What Is A Game Room? (All About Great Indoor Gaming)

What is a game room? Well, it is as a room in the home or other location that is specifically designed for relaxing or socializing.Game rooms are typically furnished with table games and other fun things.

These rooms can be safe havens for the family to invest time in one another, acting as great places for the family to hang out and enjoy each other’s company.

Keep in mind that game rooms can also be located in public buildings but here we will focus on those that are established in home environments.

Making Your Own Game Room

Game rooms are specifically designed for fun. So, anything that is included in a game room setting should adhere to that label. It must be fun! But, before you can begin to choose the recreational amenities of the room, you will need to understand the design.

Game rooms can be created out of small bedrooms, home offices, or entire basements. Regardless of the size, it will be a very welcome addition to your family’s abode. A good amount of redesign and improvement may be required. But, rest assured, game rooms are the newest trend in interior design. They add value to your home.

If you are working with a small space, you will have to consider the size of the elements you intend to incorporate in the design. Some normal game room options come in less than standard sizes. Do your research to determine what will fit your personal game room. In this situation, size does matter.

What to Include

Since game rooms are all about the fun, it is important to choose games that the whole family will enjoy. Additionally, you will have to adhere to the square footage allotments your game room provides. A full sized pool table may not fit in that home office conversion. However, there are smaller pub size versions available.

Or, you could pick something else altogether. Here are some great accouterments for your game room dreams. We’ve included their origins in case you want to make the game room multifunctional- fun and educational:

• Dart Board: The first reference to the game of darts appeared in 1819. The game was called Puff and Dart. In it, a pipe was used to fire a dart at a target with concentric rings.
• Foosball: The earliest US Patent for a foosball table was issued in 1901.
• Beer Pong: This development is probably equally attributable to any number of college students working on their degrees in the 50s, 60s, or 70s.
• Table Tennis: Upper middle-class Victorians transformed their dining room table into their indoor version of regular tennis. This probably began the phenomenon that is ping pong back in the late 19th century.
• Air Hockey: 1969 saw the invention of the air hockey table thanks to some employees belonging to Brunswick Billiards.
• Poker Table: Emperor Mu Tsung of China is accredited with the invention of poker which was, at the time, called domino cards.
• Pinball: Montague Redgrave received the patent to improve the game of Bagatelle which also used a table and balls. He gets the credit for pinball.
• Indoor Bowling: Ancient Rome and Greece receive the nod towards the invention of bowling. Indoor bowling is obviously considerably younger.
• Electronic Basketball: Basketball was invented by James Naismith, but we’re not sure who turned it into an electronic game.
• Shuffleboard Tables: People used to slide a groat in 15th Century England, and it is believed that is where shuffleboard gets its origins.
• Rod Hockey: Donald H. Munro Sr., a Canadian, is credited with the development of table hockey in 1932.
• Skee Ball: Jonathan Dickinson Este patented and invented Skee Ball in 1909. He was a Princeton alum.
• Virtual Golf: Initial rounds of golf originated in Scotland during the 15th Century. They used pebbles in sand dunes instead of balls on the green.
• Cornhole: The real inventor could have been the Blackhawk Tribe, Matthias Kuppermann, or Jebediah McGillicuddy. But, there’s also the possibility that cornhole has been around far longer than people care to consider.

Other Game Room Considerations

Providing your family with an outlet for entertainment is a marvelous endeavor. However, there are other aspects of the game room that you will need to think about. One frequently overlooked aspect is lighting. While playing ping pong and pool are hugely enjoyable, being able to see is required. Make sure you provide adequate lighting in the room.

Additionally, the flooring should be a top priority. Will you be including a bar in your game room? Or allowing drinks to be consumed? If so, you might want to change out that small bedroom’s original carpet for some tile or linoleum. Stained flooring, under good lighting, will make the game room less than appealing to all who enter.

Seating is the next area of considerable importance. Many of the activities you include in your game room will involve standing. However, not everyone will need to be on their feet at every moment in the room. Consider adding bar stools along the walls with a shelf to hold drinks. Or, if your space is large enough, include a TV and a comfortable couch.

The Best Game Room for You

Game rooms can add significant value to your home. They offer the opportunity to get away from the mundane requirements of life. They open the door to escape the monotony and embrace your family. Game rooms offer the fun we all crave.

You now have the power and the knowledge to achieve the best game room for you. You can appropriately utilize the area you have. And, you know which activities will offer your family the greatest entertainment and enjoyment.

Plus, you know where those games come from. Now all you have to do is plan your layout, get the right lighting, flooring, and seating. Then you’ll have the added joy of deciding which activities will best suit your family’s desires.