How to Organise Tabletop Accessories Properly

A brilliant game night can be derailed by something painfully small: the cleric cannot find their spell cards, somebody's d20 has escaped under the sofa, and the battle map is buried beneath three rulebooks and an emergency packet of crisps. Learning how to organise tabletop accessories is not about making your collection look like a shop display. It is about spending more time in the adventure and less time asking who borrowed the measuring tape.

The best setup is one you will actually use after a late session. Whether you play Dungeons & Dragons around the dining table, host a regular board game group, or travel to a mate's house with a bag full of minis, start with how and where you play. A gorgeous storage system that takes twenty minutes to pack away is destined to become a pile in the corner.

Start by sorting tabletop accessories by the table

Before buying a single box, gather your gaming gear in one place. Yes, all of it. Dice from coat pockets, cards hiding in rulebooks, stray bases, paint pots, tokens, character sheets and the mysterious plastic dragon that has lived under the TV for six months.

Sort everything into groups based on what happens during a session. A useful divide is player kit, game master kit, terrain and miniatures, cards and tokens, and between-game supplies such as paints, sleeves, spare bases and replacement batteries. This is more useful than sorting solely by game, because it matches the way you reach for things at the table.

Then be honest about duplicates. Twelve sets of dice may be perfectly reasonable. Twelve nearly identical bags of counters, less so. Keep the pieces you enjoy using, but give the surplus a job: a communal dice bowl, a beginner's kit for new players, or a donation to a club or school group.

Keep active games separate from the archive

Not every accessory needs prime real estate. The campaign you play every fortnight should be quick to grab. The boxed game saved for Christmas, the terrain for a one-shot you might run someday, and the miniatures awaiting paint can live elsewhere.

Think in three zones: ready to play, occasionally used, and stored. Your ready-to-play zone should contain only what you need for the next session. It may be a shelf, a lidded crate or a dedicated cupboard. The aim is simple: when game night arrives, you can lift out one kit rather than excavating an entire fandom collection.

Choose containers that fit the job

Tabletop accessories come in awkward shapes, so one giant storage tub rarely solves much. Small pieces vanish in large boxes, while terrain gets crushed beneath books. A mixture of storage types is usually the sensible answer.

Clear, lidded organiser boxes are excellent for tokens, dice, bases and small terrain pieces. Seeing what is inside saves rummaging, particularly when the table is already filling up. For cards, use a properly sized deck box or divider case. Loose cards in elastic bands have a short and tragic lifespan, especially if someone brings a drink within splash range.

Miniatures need more thought. Hard plastic cases are useful for travelling, but they can be overkill for figures that stay at home. Foam-lined trays offer protection, while magnetic storage can be wonderfully satisfying if you have the patience to add magnets to bases. For delicate handmade or painted pieces, leave a little room around each model. A case packed to the brim may look efficient, but snapped swords and bent wings are not a bargain.

Wooden dice boxes and trays earn their place when they do more than look good. A tray keeps dice from bouncing onto the floor, while a compartmented box gives favourite sets a proper home between sessions. My Little Workshop's handmade gaming accessories are designed for exactly that pleasing overlap of useful kit and tabletop character - because a dragon-hoard dice box is far more fun than a sandwich tub.

Give every player a grab-and-go kit

If your group meets regularly, a small personal kit removes a surprising amount of table clutter. Each player can keep their dice, pencil, miniature, tokens and reference cards together in a pouch, box or small case. At the start of the session, everyone puts down one kit. At the end, everything returns to it.

This also makes hosting easier. You do not need to remember whose purple d8 belongs to whom, and players are less likely to borrow from the communal pile then forget where an item came from. For younger players or newcomers, label the kit simply with a name or character name.

There is a trade-off here. Individual kits are brilliant for regular campaigns but can create duplication if every player owns rulers, condition markers and spare pencils. Keep shared tools in one central caddy and personal essentials in each kit. That is usually the sweet spot.

How to organise tabletop accessories during play

Storage matters, but the table itself needs a plan too. A clear playing area makes a modest game night feel more immersive than a vast table covered in clutter. Put the most frequently used items within arm's reach and move everything else off the main surface.

A dice tray belongs close to the roller, while a communal tray can sit in the centre for dramatic group rolls. Keep cards in upright holders or shallow trays rather than scattered in stacks. Condition rings, tokens and counters work best in open dishes or small compartment boxes, where everyone can see them without tipping a whole container onto the map.

For the game master, use a separate side station if possible. A small side table, shelf or even a chair beside you can hold encounter notes, unopened miniatures, spare scenery and the next map. It prevents spoilers from appearing in full view and gives you somewhere to place the things that do not need to be touched yet.

Do not feel obliged to bring every miniature and piece of terrain you own to every session. A handful of well-chosen scenery pieces often creates a stronger scene than a crowded board. Save the spectacular centrepiece for the encounter that deserves it. Your players will notice.

Label the boring bits, enjoy the fun bits

Labels are not glamorous, but they prevent the familiar post-session ritual of opening every box in search of one particular standee. Label by function first: “Dungeon terrain”, “Undead”, “Spell tokens”, “Card sleeves”. If your collection is extensive, add the game or campaign name beneath it.

Keep labels friendly rather than fussy. You do not need a museum catalogue for six goblins and a pouch of door markers. A simple tag is enough, and it means another member of the household can help pack away without accidentally filing your beholder with the Christmas decorations.

For digital organisation, take a few quick photos of larger terrain collections or box contents. Store them in an album on your phone with a note of where they live. This is particularly handy before a convention, club night or one-shot away from home. You can check what you own without turning the spare room upside down.

Make pack-away part of the session

The easiest organising habit is a five-minute reset before everyone leaves. Put on a final track, hand each player their kit, and return shared pieces to their labelled homes. The game master can sort campaign notes afterwards, but dice, tokens and minis should be off the table before the post-game chat turns into midnight.

Avoid creating a “sort later” box unless it is genuinely temporary. Those boxes breed. If you need one after a particularly chaotic session, set a rule that it must be empty before the next game. Future you will be grateful, and present you will not have to hunt for the one miniature you need while everyone waits.

A well-organised collection should still look like yours: colourful dice, battered books, lovingly painted heroes and the odd ridiculous token included because it made the group laugh. Give the essential pieces a home, leave room for the next adventure, and let the rest of the tabletop chaos be the good kind.