As of 2020 these table toppers are horrendously expensive. I priced out one yesterday, If I actually decided to buy one my wife would divorce me, SHe'd get the house and I'd get the table, lol. >
Currently Costco sells them for much cheaper than anything I could find at ikea. Costco had a 40"X60" with a leaf to expand to 40"X72" with six nice chairs for under $500 total. Perfect for the Holmes!
Cool Review. For non US People this will propably will be too expensive due to shipping Rates. But i have a similiar ideal in mind but Not the free Time realize it. Nice to See that that idea should work. The Cobra neopren should totally be a kickstarter Addon.
Amazing review, and I love the idea of a table topper rather than a high end board gaming table. I will definitely have to keep an eye out for this KickStarter.
We did discuss it, and ended up deciding that the types of glues and process needed to make sure it performs right made us decide to go this route, but it might be worth exploring more. Thank you.
Nice job Jamie! Looking forward to showing this off when I get my hands on it as well. Great idea and affordable. Burky did a great job with the design.
Interesting. Looks like something I could really use since I have no real game space and the changeable surface is terrific, so a big pluse for me as well as it's portability. Price will be the big factor for me. Thanks for the review Jamie.
Thanks Jon. Burky asked me to design a mat that I can use in my videos. I wanted it to be simple and kinda lower profile. I also like the messy, grunge design style myself so I went with that texturing again.
Hey now Cabalists! I wanted to chime in briefly. We are live on Kickstarter now! www.kickstarter.com/projects/1461413365/game-toppers-quality-affordable-portable-gaming-ta?ref=popular It is going fabulously well. Join us for the fun! We have some very special things planned for you. Thanks everyone.
yeah I was going to get one of these but I need the 4 feet for miniatures games. I'm actually looking for a 5ft. x 5 ft. So I can put papers and tokens down but without putting them on the playable area.
Not 100% sure on that yet. You might see it in there but we'll both have to wait to find out :) And yeah, I dont know anything about international shipping. It'll probably be pricey. Burky can answer that one.
We are working hard on options. One way or another eventually, we will be world wide. Current numbers are very high to ship overseas in a quality packing solution.
Excellent review Jamie. My main concern was the overall height of the topper and you answered without me having to ask. It looks like a fantastic product and right in line with what I am looking for. Thanks for using my money wisely and shooting content I want to see! lol
A topper is a good idea. I looked at custom gaming tables before and they were a few thousand dollars or more and I was like WTF!? I could build it myself for so much less. Now I think I'll just build a topper myself since I like to build stuff, but I'll just buy a $200 table from the store so it can be a normal dining table when I'm not gaming on it. But for my friends that aren't adept at building stuff, I'll recommend this since it seems like good quality and is affordable.
Excellent video. I had two questions about that table. One was the height, which was properly addressed. The other one is the distance between the support rails. Basically what's the smallest size a table can be to support this. From your video with the white folding table it seems like 30" is enough on the short side. What's the minimum for the long side?
Something no one seemed to mention was that this is a great solution for people who don't have the space for a permanent gaming table. Set up play your game and then store it in the toppers bag. I dig it. Maybe it's not for everyone, but I like it.
Oh sorry about that. It's next week, Wednesday the 20th. I originally had it starting on Monday but the date was being moved around and I edited the description incompletely.
Hey Jamie, I wanted to check in with you on the size vs. the games you play situation. I could see Massive Darkness in the background of one of your shots during this video. Have you tried playing that on the topper? I know it can hog a ton of space, especially with more players. If so, wondering how it held up space wise. Great review, can't wait to see more on the way!
Hi Kris, Actually i have not tried that game on the Game Topper. I dont think it would be impossible. Might be a little cramped, but I think it would be fine.
Great video, Jaime. Really nice job, and it helped me get interested in the product (though I was already completely interested and been following them for a couple months already. One thing though, that Static picture of you sitting at the table with your hands folded reminded me of the slow pan in The Shining where it focuses on Jack Nickolson's face in the photograph at the end. :)
You didn't mention that there will be a optional "arm rest" so that you can use just one of the two halves on a coffee table or what-not (unless they changed their minds about offering that).
Ahh, I watched an older video about these... they mentioned that feature or maybe it was only an idea he had. Either way this is a pretty cool item, thanks for sharing with us.
For both our full tables we do have an accessory rail that will allow you to convert your half topper into a mini topper. so the "Watson" 38 x 60 can become a "Hudson" 30 x 38 or the "Holmes" 36 x 72 can become the "Lestrade" 36 x 36.
