Unpopular opinion: Most people don't need those expensive dry erase boards for their game sessions

I used to be all about those high-end gaming mats and boards. Dropped $60 on a fancy neoprene mat with grids and lines. Then a friend at our Saturday group pointed out I was spending more time caring for the mat than actually playing. He said just grab a plain whiteboard from the office supply store for $15. I laughed at first, but I tried it. Now I use a $12 board from Staples for tracking scores and player turns. It works fine, no special markers needed, and I don't freak out if someone spills soda on it. Has anyone else found a cheaper alternative that does the job just as well for your game nights?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_green8223d ago

Honestly, I used to be one of those people who swore by the expensive mats too. I spent like $50 on a gridded neoprene mat and thought it was the best thing ever. But hearing your story and abby's point about the cat scratching post really makes me reconsider. Tbh, I might just grab a cheap whiteboard next time I'm at Target instead of worrying about keeping my gaming surface pristine.

abby30823d ago

Point out that plain whiteboards actually work better than the expensive mats if you use the right markers. I made the same switch last year after my cat decided my nice gaming mat was a scratching post. The cheap whiteboard from Target handles dry erase markers just fine, and I can erase things way easier than on the fabric mats. The only thing you need to watch out for is using the wrong markers on a whiteboard, but that's true for any board. My group actually prefers the whiteboard now because we can draw quick maps and erase them without smudging.