47 Epic Game Room Ideas – How to Design a Home Entertainment Space
There’s a reason arcade games and pool tables are popular in bars and why playrooms and parks are a thing: No matter our age, we always want to leave room for some fun . And if space allows, then that room can be literal—having your very own game room is, well, a game-changer. To get some game room ideas for kids and adults alike, check out these examples of rooms designed with game night, creativity, and connection in mind, and take notes, so you can make yours the very best entertainment space in the neighborhood. Ahead, 47 designer-approved game rooms that are so cool, you can finally cancel that season pass to your local amusement park.
Paige Rumore
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A brick or stone tile floor makes for a durable (read: dependable!) material in a high-traffic game room, especially if you entertain regularly. In this game room designed by April Tomlin, the materials complement he neutral tones in the elevated pool table. If you’re weighing your options between a second parlor room or a basement, just think about how precious you want your game room to be and go from there.
Laure Joliet
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Break the room up into zones so it can accommodate different types of activities. In this lowkey family game room designed by Regan Baker, there’s a bistro table for card and board games, but a comfy sofa and built-in shelves also make it a great room for reading and relaxing.
Shade Degges
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Instead of tossing old board games, frame them and hang them on the walls. It’s the perfect way to spruce up blank walls in a fun-centric space, like this one by Jae Joo. Plus, it proves that you don’t have to even have an entire room to designate to a foosball table—just use an empty hallway or landing.
Augusta Hoffman
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Set up a keyboard for live tunes (and lessons). But really, if anyone in your household is learning how to play the keys, there’s no better room in the house to accommodate that than the game room or an informal sitting room dedicated to fun, connection, and creativity. We’re loving how Augusta Hoffman brought the music motif to the walls while still maintaining the room’s elegance with photographed prints.
Laurey Glenn
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Two comfy sofas face each other for easy conversation and competitive team games in this family room designed by Rachel Barrett. Use vintage trunks to store games in a playful way!
Joe Schmelzer
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Our list is chock-full of classic indoor game room ideas, but we’d be remiss not to include some fun outdoor setups to inspire your own backyard fun, too. This skate ramp and treehouse area designed by Cuff Home on a Los Angeles property allows the kids to enjoy the fresh air while engaging in a thrilling activity with their friends.
Anson Smart
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The custom black Riley England pool table in this room by Greg Natale has convenient under-table storage for all the cues. Not to mention, the bar across from it makes it an ideal hangout space.
Lindsay Salazar
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Kirsten Krason, cofounder of House of Jade Interiors, selected a table by HD Buttercup with a net made of handstitched leather. “The kitchenette against the back wall has storage for snacks, drinks, and extra balls,” she says.
Lauren Pressey
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For added functionality in this home lounge, LH.Designs owner Linda Hayslett customized a table with sides that fold down and legs that lower and raise; it can go from low coffee table to seat-height card table in seconds.
paul raeside
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The built-in sofa in this game room allows Foosball players to take a quick break between rounds, and for any visiting parties to comfortably enjoy a front row seat as the action unfolds.
JESSIE PREZA
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Fitz Pullins designed this natural light-filled room for his husband and stepdaughter, who love to play chess. So how do they keep it tidy? “We have an acrylic trunk that stores all our games,” he says. He also livened it up with a neon sign!
JULIE SOEFER
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Monochromatic floor-to-ceiling shelves display decor and hold essentials in this game room designed by Nina Magon, while soft surfaces welcome everyone. “The parents use it for entertaining and for their young child to play in,” she says.
David A. Land
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When a full bar isn’t an option, just take over a corner. This sleek monochromatic game room in the home of CB2 president Ryan Turf and his wife, Jessica, of Turf Design, pulls out all the stops. Though the main attraction is the pool table, the pedestal table and sitting area on the periphery make this the perfect place for a nightcap, too.
Studio DB
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There’s cool playrooms and then there’s this playroom designed by Studio DB. What could be a better game room addition than a twisty slide? When it’s too cold to go to the park during the winter, your kids will still be able to slide all day long. Plus, it’s visually unexpected, which gives the room an edge. See you later, Six Flags.