The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast actually I do have an Accessory Rail that fits the Watson and Holmes Toppers that will turn half the Topper into a mini. If ya need one, I know a guy.
I understand the reasoning behind the 3'x6' option as they want you to be able to add the mini-rails to each half section and be able to field two 3'x3' toppers; however, it will be a huge blunder if they don't have a 4'x6' option. Personally, I'd be fine with doing the same with the mini-rails and having two 4'x3' non-symmetrical mini toppers.
Yeah, I am probably going to pick-up the Watson, as I find the 36 table width of the Holmes a bit narrow. However, with the Watson, I am still losing 2 inches of play space side to side and the length is identical to my current table. However, my current table is oval. So, I do gain the corner space and the benefit of the rails, but I would be all over a 72 inch by 48 inch option.
Of course the table get much higher.... you can see his arms elevated... this is not a problem? Let me discuss the benefits: a) The edges is there to stop the dice... well this can be fixed by using dice trays... b) You get a better surface .... well you can buy a big gaming mat only... c) You can protect the game with cupholders on the outside... well knocking those cupholders from underneath looked as dangerous as having the drinks at the table... its better to have smaller tables beside and/or behind the players. These tables can also hold snacks and similar.
Sure it does sit higher and there are pros and cons to the whole thing and thats why I presented all the information in the way I did - so you can see it from all angles and make a decision about it. This table is great for me and we all enjoy it, but it's not the right solution for everyone out there.
The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast I see several pokertables, some with normal table tops would be much better. Why? they feature great comfortable padding on the edges and nice cloth in the middle. Ok... the only real benefit I see is that some board game tables let you cover an unfinished games (deep enough with cover boards) and if you are a RPG gamer some feature DM screens that can be integrated. To me personally there is an added benefit with choosing pokertables, they are actually sold in my country (compared to the boardgames tables).
The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast www.pokerevents.no/collections/bord/products/homegame ($1066) and seperate small tables behind/at the side of players www.pokerevents.no/collections/bord/products/sidebord
Hi Jamie - great review. How difficult was it to get the mat to be smooth and stable after rolling it out? Given that you have to tuck it in on the sides, I’d worry that it would either be too hard to get the wrinkles out (if the bottom surface of the mat has too much friction with the table), or conversely that it would slip around on the table if it doesn’t have enough friction. Is there something that keeps it in place once you’ve got it tucked in?
It's not hard at all in fact. Neoprene doesnt slip around easily at all, the rubbery backing prevents that. I've never had it slip around while playing. Getting it into place isnt particularly hard either as If you just press down and pull, it'll inch into place easily.
I’m worried about creases in the middle or the mat curling up at the ends or corners - does the mat slot underneath anything to hold it down at the ends?
We hear ya Heather. Jamie is a stud graphics guy and his design is eye popping for sure. Working on something if we can hit some goals in our campaign to make that available to everyone! I'm sure it will be a Cabalist favorite.
That would be awesome. Even if not this specific one, it would be really cool if you sold the mats separately. Since the advertisements say you can swap them out I'm going to assume you probably will, but if not that definitely has appeal in my book!
Haha, no not this one. This one is a "Watson" size which is 38" by 60". The one that I got in the shower with to clean it is the "Mycroft" size which is 48" x 72" (4' x 8'). The Mycroft mat is taller than me by over 2 feet!
Hey Jamie were you able to turn your into a coffee table model like Burke has talked about in other videos. I hope so because some of my friends don't have full size tables. Also you could use it in the comfort of the living room. Also thanks for all of the great content you guys put out. I'm hoping that a Lords of the Dungeon video is in the pipeline!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoying our stuff. This model does not become a coffee table. I'm not sure if that's going to be a thing or not with other models. That's a question for Burky, the creator.
For both our full tables we do have an accessory rail that will allow you to convert your half topper into a mini topper. so the "Watson" 38 x 60 can become a "Hudson" 30 x 38 or the "Holmes" 36 x 72 can become the "Lestrade" 36 x 36.
Board Game Theater Kevin Burkhardsmeier Thanks for making that clear. That is one of the main reasons I am going to back. I love the versatility of the GameTopper.
As of 2020 these table toppers are horrendously expensive. I priced out one yesterday, If I actually decided to buy one my wife would divorce me, SHe'd get the house and I'd get the table, lol.
