Are Trading Card Game Playmats Worth it for Casual Players?

Playmats and Trading Card Games go hand-in-hand. Regardless of which trading card game you might be investing in, there will be a plethora of accessories you can purchase to go alongside the game. This might include acrylic or metal tokens, dice, sleeves, deck boxes, and of course, playmats. I have a love and hate relationship with playmats because of how hard they are to store. The question became for me, does a casual trading card game fan need a playmat? Let’s talk about it!

The Hardcore Player

If you play a ton of your favourite card game there are a number of things I would recommend. Get that deluxe deck box! Get those high quality sleeves! Get those acrylic tokens! And yes, grab yourself a playmat featuring some of your favourite art from the game. As with any hobby, the more you enjoy and do it, the more you should feel OK investing in it. There is no doubt in my mind that cards play down and pick up from a playmat much easier than on a table. Tables result in cards perhaps sticking, sliding, and worse, becoming difficult to pick up.

So for hardcore players, a playmat is almost a must!

The Casual Player

But you might be sitting there and saying, “I only play Disney Lorcana once a month with friends? Do I need a playmat?” I’d argue it’s a matter of personal preference for most games, although there are games where I would recommend a playmat 100% of the time.

I play Disney Lorcana very casually with my wife, brother-in-law, and father-in-law. But as huge Disney fans, I’ve been trying to pick up as many of the playmats as possible. Not only do I enjoy using a playmat when playing my trading card games, but I love looking at the artwork.

I own and have played other trading card games as well. I love Pokemon, although not as much as Disney. To that end, while I have played Pokemon a lot over the past decade, I’ve never owned a Pokemon playmat until I was given one at a recent trade show here in Canada. That was my first, and likely only, Pokemon playmat, and honestly I was indifferent about the entire thing.

When I Think It’s Worth It

There are times, however, that I think a playmat is 100% worth the investment. Star Wars Unlimited comes to mind. For a fairly low price – I believe it is around 49.99 but goes on sale – you can purchase the XL Playmat for the game. While the artwork is nothing to write home about – just looks like you are about to enter hyperspace – the layout of the XL Playmat is so beneficial for new and returning players.

Each area of the mat is nicely labeled, with places for your resources, your base and leader, your ground troops, and your ships. There is even a spot for the first player marker. This is a great way to organize what could become a chaotic play area, and whether you’ve been playing Star Wars Unlimited since launch or have just jumped in recently, it’s a great product that’s almost a “must” in my opinion.

Conclusion

Whether you want to purchase a playmat for your trading card game is really a personal decision, influenced by the love you have for the game, how often you play, and what disposable income you might have. In most situations I would argue a playmat is completely optional. However, for games like Star Wars Unlimited, I believe the XL Playmat is almost a must. It makes playing the game so much more enjoyable!

What are your thoughts on playmats? Let us know!