BRITTANY AMBRIDGE
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A game room isn’t complete without instruments, and if you can fit a grand piano in yours, then all the better. Take notes from this space designed by Peti Lau for a musician. The Yamaha grand piano anchors the room and sets the stage for the other instruments and music memorabilia lining the shelves.
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Interior designer Michelle Gage is here to remind us that shuffleboard is the perhaps the best (and also most underrated) bar game there is. Who wants to play pool anyway?
Studio Ashby
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If you have less space to work with or you fancy a more cerebral kind of game corner, create a stylish nook for chess matches. Studio Ashby paired kooky, psychedelic fabric with a graphic chess table.
Studio DB
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If you don’t have enough room to build a slide, opt for an indoor swing instead. It’ll make the playroom feel more personalized and unique. Plus, the swing set is always our first stop at the park anyway. This furry one by Studio DB makes it extra cozy. And if your kids have a swing to practice pumping their legs on, you can sit back and relax at the playground instead of pushing them.
Dacian Groza
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In this billiard room designed by Heather Hilliard, there’s something for everyone to do. Whether it’s hanging out on the sofa with a good book or for family movie night, playing squash (yes, that’s a home squash court behind that glass in the corner), or playing pool, this is the ultimate hang-out space.
Katherine Carter
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We love how this console table in a space designed by Katherine Carter is decked out in old-school arcade games instead of traditional décor. Bring it to the next level with a pinball machine in your game room. Make it a coin-operated one if your neighbors start coming over to play too often.
Douglas Friedman
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Brigette Romanek of Romanek Design Studio elevated this game room in an open floor plan space with metal and sheepskin stools (great for spectators, too). The steel and glass doors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and two skylights fill the room with that iconic Malibu light.
PHOTO: Tom Furguson; DESIGN: Arent & Pyke
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Pricey, sure, but pool tables can instantly elevate a room. Case in point: the one pictured here by Arent & Pyke. Even if you just put in somewhere like a basement, the entire space gets an upgrade. Oh, this old basement? I think you mean my billiard room. It even sounds swanky.
Regan Baker Design
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With a game room this epic, you’ll never need to leave the house again. Designed by Regan Baker, this space is heaven for active kids.
DAVID A. LAND
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To truly get the most out of a room, it’s best to invest in multi-functional pieces that enhance the space’s versatility. So Kentucky-based interior designer Chenault James created a dining room table that transforms into an upscale ping pong table. Now the space is gets guaranteed use beyond special occasions and holiday dinners.
LH Designs
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Convert an unused garage or stand-alone backyard shed. It’ll make all those games feel even more like a special escape and get the imagination flowing for kids if they have a designated place to play. LH Designs gave this one a fresh coat of pain, hung some decor, and then optimized it for storage space.
Heather Hilliard
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Set up a projector for movie nights and video games. Paired with elevated furniture, it can double as a family or living room. Heather Hilliard Design chose a blue and white color scheme with splashes of earth tones to warm it up.
Jessica Antola
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Where we see an awkward stair landing, Erin Fearins sees a hangout. Encased in a walnut frame, this nook by Fearins Welch Design and CWB Architects is spacious enough for two brothers to convene for video games.
Studio DB
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Move over, Barclays Center. If you and/or your kids love shooting hoops, build a half court at home. You could also get a kid-sized, arcade-style basketball hoop if space is an issue. Studio DB had the right idea: We’ll be in that little seating area in the back, if you need us.
Emily Minton Redfield
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Max Humphrey created the ultimate hang-out zone on this patio, from the outdoor kitchen and wet bar to the fireplace-adjacent sitting area, and, of course, the ping pong table.
Leanne Ford Interiors
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Nothing says “fun” like a disco ball. The light it emits just makes you want to dance! This living room by Leanne Ford Interiors is classic and approachable, which makes the disco ball a welcome surprise and can instantly turn the space into the perfect backdrop for a karaoke party or family game night.