>
The day Ikea starts making 6x4 tables they'll make a killing
Currently Costco sells them for much cheaper than anything I could find at ikea. Costco had a 40"X60" with a leaf to expand to 40"X72" with six nice chairs for under $500 total. Perfect for the Holmes!
@@Whisperhollow Costco isn't a global operation and feet doesn't convert neatly into inches.
@@Monkeyshaman costco is nation wide in the same country where "Game Toppers" are manufactured and one foot is precisely twelve inches.
@@Whisperhollow then it's easy to calculate how many inches is in 4ft 😉
A four inch overlap of the topper on each side will not cause instability.
After Jaime was finished shaking the table with such firm precision and hard eyes, I felt I needed a cigarette.
I have that effect on people.
ROFL
Lmao
LMAO, omg.
4:00 makes me laugh every time I see it.
Cool Review.
For non US People this will propably will be too expensive due to shipping Rates.
But i have a similiar ideal in mind but Not the free Time realize it. Nice to See that that idea should work.
The Cobra neopren should totally be a kickstarter Addon.
I agree! Thanks Christian
This misses the main point of a gaming table, which is to be able to pause games without putting them away...
Amazing review, and I love the idea of a table topper rather than a high end board gaming table. I will definitely have to keep an eye out for this KickStarter.
How about selling just the metal parts, the rails and corner pieces for us doityourselfers??? It certainly would save a lot on shipping!
Not a bad idea actually. Might also be good as replacement parts if you accidentally hit the thing with an ax or something.
We did discuss it, and ended up deciding that the types of glues and process needed to make sure it performs right made us decide to go this route, but it might be worth exploring more. Thank you.
Nice job Jamie! Looking forward to showing this off when I get my hands on it as well. Great idea and affordable. Burky did a great job with the design.
Yeah he did a great job on this. Excellent work.
I guess we have different ideas of affordable, those prices lol. Might as well just build my own.
Was interested til I seen the price. For that much you can build your own or hell even buy one
Great review Jaime. Thought it was excellent how you helped pose the questions we should ask ourselves.
Thanks Richard!
Interesting. Looks like something I could really use since I have no real game space and the changeable surface is terrific, so a big pluse for me as well as it's portability. Price will be the big factor for me. Thanks for the review Jamie.
Thanks John! Glad you found the review helpful!
I've been shamelessly shilling this after I saw it at Dice Tower Con this year! I'm just not sure if I'll be able to back it. T_T
The red cabal cobra looks amazing!
Thanks Jon. Burky asked me to design a mat that I can use in my videos. I wanted it to be simple and kinda lower profile. I also like the messy, grunge design style myself so I went with that texturing again.
Any chance you'll be making the mat available on its own? It'd go great with my cabal shirt even without the topper ;)
Hey now Cabalists! I wanted to chime in briefly. We are live on Kickstarter now! www.kickstarter.com/projects/1461413365/game-toppers-quality-affordable-portable-gaming-ta?ref=popular
It is going fabulously well. Join us for the fun! We have some very special things planned for you. Thanks everyone.
Great video Jamie. As with your game reviews, informed, honest and supremely helpful. Thanks!
Thank you so much! I really really appreciate that comment. Made my day.
Crap... Now I know what Jamie looks like. Unsure if I can listen to podcast again. What should I do?
Wow at those prices, I might as well just buy a wooden table and a mat. I like the product, but the price is just way too high.
Thanks, Jamie. This looks like a buy for me, the lip was a concern for me too. Also, the videos are looking great, keep them coming.
Thanks! So glad you're enjoying the vids!
yeah I was going to get one of these but I need the 4 feet for miniatures games. I'm actually looking for a 5ft. x 5 ft. So I can put papers and tokens down but without putting them on the playable area.
Awesome work...hoping your mats will be avalible during the kickstarter..and that Burky will ship to denmark...
Not 100% sure on that yet. You might see it in there but we'll both have to wait to find out :)
And yeah, I dont know anything about international shipping. It'll probably be pricey. Burky can answer that one.
We are working hard on options. One way or another eventually, we will be world wide. Current numbers are very high to ship overseas in a quality packing solution.
This was the best video I've seen on this yet and was super helpful for me to decide if I want to get one. Thanks Jamie!
Awesome! So glad it was helpful :)
This looks exactly like something I would need for my setup, but they're still bafflingly expensive - they approach the cost of an actual game table.💀
Looks pretty cool, I'm already have my heart set on the TOUG though. This'll be a nice option for a lot of people.
