As fun as board games are, they can be a fiddly hobby, time consuming to set up, and expensive to keep buying the new ones. Arcade1Up’s Infinity Game Table, currently on Kickstarter, digitizes dozens of classic games like Monopoly and Scrabble into a touchscreen table.
The Infinity Game Table is kind of like a huge tablet with legs – the surface measures 32 x 22 in (81.3 x 55.9 cm) and it stands 19.5 in (49.5 cm) tall. Those legs can also be removed if you want to just sit it on an existing table.
The screen itself has a Full HD 1080p resolution, and it comes in your choice of either 24-in or 32-in models, even handling the best solitaire app available. It’s a capacitive touchscreen that can recognize up to 10 inputs at the same time, which is important because up to six people will be crowded around it, poking at it.
We’ve seen plenty of digital board game devices before, but many complicate things by incorporating extra technologies like blockchainor augmented reality into the mix. The Infinity Game Table looks a bit simpler – and it has some pretty big names onboard, thanks to a licensing deal with game giant Hasbro.
As such the Infinity Game Table comes with digital versions of dozens of games, including classics like Monopoly, Battleship, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, The Game of Life, Guess Who, Clue, Yahtzee and Connect 4, as well as more modern mainstays like Ticket to Ride and Pandemic. There are also versions of generic games like poker, backgammon, chess, checkers and solitaire, and sports like billiards, bowling and golf. It looks like they’ve even snuck some arcade classics like Pong and Asteroids on there.
These are all free to download and play to backers of the Kickstarter campaign, with no monthly fees. Some of them support online multiplayer too, so you can link to up to six friends’ tables and play together.
It’s not just games either. It’s loaded with around 300 jigsaw puzzles, 500 coloring books, and the ability to access comic book subscription services. The company says that being digital and having online access means that the library of games and other activities will grow over time.
Of course, there’s always an element of risk when backing Kickstarter projects, and this one does feel like it carries a little more than most. It feels like a lot of things could potentially go wrong, and if this service doesn’t last, you could be stuck with a dull black table to play your physical board games on. Still, if Arcade1Up delivers on its promises it could be a cool gadget for board gamers.
The Infinity Game Table has smashed its US$50,000 Kickstarter target, raising over a million bucks with 10 days remaining on the campaign. Pledges start at $499 for the 24-in table, or $699 for the 32-in model. There are even tiers that come with a battery pack, for a few hours of portable play.
Touchscreen table packs dozens of digital board games and puzzles [New Atlas]