They've Got You Covered--A Double-Take Preview of Quiver Gaming Gear's New Playmats
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Here at Theology of Games, we're already big fans of Quiver Gaming Gear. We reviewed their first-gen game mats, and we loved them. Well they've redesigned their mats to be better than ever, and they're on Kickstarter right now. Are the mats worth your gaming bucks? Let's find out!
These gaming mats are designed to fit over your current table. They'll protect it, and give it a soft surface to play on.
The first-gen mats had sturdy felt on top of a thick layer of foam, and a rubber backing underneath it all. This is still what you'll find on these mats, but it's all upgraded. The new surface is awesome.
The mats are also more portable. You rolled the earlier mats, and then when you wanted to place them down you had to roll them in the other direction to get them to lay flat. (Not a big deal since it never left the table.) Now you can actually fold this mat, and once you're ready to use it, you just unfold and lay it on the table. And that rubber backing makes sure the mat isn't going anywhere.
There are five levels/sizes available.
- Quiver Play: 14" x 24"--$45
- Quiver Light: 36" x 36"--$129
- Quiver Standard: 36" x 48"---$135
- Quiver SE (Standard Extended): 36" x 60"--$179
- Quiver Shield: 40" x 60"--$189
We received the Quiver Standard. It fits my (Firestone) gaming table, with just an inch, or so, of overlap. I can easily trim that off, or just leave it and let it drape over the edges.
The Verdict
The Quiver in action!
Firestone--I was a big fan of the first-generation mat. I used it for close to two years, and never took it off my table. But I love the new mats. The biggest different for me is the surface itself. The felt was fine, and let you grab cards easily. But this new surface is smoother and sleeker, but doesn't feel like a mouse pad--it's still got more...character, I guess.
Jeremiah--Truly. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the first Quiver mat. But this new one blew my mind. As nice as the first one is, the surface is a bit coarse. It makes it more durable for sure, but the surface on the new one... Wow! It's like playing on a cloud!
Firestone--A cloud?! Clouds aren't corporeal enough to support our weight. Well, mine, anyway. I'd say it's like playing on a lovely fern.
They're pricey. We get that. But they're very nice. And it's cheaper than a new table. And if you find a cheap thrift store table that's perfect for games but has a rough tabletop? Cover it with a Quiver and you're good to go! We heard there were some complaints about a strong rubber smell, but mine doesn't smell at ALL. I've been playing a Descent campaign on the mat for two weeks straight, and I've never once caught a whiff of rubber smell.
Jeremiah--Yeah, I've never had an issue with the smell of rubber either. Not sure where that's coming from. And as much as I would love to drop three grand (or more) on a custom game table, I think I'll stick with a Quiver mat for the foreseeable future!
I know the mats are a bit pricey, but I think everyone is forgetting that when Quiver ran their first campaign they discovered the stretch goal for the custom boxes wasn't going to be reached. That was a cost that was built in to the price of each mat, and instead of pocketing the extra money that was already pledged, Quiver decided to REFUND about $20 per mat that was already ordered to the the backers. So when I see the price point, I know a few things are going on because of Quiver's track record:
-The mats are sweet
-They are super high quality!!
-I'm not getting gouged for that quality--my wallet is being considered!
Firestone--The campaign has a few cool designs. The space one would be perfect for people who play Star Wars Miniatures or Armada. Especially with how portable these new mats are.
Jeremiah--Yeah! Can't go wrong with a starfield, but I really am glad the design is similar to the original; I think it's well done, and adds texture and dimension without being distracting!
Firestone's Final Verdict--These Quiver Gaming mats are a great way to upgrade a gaming table--or just protect one. I can't see any reason not to leave my mat on indefinitely. It muffles dice, it's nice and soft, and it looks great. Thanks for re-engineering these mats, Quiver. I love mine!
Jeremiah's Final Verdict--If you're perfectly happy playing on a plain hard table surface, or a table cloth (blah!) you are living a lie! Pick up a Quiver and get a taste of the good life--a little taste of the glory. The new suede surface is pure gaming luxury! I would sleep on mine if it was big enough!
The Kickstarter campaign is your way to get the best price one these. Check out Quiver's Kickstarter campaign for yourself. Thanks for reading!
Theology of Games would like to thank Quiver Gaming Gear for providing preview copies of the game mats. This in no way affected our opinions of the product.