11:12 Ikea garbage!? Ikea is the lifebloood of most of our collections! lol
Oh believe me. I have plenty of their garbage in my house :)
Excellent review Jamie. My main concern was the overall height of the topper and you answered without me having to ask. It looks like a fantastic product and right in line with what I am looking for. Thanks for using my money wisely and shooting content I want to see! lol
Awesome! Glad I'm on the right track Brian. Thank!
Looks awesome. Until they mention shipping costs to Australia. I want that Cobra neoprene though...
Yeah, international shipping would be really tough with something this large.
A topper is a good idea. I looked at custom gaming tables before and they were a few thousand dollars or more and I was like WTF!? I could build it myself for so much less. Now I think I'll just build a topper myself since I like to build stuff, but I'll just buy a $200 table from the store so it can be a normal dining table when I'm not gaming on it.
But for my friends that aren't adept at building stuff, I'll recommend this since it seems like good quality and is affordable.
I want to get this so badly
Production on all Secret Cabal just keeps getting better and better. Great job, guys.
Thanks so much Jeff!
Excellent video. I had two questions about that table. One was the height, which was properly addressed. The other one is the distance between the support rails. Basically what's the smallest size a table can be to support this. From your video with the white folding table it seems like 30" is enough on the short side. What's the minimum for the long side?
Awesome review. Sweet product. Thanks for reviewing this.
As expensive as most whole tables. Where is the sense of this? 😂
As a cabinet maker, this hurts my eyes ^^ Some cool ideas to steal though, when i eventually build one of these.
Something no one seemed to mention was that this is a great solution for people who don't have the space for a permanent gaming table. Set up play your game and then store it in the toppers bag. I dig it. Maybe it's not for everyone, but I like it.
So when does the KS start? Monday or Sept. 20th? :P
Oh sorry about that. It's next week, Wednesday the 20th. I originally had it starting on Monday but the date was being moved around and I edited the description incompletely.
Really cool concept, not an option for me here in Aussie due to postage costs but an inspiring idea of something I could look at making maybe?
Nice balanced review, congrats!
I find the mat seems rather flimsy. Is it easy to take the folds out ? And once it is in place, does it move a lot ?
TY for your time on a thorough, fair & balanced review. Very helpful.
Hey Jamie,
I wanted to check in with you on the size vs. the games you play situation. I could see Massive Darkness in the background of one of your shots during this video. Have you tried playing that on the topper? I know it can hog a ton of space, especially with more players. If so, wondering how it held up space wise. Great review, can't wait to see more on the way!
Hi Kris, Actually i have not tried that game on the Game Topper. I dont think it would be impossible. Might be a little cramped, but I think it would be fine.
Great video, Jaime. Really nice job, and it helped me get interested in the product (though I was already completely interested and been following them for a couple months already. One thing though, that Static picture of you sitting at the table with your hands folded reminded me of the slow pan in The Shining where it focuses on Jack Nickolson's face in the photograph at the end. :)
REDRUM.
You didn't mention that there will be a optional "arm rest" so that you can use just one of the two halves on a coffee table or what-not (unless they changed their minds about offering that).
The one I have can't do that. Maybe that's a smaller model? Not sure.
Ahh, I watched an older video about these... they mentioned that feature or maybe it was only an idea he had. Either way this is a pretty cool item, thanks for sharing with us.
For both our full tables we do have an accessory rail that will allow you to convert your half topper into a mini topper. so the "Watson" 38 x 60 can become a "Hudson" 30 x 38 or the "Holmes" 36 x 72 can become the "Lestrade" 36 x 36.
Hah, I wasn't crazy... Lol.
The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast actually I do have an Accessory Rail that fits the Watson and Holmes Toppers that will turn half the Topper into a mini. If ya need one, I know a guy.
I understand the reasoning behind the 3'x6' option as they want you to be able to add the mini-rails to each half section and be able to field two 3'x3' toppers; however, it will be a huge blunder if they don't have a 4'x6' option.
Personally, I'd be fine with doing the same with the mini-rails and having two 4'x3' non-symmetrical mini toppers.
Yeah me too, I get the reasons. But yeah, 4x6 of playable space is really important for bigger games.
Yeah, I am probably going to pick-up the Watson, as I find the 36 table width of the Holmes a bit narrow. However, with the Watson, I am still losing 2 inches of play space side to side and the length is identical to my current table. However, my current table is oval. So, I do gain the corner space and the benefit of the rails, but I would be all over a 72 inch by 48 inch option.
