I got the game through the kickstarter and didn't get the mat since I have learned that I don't generally use the mat when I get it. I played the game once with all of the variability tiles on the main board, and it works fine to be honest, but having the tiles set into the mat is just a godsend. The only issue is that the holes just can't be 100% perfect, so there's going to be some minor buckling in the thinner sections of the mat. It is certainly not necessary to own this mat, but it is certainly a mat I will use nearly every time I play the game from now on.