A Taste of the Future: Finding Noodle Shops for an Urban Sci-Fi Terrain Board

I've been slowly putting together a sci-fi terrain board partly inspired by the cityscapes of movies like Blade Runner. Currently, I'm short on office buildings, although I do have other structures that can fill in. I do have some suitable scatter terrain, but more would be ideal. I have enough tiles for a small board, but more would expand the playing area and to provide more variety. And my plans for inner city rail are on hold while I mull over how I'm going to build it. However, there's one thing I'm missing that particularly vexes me for some reason.

I got signs advertising burgers, pet replicants, and milk, but not what I've been looking for.

Blade Runner (1982) established the look of gritty sci-fi. It's influence is strongest in cyberpunk, but it can be seen any time a sci-fi production needs a futuristic dystopia as a backdrop. Brightly glowing signs drenching scenes with colors rarely found in nature. Stark, functional structures filling the background. Decaying infrastructure co-existing with cutting edge technology. It's a very 80s vision of the future.

Early in Blade Runner, we're introduced to Deckard as he sits down for a cheap, but filling bowl of noodles. The place resembles the neon lit street bars of Asia. These are little shops where a customer can step off the pavement, belly up to the bar, and order an inexpensive meal after a hard day at work or a hard night of overindulgence.

I'm looking for something to represent such a place for my sci-fi board. Things like this would give it a lived in look. People have to live in the tiny slice of cityscape represented by this board. Where do they go to work. To eat? To rest and relax? To shop? Not every urban terrain board needs to be a slice of city life, but I enjoy entertaining questions like these and coming up with answers in the form of terrain.

Building something from scratch demanded a clearer concept than "bar seating" could offer. A little poking around revealed some possibilities from online vendors. I'm still considering options, but I thought that sharing what I've found so far might help others looking for similar terrain. There's also every possibility that someone reading is aware of something I haven't seen yet.


The "Fast Food" Stall from Zen Terrain

I almost bought this one immediately after coming across it. The price is hard to beat and - except for the lack of an awning - it looks like the kind of food stall I had in mind.

• The price is reasonable, but shipping from Poland adds significantly to the total cost.
• This terrain piece is 90mm long. I would prefer something with more of a presence on the table.
• The curved back is cardstock, raising concerns in my mind about its durability.

I might add this to a larger order from Zen Terrain - some of their buildings would work well for the board - but it's not something I'd order on its own.


The FoodBooth 9000 and RIBD_4 Street Bar from Warmill

Warmill from the UK makes a couple of promising products. The look of the FoodBooth 9000 leans more towards "fast food joint" than what I'm looking for, but I'll keep it in mind if I need a sci-fi burger place. The RIBD_4 Street Bar better matches what I have in mind, although it is marketed as serving beverages rather than food.

• Both items are out of stock at the time this post is going up.
• The cost of shipping packages across the Atlantic.

I'll be keeping an eye out if availability changes. This isn't terrain I need right now and I can use the time to keep looking.


The SciFi Street Shop from Terrakami Games

This is a basic design that offers flexibility for those who own multiple copies of it. Three of these can be placed corner to corner to provide seating for a larger shop. There's even the option of an acrylic sign advertising noodles with chopsticks.

• The issue of transatlantic shipping costs rears its ugly head again.
• I dislike ordering single items, so I'd have to find other things to bulk up the order. Of course, the maglev train pieces that Terrakami offers would solve my inner city rail problem...

I'll have to keep this one in mind.

New Ceres: Sushi Shack Bundle and Odinheim: Pop Shop Bundle from Death Ray Designs

The New Ceres: Sushi Shack Bundle is a modular terrain piece that can comes with ladders, platforms, and other features that can be configured in a variety of ways. The acrylic sign advertises sushi rather than noodles, but the look is otherwise close to what I envisioned. The modular features add tactical options for movement, elevation, and cover during play.

The Odinheim: Pop Shop Bundle is cheaper than the Sushi Shack Bundle and has a sign with a bowl of noodles, but lacks exterior bar seating. Other than the sign, it looks like a fairly generic shop.

• Neither is quite what I have in mind. If I get both, I wonder if I could switch the signs between them?
• Either of these bundles are somewhat more expensive than the other products on this list.
• The higher prices are mitigated by lower shipping costs since Death Ray Designs and I are in the same country.

Death Ray Designs has some other products that appeal to me. Maybe I'll save up and put one or both of these in a larger order from them.


I haven't made up my mind at this point on which one I'll be buying, but the offerings from Death Ray Designs are the strongest contenders at this point. Feel free to share your own thoughts and point me in the direction of any other possibilities!