What game are you showing in the video?
Of course the table get much higher.... you can see his arms elevated... this is not a problem? Let me discuss the benefits: a) The edges is there to stop the dice... well this can be fixed by using dice trays... b) You get a better surface .... well you can buy a big gaming mat only... c) You can protect the game with cupholders on the outside... well knocking those cupholders from underneath looked as dangerous as having the drinks at the table... its better to have smaller tables beside and/or behind the players. These tables can also hold snacks and similar.
Sure it does sit higher and there are pros and cons to the whole thing and thats why I presented all the information in the way I did - so you can see it from all angles and make a decision about it. This table is great for me and we all enjoy it, but it's not the right solution for everyone out there.
The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast I see several pokertables, some with normal table tops would be much better. Why? they feature great comfortable padding on the edges and nice cloth in the middle. Ok... the only real benefit I see is that some board game tables let you cover an unfinished games (deep enough with cover boards) and if you are a RPG gamer some feature DM screens that can be integrated. To me personally there is an added benefit with choosing pokertables, they are actually sold in my country (compared to the boardgames tables).
The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast www.pokerevents.no/collections/bord/products/homegame ($1066) and seperate small tables behind/at the side of players www.pokerevents.no/collections/bord/products/sidebord
Hi Jamie - great review. How difficult was it to get the mat to be smooth and stable after rolling it out? Given that you have to tuck it in on the sides, I’d worry that it would either be too hard to get the wrinkles out (if the bottom surface of the mat has too much friction with the table), or conversely that it would slip around on the table if it doesn’t have enough friction. Is there something that keeps it in place once you’ve got it tucked in?
It's not hard at all in fact. Neoprene doesnt slip around easily at all, the rubbery backing prevents that. I've never had it slip around while playing. Getting it into place isnt particularly hard either as If you just press down and pull, it'll inch into place easily.
I’m worried about creases in the middle or the mat curling up at the ends or corners - does the mat slot underneath anything to hold it down at the ends?
toomanybarts I have not yet experienced the rubbery neoprene curling up or getting any crease anywhere. It works just fine for me.
This looks amazing! Has anyone heard a possible price that we're looking at on these things?
They are up on KS now! www.kickstarter.com/projects/1461413365/game-toppers-quality-affordable-portable-gaming-ta
Thanks Jamie!
9:09; I like how Glory to Rome has a place of honor on a shelf nearly all to itself.
Damn right. It belongs in a museum!
Man, those mats are awesome! The red war cobra one is gorgeous. I want to buy one of those for our table at the very least :)
Yeah I love it too! I'm not sure if they'll be available or not. Only Burky can spill it on that.
We hear ya Heather. Jamie is a stud graphics guy and his design is eye popping for sure. Working on something if we can hit some goals in our campaign to make that available to everyone! I'm sure it will be a Cabalist favorite.
That would be awesome. Even if not this specific one, it would be really cool if you sold the mats separately. Since the advertisements say you can swap them out I'm going to assume you probably will, but if not that definitely has appeal in my book!
link to the product?
None for sale?
Is this the mat you washed in the shower?
Haha, no not this one. This one is a "Watson" size which is 38" by 60". The one that I got in the shower with to clean it is the "Mycroft" size which is 48" x 72" (4' x 8'). The Mycroft mat is taller than me by over 2 feet!
@@Thesecretcabal I can see the headlines now: "Man drowns in own shower cleaning giant game mat"
Hey Jamie were you able to turn your into a coffee table model like Burke has talked about in other videos. I hope so because some of my friends don't have full size tables. Also you could use it in the comfort of the living room. Also thanks for all of the great content you guys put out. I'm hoping that a Lords of the Dungeon video is in the pipeline!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoying our stuff. This model does not become a coffee table. I'm not sure if that's going to be a thing or not with other models. That's a question for Burky, the creator.
For both our full tables we do have an accessory rail that will allow you to convert your half topper into a mini topper. so the "Watson" 38 x 60 can become a "Hudson" 30 x 38 or the "Holmes" 36 x 72 can become the "Lestrade" 36 x 36.
Board Game Theater Kevin Burkhardsmeier Thanks for making that clear. That is one of the main reasons I am going to back. I love the versatility of the GameTopper.
What was the game at 10:30?
Nobody? I really like to know it 2
I think it was Mare Nostrum.