Board game storage: clever ways to organise and store your board games (2022)

Looking for the best board game storage solutions? Few things are better than playing a new game, but keep on adding to your best board games collection, and you’ll soon have a problem on your hands. Your small assortment of tabletop delights has quickly morphed into a mountainous board game supply. Must-have titles sit waiting to be played, and bargain deals remain in their shrink wrap. What board game storage solutions can help you make sense of this ceaseless stock of tabletop treats?

We’ve got a few recommendations. Board game storage has long been a problem in the tabletop hobby space, but it’s by no means an insurmountable one. Whether you have an expansive collection that’s already overflowing into the corridors of your home, or just a handful of games that need their own space, there’s plenty of clever methods to organise your collection.

Some of the most popular board game storage solutions are regular shelving units that just so happen to be of the perfect dimensions for tabletop boxes. Others are bespoke units, specifically designed to snuggly hold your games. We’ve compiled a list of the best.

These are the best board game storage solutions:

• Kallax
• Storage bench
• Storage coffee table
• Shoe organiser
• Wire shelving unit
• BoxThrone
• Combine boxes
• Evaluate your collection

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Kallax

The gold standard of board game storage. Ask any tabletop enthusiast what they use to keep their games away from harm, and there’s a good chance they’ll direct you to this classic Ikea unit.

The dimensions of the Kallax are perfect, with each compartment deep enough to fit the biggest games, and store multiple smaller products together. The compartments also allow you to neatly organise your collection by type, and visually categorise them.

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When filling up each cube, there’s little wasted space, and the option to add drawers and cupboard doors lets you customise the unit to your liking. Available in a variety of dimensions – from massive five by five grids to single column shelving units – you’re likely to find one model that’s suitable to the size of your collection, and can be squeezed into your home.

There are a couple of other popular Ikea shelving units. Billy is the cheapest option, but its shallow depth will leave your bigger boxes jutting out, while Bestå is a more expensive alternative, featuring wider and deeper shelf spaces. For an affordable all-rounder, stick with the Kallax.

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Storage bench

Storage benches are a convenient means of piling all your board games in one place without sacrificing usable furniture space. When choosing one, pick an option that has plenty of space inside, and a rigid, strong construction (it would be a shame if all your weighty games fell through the bottom).

They do have the problem of access, however. You can’t easily locate each game, and might have to dig through the entire pile if you’re after something that’s sitting at the very bottom of the barrel.

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But if you’re keen to lump your games in one place, while preserving the utility of your floor space, test one out. You might even find it perfect for those games you rarely get to the tabletop, but can’t pull yourself to part with.

We reckon this storage bench is a good pick. There’s enough space inside for a modest collection, and it can sit in a living room or bedroom. Plus, its neutral colour should match any paint scheme.

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Storage coffeetable

If you’ve room for a coffee table, consider one that doubles as a hidden board game storage area. Any table with a removable top will do, and will usually have enough space to contain a few of your favourite games.

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They’re unlikely to house your entire collection (trust us, whatever nascent collection you’re currently rearing will quickly expand), but are fantastically useful for keeping your favourite games right where you need them. You can also store any other related accoutrements beside them: pens, paper, dice, or a dunce hat for the regular loser of your gaming group.

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shoe organiser

If you have plenty of smaller board game boxes that need packing away, but won’t be amassing any hefty titles, consider an over-the-door shoe organiser. Sticking your board games next to your loafers doesn’t sound immediately sensible, but the size comparison is surprisingly spot on. Keeping games on the back of a door also avoids the problem of space consumption; they can be kept out of the way until you need them.

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Make sure you buy a shoe organiser with sturdy pockets that are robustly stitched to the base material. This is a grand example, with plenty of space for your games. And if you don’t fill every pocket, use the others for other tabletop accessories.

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wireshelving unit

While Kallax’s are often praised for their snug dimensions and affordability, their bulking frames and square compartments aren’t for everyone. If you’re after a cheaper option, and aren’t too concerned with aesthetic pleasantries, consider a wire shelving unit. They’re deep and have a large width, so can comfortably fit your biggest games. Usually designed to store kitchenware, they should also be sturdy enough to take the weight of anything you plan on giving it.

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This metal shelving unitis a typical pick. Cheap and cheerful, it’s not much to look at, but can happily take any game you throw its way. It’s sturdy, too, so won’t be rattling around every time you move towards it. Adjustable shelf height is also handy for peculiarly tall boxes.

BoxThrone

If price is no issue, check out BoxThrone’s shelving units. Designed specifically to house board games, they offer everything you could want for this very particular storage issue. Each shelf holds one game, preventing the need to stack boxes. Aside from avoiding potential damage, it means you can easily pick whatever you fancy without struggling to lift the pile of board games sitting on top of it. Each shelf can also be moved, letting you fit games of any height inside, and the option to adjoin extra-wide shelves between models caters to bigger boxes.

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The idea is to mitigate all wasted space, and make it as easy as possible to grab each game. Their modular design also lets you string separate units together into great murals of board game boxes, if you’re so inclined. It’ll cost you a pretty penny, though. The smallest model, BoxDuke goes for $330 / £238, while the largest BoxLegend is a whopping $827 / £696.

Combine boxes

You don’t need to spend money to whittle down your board game storage space. Instead of finding a new home for your games, try to combine their boxes to reduce your collection’s total footprint. It’s no small secret that plenty of tabletop games contain vast amounts of empty space in their large boxes – prime real estate for a storage-savvy gamer.

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If you have multiple expansion packs for one game, try cramming the add-ons into the base game’s box. Or, if you’re willing, bin the packaging for the expansions, and store their game pieces together. Similarly, small card games can often be bundled into the boxes of heftier titles. Just remember where you put them; no one would think to look for Love Letter in Star Wars: Rebellion’s box.

Evaluate your collection

We hate to say it, and nobody likes to hear it, but do you really need /all/ those board games? It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but having not played a game for several years might be an indication that you won’t play it again. A good clear-out not only frees up space, it can also focus your gaming, reigniting an interest in an old title you hadn’t considered.

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Plus, after selling your second-hand products, you’ll have some spare change to buy new board games! Or, maybe just a shelving unit to store your current collection.