Used for both electronic consoles or old-school dice and boards, game rooms are growing in popularity for homeowners and renters alike. Whether you want an engaging location for family night or a spot for your adult friends to gather, here are cool game room ideas to enhance your experience.
13 Next-Level Game Room Ideas Everyone Will Love
Published on May 19, 2025
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Physical Elbow Room for Virtual Games
One of the most exciting gaming trends is the rise of affordable virtual reality (VR) consoles. But more than a few VR gamers have found their immersive experiences disrupted when they run into a wall or crack a shin on the couch. Either have a dedicated open space for VR gaming or stage your game room with light, easy to move furniture, so that the only limit on your fun is the signal range of your goggles.
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Full-Size Arcade Machines
The sounds, the cabinet art, the feel of the old-school controls — it’s possible that there is nothing so wonderfully retro as a full-size, working arcade game. With the recent spike in retro video game parlors, it’s become easier than ever to find vintage arcade game cabinets. But before you break out your credit card, consider your room size. The sheer bulk of the game cabinet—taller and wider than most people—means that even one can dominate a small room. But if your space is big enough, then there’s a retro arcade game out there just waiting to lend some charm to your game room.
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Vintage Lighting
Contrast your high-tech game boxes with the vintage look of throwback lighting. Edison bulbs and retro chandeliers bring an element of funky chic to your game room, while modern design means that you get the retro looks without the old-school energy bills.
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Soft Fabrics and Throw Rugs
Game rooms aren’t strictly for fast-paced video games. Sometimes they’re the perfect spot for a casual and romantic night in. With a stack of soft blankets and throw pillows at hand, it’s easy for any game room to become a laid-back, cozy destination for dining and low-key fun. Skip the crowds and enjoy a no-stress evening in.
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Add a Photo Wall Mural
One way to make your game room shine is by hanging a photo wall mural. A photo mural can make a small space seem larger, or give an atmosphere that reflects the type of games you enjoy playing. Make an entire wall of your game room look out on a fantasy vista or into the depths of space with a single afternoon’s labor. Wall murals are applied like wallpaper, though they require significantly more attention to seam alignment. A wide variety of themes and subjects are available, and you can easily find one that would be a perfect fit for your home.
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Embrace your Inner High-Roller
Bring the thrill of a casino into your home by focusing on the look and feel of a classic gaming parlor. Green speed cloth on the tables, shaded overhead lights, and a healthy stock of cards, dice, and poker chips can transform your casual card game into a scene from a Bond film.
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Exposed Beams
If your dedicated game room is in the basement, you may be struggling with the look of exposed pipes and ducts or vertical support posts. One option is to wrap these unattractive items in wood and make them appear as if they were an intentional design choice. You can even go so far as to create additional faux beams to give a stronger sense of symmetry, or use rough-sawn wood to make them seem like exposed structural members. If you embrace this more industrial look, the entire room may suddenly have a more unified, cozier feel to it.
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Modern Decor
For a slick, modern look, select furniture with clean, sleek lines and accent the room with bold lighting. With the right choices, you can make your game room feel like it’s right off the deck of a spaceship. In this photo, notice how much of the lighting is from indirect LED strips. This choice gives the space a distinctly modern feel, and has the added benefit of being less likely to cause glare issues on television screens—a major bonus for video game play.
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Stackable Pallet Tables
Create a game table that can be raised or lowered to fit the type of game being played and the size and age of the players. Salvaged shipping pallets make great source material. They can be used raw, but at least the top level will need to be covered or sanded and finished to avoid splinters and provide a smooth surface for game layout. A lower table works well with pillows or beanbag chairs, and if you have enough pallets, you can set them up side by side to provide a rectangular layout for a bigger group or more complex games.
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Raid the Gaming Junk Drawer
Over time (and especially if you have kids), your game pieces go missing, and entire games may get damaged or destroyed. Don’t be so quick to throw away all those leftover dice and player pieces. Store them away in something as simple as an out-of-the-way drawer, then raid that stockpile when you need a spare game piece or want to inject a little creativity into another game. Bring that battleship onto the Monopoly board, or use chess pieces in your next craft.
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Memorabilia Displays
Many game rooms double as TV rooms, especially when your favorite team is playing. Keep the fun and thrill of sports in season all year round by decorating your game room with any sports memorabilia you’ve collected, or with logoed merchandise from the teams you follow. Wear your fandom proud and loud, and let the world know who you’re rooting for.
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Bring the Games to Another Room
Don’t constrain your games to a single location in the house because this could get too routine. Maybe you like to play a board game with the kids at the kitchen counter while getting dinner ready, or maybe you ease into the deep thought process of chess surrounded by your favorite books. Therefore, bringing hints of the game room throughout the home lets decorative elements unite into a whole-house theme, while also providing important opportunities for play no matter where you and your family happen to be. Your game room design can vary so you have cool things for rooms.
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Know When to Fold ‘Em
Games are glorious fun, but all good things must come to an end sooner or later. We’ve all heard stories about gamers who suffered health problems after they kept playing for “just one more level.” Make sure you have a clock on display somewhere in your game room, and preferably with an alarm feature or chime. The goal is to have some kind of interruption that occasionally reminds you to get up and stretch or walk around, or maybe even call it a night. After all, there’s always time for more games the next day.
