We often write about how our tables benefit all kinds of board game players, poker players, RPG lovers and other hobbyists. Still, furniture like Henry, Megan or BRISTOL Board Game Table can also work wonders in a more professional environment. Namely: at a tabletop game publisher’s office.

Recently we’ve been contacted by a brand new tabletop game publisher, who turned out to own one of our tables. Right now they’re getting ready to crowdfund their first game after months upon months of testing. They shared some of their experiences with us, which led to us writing this article.

How can our products make testing better, more fun and allow board game designers to truly shine? Let’s see.

Testing Your Prototypes

It’s no secret that making any worthwhile game requires testing it a LOT. This can take as long as 1-3 years in most cases and should never be ignored, unless you want it to have broken mechanics or end up with an exploitable boring game. Testing usually means inviting tons of different people - advanced players, casual players and complete beginners, unless they’re not your target audience. 

To allow for easier conduction of tests, having a really large table or two can help a lot. This way you and your players are not limited by anything and it’s easier to see how much table space does your game actually require. Maybe it’s possible to reduce it?

Different testers have different needs so highly customizable and adjustable tables like Megan or BRISTOL will work wonders in this regard. Especially when said testers are going to spend more time playing your prototype.

Comfort Comes First

Even if you designed the most promising board game in the world, playing it over and over might get difficult for many of your testers. This is why their comfort comes first and why our tables can offer lots of help. First of all they’re all highly ergonomic and comfortable. Same with seats and benches from our offer. We’re sure that with these they will be able to enjoy your creations for much longer!

And when it comes to long testing sessions: proper nutrition and hydration is key. Luckily for you, there’s no need to go to a different room or leave the building where you’re conducting your tests. The tables will stay clear thanks to a wide choice of cup and glass holders as well as the system of tabletop leaves that can cover your tested prototype and allow eating a pizza or whichever food you want to treat your tester guests with. No need to risk getting your table getting greasy or stained.

Developer’s Paradise

Apart from testers, developers also need as much comfort as possible. Let’s not kid ourselves. They’re the ones who spend the most time by the table, while being fully focused on making the rules clear and getting feedback from the people playing. USB chargers, often available as table features and add-ons in our catalog, can be of great help here and allow keeping their smart devices fully charged during long periods of testing. Especially when they use them to take notes or create statistics of every single test conducted.

Some other add-ons, like the table divider, can also be of great help for your team’s devs. By using these it’s possible to separate 2 different groups playing on one table and observe them both at once.

The way you use board game tables like Megan or BRISTOL is only limited by your team’s creativity, and considering how board game developers are already a creative bunch, figuring out the best ways to make your tests more efficient with these will be easy.