You may have noticed that these days I only post reviews here, rarely covering any news or anything else. However, I’m making an exception for Big Viking Mats whose Kickstarter is due to end on May 21st.

Why? Well, I was going to be doing a review of one of their massive neoprene mats designed for board game lovers like myself, but due to the somewhat inconsistent nature of international post I won’t be getting my hands on the mat itself for a few days yet, and thus Paul of Big Viking Mats Emailed to ask if I would be willing to post something up before the Kickstarter ends. I’m happy to oblige.

The idea is simple enough; these are sizable neoprene mats designed to give you a softer playing area, as well as protect your table and make it easier to pick up cards. Currently, they are shipping the mats with a tasty 4mm thickness, but that may get increased to 5mm depending on the stretch goals. Those stretch goals also include some component cups and laser cut corners.

As a bonus they include a tube to roll the mat around, and straps that go around it to keep everything secure.

Currently, you can get four different sizes designed to fit standard tables, but custom sizing is also available if you’re willing to spend a little extra.

I can’t personally recommend these mats at the moment, but I’ll update this article once I’ve had some hands-on time to judge the quality. In the mean time check out their Kickstarter. Hopefully, I’ll report back with a thumbs up.