Game Jargon Definition: “Table Hog”
Table Hog (noun) .- ta ‧ ble hog / ˈtāb(ə)l hôɡ /
A tabletop game that requires a large amount of table space.
In some cases, this is out of necessity, due to game mechanics, complexity, and/or the size and quantity of game components. For example, in a game such as Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition (2017), players take on the roles of different space-faring species and collectively create a community, vying for control of the entire galaxy, with many economic, diplomatic, tactical, and grand strategic decisions to be made, all of which warrants the colossal amount of table space that the game requires.
On the other hand, it may stem from unnecessary opulence, however much fun that might be; a game like Super Fantasy Brawl (2022), which is essentially a tempest-in-a-test-tube arena-style fighting game, does not really need the 6-inch, over-produced miniatures that come with it.
It is important for game designers to remember that the amount of table time a game gets is more often limited by player counts, playing time, and rule complexity than by the amount of space it takes up. But they should also remember that many gamers do not have a dedicated game room or game table, and even those who do may not have a table larger than 4 feet by 4 feet.
Examples of board games that are considered table hogs include: Kingdom Death: Monster (2015); Star Wars: Armada (2015); Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition (2017); Red Alert Space Fleet Warfare (2019); War Room (2019); and Ark Nova (2021).
