something about storing your dice in a pouch…
…It just feels so good every time you put it in and pull it out.
They look fantastic and there are so many dice pouch options out there.
If you need to keep dice separated, this is a great solution.
6. Dice Tube
A dice tube is a neat little way to store your dice in one place.
They don’t take much space and you can store it away with no problem.
When you’re playing and want to hand out some dice…
…just pop it open.
It’s a nifty little accessory that’s inexpensive and will be handier than you think.
7. Dice Box
Do you have dice that you cherish?
Maybe there’s some memorabilia to the dice…
Someone special gave it to you, it’s the dice that won you a big game or it’s a limited edition dice.
Whatever the reason, a nice dice box is a fitting way to store your most valuable dice.
8. Dice tower
A weird but wonderful board game accessory.
A dice tower is a great way to spice up your games and make it more interesting.
It’s always fun putting the dice in and seeing where it lands.
Also, it’s great for stopping the dice from going all over the damn place.
It sucks when you roll and it ends up going halfway across the table or completely off it.
Knocking off items along the way…
If you suffer from arthritis and find it difficult to roll, this is a brilliant solution.
Dice towers don’t take a lot of space, you don’t have to worry about it cluttering the table.
A lot of people just drop the dice but you’re supposed to roll it properly.
The problem with that is the dice nearly always rolls off the table. A dice tower will allow you to get a proper roll each time.
If you play with children, then you know the struggle of keeping the dice on the table. A dice tower is a must-have accessory for you.
I can’t get enough of the clanking sound of my dice bouncing down to hit the bottom and roll out.
9. Card sleeve/protector
You’ve spent a lot of hard earned money on your board games.
So why not protect the cards?
With a playing card protector, you can do exactly that.
No need to worry about the cards denting or collecting filth on them.
When you play with your cards there’s no need to feel overprotective when handing them to people.
Screaming at them: “Don’t bend my bloody cards!.” “Stop getting my cards so dirty!”.
I’ve been in these situations too many times and it’s irritating.
You want to be proud when you pull out your cards.
You want them to be in mint condition so you can treasure them forever or sell them later on without having to cut the price tag because cards have been damaged.
10. Playmat
A playmat just makes the board game look a lot cleaner and it is cleaner.
It’s annoying getting stains on your board game box as well as the pieces.
When you decide to play, make sure you lay on a playmat.
It looks neater and if you enjoy the quietness…
…playmats will help reduce the sound when items land on it.
They’re easy to clean and keep clean.
A playmat is a great item to have if you travel around, there’s no guaranty what kind of surface you will be playing on.
If you like to play at bars then bringing a tablecloth is a must.
You don’t want your board game pieces to be all sticky.
There’s no need to be fiddling with cards trying to pick them up. A playmat will help you effortlessly pick up your cards.
11. Inserts
Inserts are a life saver.
Inserts separate the game pieces.
This helps with organisation, handing out items and packing the game away.
You will save so much time and headache using this simple accessory.
12. Life counters (Flat Back Heart Rhinestones)
If you’re like me then you understand the struggle of recording life points on paper.
It’s so annoying and tedious.
The paper get’s wet, dirty, blown away and lost.
These life counters make it much easier to record your score and look stunning doing so.
I mean…
…who wouldn’t want these on their table?
They add authenticity over the paper.
Like in video games, you would have the hearts to display your life…
Why not add that authenticity and magic to your board games?
You can’t go wrong.
13. Rubber bands
Rubber bands are so versatile and are more useful than you think when it comes to board games.
Do you travel and take board games with you?
A set of high-quality rubber bands is a must have accessory.
You don’t want to take some board games with you and when you open the bag…
…the pieces are everywhere and you end up spending hours separating the pieces.
They’re also brilliant for keeping your cards in order.
14. Poker chips
Are you sick of paper money?
At first, I didn’t give poker chips any thought as being a board game accessory.
HOWEVER…
When I first replaced the cheap paper with poker chips…
…it made my games feel so much better.
It was a joy to pick up those lovely poker chips instead of crappy paper.
Poker chips take the game to a different level.
This was something I never thought of until it was pointed out to me.
After I replaced the paper money with poker chips I thought, “Where has this been all my life?”
You can only notice the difference when you actually implement it into your games.
Trust me, you won’t regret it.
I now consider it bad practice when I find board games with paper money instead of chips.
I remember it being a bright sunny day and we decided to take the Monopoly board game outside to play…
Guess what happened next?
The damn money flew everywhere and it became unplayable.
The weight of the chips feel good and it makes you feel like you’re actually holding something of value.
It’s easier to pick them up and the sound of the chips feel satisfying.
When you spill your drinks on the paper, you’ll be wishing you had poker chips.
Conclusion
So those were the top 14 best board game accessories of all time.