I always appreciate a good design, especially one that improves my board gaming experience. I was cautiously optimistic when backing the Board Butler on Kickstarter that it would solve my problem with large game boards buckling in places and refusing to lay flat (I’m talking to you, Root).
How Does Board Butler work?
The Board Butler is essentially 6 pieces of clear plastic that clip onto the edges of the game board where the folding seams meet. If you need to clip together a whole bunch of boards, for example if you are playing something like Mice and Mystics, you can simply buy additional sets of Board Butler. The pieces come in a velvety cloth sack, inside of a small box. You can ditch the box and carry them with you to game night in the sack.
So, Does Board Butler Deliver on Its Promises?
After trying out the Board Butler on the rather large board for Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory, I can evaluate the product as successfully doing what it purports to do (at least for this particular board, which represents a common board design).
The board stayed flat for the whole game. The accessories neither stuck excessively to the tablecloth nor slid on top of it. When the Board Butler pieces were securely attached, the board could be lifted into the air and transported without flopping. I was concerned their hard plastic might dent the board, but no trace of their use on the board was apparent upon removal. I will definitely be using these little chunks of plastic on misbehaving game boards going forward.
Not all of my Kickstarter purchases have been successes, but I’ll put this one in the win bucket.
