Building Foam Dungeon Tiles (EVA & Upholstery Foam)

Would any dungeon truly feel complete without imposing stone walls? After all, when one imagines a party of adventurers embarking on a quest, it’s the towering stone walls that often come to mind first, right?

We all desire towering walls to set the scene, yet they often obstruct gameplay. So, why not suggest the presence of walls by strategically placing smaller sections in room corners?

This approach ensures the ambiance of enclosed walls without hindering visibility or movement of miniatures within a room. Observe how the addition of edging tiles enhances the illusion, making it appear as though complete walls surround the space.

Hmm, miniature walls bring to mind the tiny Stonehenge from “Spinal Tap” — Oh, I should definitely create one of those to incorporate into a game.

I got to work by cutting out blocks from a 1cm thick sheet of EVA foam. This provided me with a set of blocks that, when mixed with some leftover 5mm floor tiles, created a cool, haphazard look for the walls. I find this aesthetic particularly interesting and effective, especially for constructing partial walls where precision and matching are not crucial.

It was simply a matter of stacking up the blocks in the corners ensuring they overlapped in a staggered manner for added stability and visual appeal. Once again, these where glued in place with Gorilla Glue Contact Adhesive.

At this point  I thought it prudent to minimize the visibility of the Foam PVC sheet base by trimming its edges into a chamfered shape. This alteration effectively reduces the side profile of the sheet, ensuring that it doesn’t distract the observer’s attention away from the meticulously constructed dungeon tile.

To make the tile durable and resilient for gameplay, Mod Podge is the ideal solution. It’s compatible with all the materials I’m using, and its flexibility allows the tile to maintain a slight squishiness, bending along with the EVA foam under pressure. This characteristic, combined with the lightweight nature of the materials, boosts the tile’s overall durability. Therefore, unlike resin or plastic, dropping this tile isn’t a concern; it will simply bounce.

Finally, it was time to address the gaps between the tiled floor to enhance the texture. To achieve this, I opted for a variety of cork granules from Gale Force 9, securing them in place with a mixture of watered-down PVA glue and a touch of dish soap. The dish soap was added to help break the surface tension of the water, ensuring a more effective application and adhesion of the granules.