How to Design a Gaming Mancave For You & Your Buddies

A mancave is a modern term used to describe a room that offers relaxation and fun. This can mean having a fully equipped games room, with a pool table, foosball, pinball machine, and stereo. Or it can be much simpler, with just a comfy sofa and a TV to watch your favourite sporting match in peace. Most people choose a basement, attic, spare room, or summerhouse as a mancave.

Keep reading to learn how to design a gaming mancave for you and your buddies with these gaming man cave ideas.

Is It Healthy to Have a Mancave?

Having a mancave is considered healthy, particularly for men in relationships. Because a mancave creates space to spend time alone or with friends, it offers a relaxing, enjoyable, and sociable environment in the home.

Typically filled with games and fun activities, a mancave offers a place for men to destress after a long day. Findings from PsychCentral tell us that the less stress in a relationship, the healthier it is.

Plus, having space to spend time apart can bring couples closer together. According to eHarmony, spending time alone helps couples maintain individuality and set new goals for themselves. It also helps them value time together even more.

How to Build a Mancave

Getting the basics of a mancave right ensures it works best for you and your buddies on game night. Here are the basic design principles to help you utilise space in the best way when building a mancave:

  • Measure up – Prioritise items and measure up to ensure everything fits, paying extra attention to the size of seating areas and TV screens
  • Plan lighting carefully – Avoid glare on gaming screens by using strip lighting or pointing lights away from devices, and keep TVs out of sunlight
  • Utilise wall space – Fit more memorabilia, books, games, vinyls, and collectables into your mancave by installing shelves (over floor cabinets)
  • Choose a theme – Having a theme makes a mancave cosier and more relaxing, so decorate the walls and include soft furnishings (just a TV and chair isn’t a mancave!)

What Makes a Perfect Mancave?

The perfect mancave is full of things you and your buddies will enjoy. For inspiration, here are our top five things that make a perfect mancave!

1. Pool Table

Make your mancave fun and full of things to do with a full-sized or small pool table! Just be sure to measure up carefully before installing. Most pool tables need at least 5 feet on either side to ensure enough space for gameplay.

2. Foosball Table

Another fun mancave idea is to get yourself a football (foosball) table. Suitable for two players at any one time (and at least 8 others gathered around to watch!), these create a great group activity.

To take things one step further, choose a foosball table with an extendable lid so it doubles up as a beer pong table!

3. Mini Fridge

Getting a mini fridge for your mancave is a must-have! Use it to keep soft drinks, beers, spirits, mixers, and other beverages to ensure you (and your buddies!) stay hydrated on game night.

4. Comfortable Seating Area

A mancave wouldn’t be relaxing if it didn’t have a comfortable place to sit. A sofa and enough chairs to host your buddies will do. Don’t forget about side tables and coffee tables. These are needed to keep drinks off the floor, preventing spillages.

5. TV

Provided you’re a gamer or a football fan, a TV is another must-have man cave idea. Choose a larger screen if you plan on inviting your buddies round for game night. The best place to position a TV is away from lights and in front of the seating area.

How Do I Make My Mancave Cool? 3 Unique Gaming Mancave Ideas

Want to make your mancave the coolest room around? Here are three unique gaming mancave ideas to take your space to the next level!

1. Refurbished Slot Machine

Most casinos, especially smaller businesses, sell old and/or broken slot machines to retailers to refurbish. Buying a refurbished slot machine, like Reel Rush or Starmania, is a great way to make a mancave more fun and unique. If you want more casino design cues, you can even visit a Canadian casino that is online. Check out the colour palettes and vibe for your inspiration.

2. Vintage Arcade Machine

Retro arcade machines still exist and are the perfect addition to a gaming mancave. Rare arcade machines, like Cosmic Chasm and Aztarac, are some of the more expensive games, costing into the thousands. More affordable arcade machines include games like Pac-Man, Street Fighter, and Mortal Kombat.

3. Record Player

To add music with a twist in your mancave, opt for a vintage record player in replace of a modern stereo. Keep it on a cabinet with shelving beneath to store the records. Or save floor space and make the vinyls a decorative feature with floating shelves.

How to Soundproof a Mancave

Soundproofing a mancave is a good idea to avoid annoying your neighbours and family during game night, especially when the event lasts until the early hours! It’s also a good idea to ensure the space becomes truly yours, not somewhere that everyone else can hear what’s going on.

Here are the best ways to soundproof a mancave to make it more private.

Install a Floating Floor

Mancaves on the first or second floor can disturb other inhabitants, particularly if gaming night goes on all night. Installing an extra, insulated floor above the main flooring adds extra soundproofing.

Fit Double Doors

Another way to soundproof a mancave is to install two sets of doors. This creates a better sound barrier and prevents noise from travelling around the house. Add padding to the internal door for extra noise reduction.

Add Foam to Walls

One of the best ways to soundproof a mancave is to add foam panels (also known as acoustic panels) to block noise from escaping the room. Remember, adding foam to walls can make the room smaller, so you’ll need to measure carefully before purchasing furniture.

Summary

Building a mancave inside or outside your home is a great way to destress and have fun. With these cool gaming mancave ideas, you can invite your buddies round anytime to save money and have a great night!