Build a game roomthat gets played.
Buying guides for pool tables and cues, dartboards, foosball, air hockey, shuffleboard and arcade machines, with the room sizes, regulation specs and build quality that separate toys from tables.
Pick your game
Billiards, darts, table games and arcade. Each one starts with the space it needs.
Plan the room
Compare maple, engineered low-deflection and carbon-fiber pool cue shafts by construction, joint fit, tip size, care instructions and maker-specific specifications.
- 02
Bristle vs Electronic Dartboards: Steel Tip or Soft Tip?
Dartboard types
- 03
Dartboard Height and Throw Line Distance for Steel and Soft Tip
Dartboard setup
- 04
Dedicated vs Multi-Game Tables: Space and Playability
Game room planning
- 05
Foosball Table Buying Guide: Rods, Levelers and Build
Foosball tables
- 06
Foosball vs Air Hockey Tables: Space, Build and Who They Suit
Table games
Game Room Equipment questions, answered
Is a carbon-fiber shaft always lower deflection?
No. Deflection performance is a model-specific design claim. Compare the maker's specifications for the exact shaft rather than assuming every shaft in one material behaves alike.
Read: Maple vs Carbon-Fiber Pool Cue Shafts →Which dartboard is used in professional steel-tip events?
The Darts Regulation Authority rules specify bristle boards for its events. Check the rules of the competition you plan to play.
Read: Bristle vs Electronic Dartboards →How high is a dartboard?
The center of the bullseye is 5 feet 8 inches from the floor for both steel and soft tip.
Read: Dartboard Height and Throw Line Distance for Steel and Soft Tip →Do multi-game tables save space?
They combine several games in one footprint, but measure the cabinet, stored panels and player clearances for each mode. A table can still take substantial floor space.
Read: Dedicated vs Multi-Game Tables →What should I check first when buying a foosball table?
Measure the cabinet and the space needed for rods and players, then check the table's playing surface, leveling system, assembly requirements and service parts.
Read: Foosball Table Buying Guide →How much space do I need for a foosball table?
Allow about 3 feet beyond each side for the rods and players, and room at each end.
Read: Foosball vs Air Hockey Tables →Clear answers for the game room
Every guide lists the floor space and clearances the equipment needs before anything else.
Each guide says who the equipment suits, who should look elsewhere, and what to check before you buy.
Brands cannot buy a review or a spot on a list. Partner codes save you money; they never decide what we recommend.
Prices are dated, codes are updated across the site at once, and pages are revised when a product, standard or rule changes.
The game room equipment index
- 01BilliardsPool tables, cues, shafts, tips, balls, chalk and cue cases.4 pages
- 02DartsBristle and electronic dartboards, steel-tip and soft-tip darts, flights, shafts and cabinets.2 pages
- 03Table gamesFoosball, air hockey, shuffleboard, bubble hockey and multi-game tables.2 pages
- 04Arcade & roomArcade cabinets, pinball machines, lighting, cue racks and game room layout.2 pages
- 05Furniture & carePool table lights, cue racks, game room seating, wall protection, recovering and leveling.0 pages