Tabletop Simulator

About

Tabletop Simulator is a game that allows you to play and create tabletop games in a virtual environment, with support for single-player, local and online multiplayer, and VR. The base game includes 15 classic games and an RPG kit, and there are thousands of community-created games on the Steam Workshop. It features ingenious mechanics, phenomenal visuals, and plenty of humor, but be aware of bugs and grinding.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 43,925 reviews

gameplay107 positive mentions

stability214 negative mentions

The game offers chaotic and hilarious moments, making it perfect for casual gaming sessions with friends.
It boasts exceptional replayability due to its extensive Steam Workshop and user-generated content, allowing for virtually limitless gaming experiences.
The emotional aspect of the game fosters connections and creates heartwarming experiences among friends, providing a wholesome escape during challenging times.

The game suffers from significant performance issues, including lag, crashes, and bugs, particularly in multiplayer modes.
Many players find the controls and mechanics awkward and cumbersome, leading to a tedious gameplay experience.
The monetization strategy, including microtransactions, has drawn criticism for detracting from the overall experience and being perceived as a 'capitalist cash grab.'

gameplay
463 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
73%
4%
The gameplay in this simulator is highly versatile, allowing players to engage in a wide variety of tabletop games with intuitive mechanics and a strong physics engine that enhances the experience. While some users find the controls and mechanics initially cumbersome, many appreciate the extensive modding community that provides scripted games to streamline gameplay. Overall, it offers a fun and interactive way to play board games with friends, though it may require some patience to fully grasp its features.
- “This combination really enhances the gameplay experience, allowing us to focus on having fun without worrying about physical card management.”
- “The mechanics are intuitive and make it very easy to play a wide range of games.”
- “The platform's physics engine adds a layer of realism that enhances the gameplay, making it feel like you're actually interacting with physical game pieces.”
- “The gameplay can be a bit awkward sometimes (kind of depends on the game) but use the hotkeys for functions like, lock down game piece, or zoom in on card, can really help speed up gameplay and keep you from knocking pieces all over the board.”
- “The graphics are poor, the mechanics are awkward and cumbersome, and it's very difficult to use.”
- “Gameplay is terrible, controls not intuitive, rules basically don't exist.”
humor
323 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in this game is a standout feature, with players frequently highlighting the chaotic and hilarious moments that arise during gameplay, such as flipping tables, creating absurd custom games, and engaging in lighthearted banter with friends. The combination of a physics engine and the ability to spawn funny items leads to countless laugh-out-loud scenarios, making it a perfect choice for casual gaming sessions with friends. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to generate laughter and memorable experiences, particularly in multiplayer settings.
- “This is by far one of the most fun, hilarious, and enjoyable games I've ever gotten, and I can only recommend it to anybody who loves to have a chill evening with friends from all over the globe.”
- “The goofy moments of flipping a card, spilling dice, or just laughing at someone’s terrible move are what make tabletop simulator so memorable.”
- “It's chaotic, hilarious, and utterly addictive.”
- “I got pretty much scammed by a friend, and it's not funny at all without friends.”
- “Not funny.”
- “Although the title itself may make it seem like it'll probably be one of those unfunny games like Goat Simulator, this game is pretty fun.”
graphics
308 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
62%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users praising their decent quality and smooth performance, while others criticize them as outdated or lacking in detail. Many players appreciate the ability to customize visuals and import custom assets, but note that the game can be resource-intensive, leading to performance issues on lower-end systems. Overall, while the graphics may not compete with AAA titles, they serve their purpose for a tabletop simulator and can enhance the gaming experience when optimized correctly.
- “The graphics are good too, and modeling details, even on the low end of things, are pretty fricken neat!”
- “The game's graphics and physics are also impressive, with realistic 3D models and physics-based mechanics that make the games feel incredibly immersive.”
- “The graphics are amazing and the gameplay is smooth.”
- “Crashes over and over, graphics are a joke; my dead grandmother could produce something better than this trash.”
- “The graphics are poor, the mechanics are awkward and cumbersome, and it's very difficult to use.”
- “While the graphics of Tabletop Simulator are certainly nothing special, the game definitely looks realistic.”
stability
233 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The stability of the game is frequently criticized, with many users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and crashes that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some players find the occasional bugs amusing or manageable, the overall consensus indicates that the game requires significant polishing and troubleshooting to enhance its reliability. Despite these issues, many still appreciate the unique gameplay experience it offers, suggesting that the fun can sometimes outweigh the technical shortcomings.
- “Runs great and multiplayer is flawless.”
- “It is a very solid platform that surprisingly is not buggy, despite being a very open sandbox physics type thing.”
- “It runs great and smooth on Windows and Linux, with no performance problems or any issues.”
- “It's a buggy, laggy mess created with some horrible spaghetti code that is gradually getting better as time goes on... I think.”
- “The game is incredibly glitchy and buggy so it barely works, and I know it's in beta but why are people releasing games like this in beta? Finish the game first!”
- “Launched once, had a decent time playing with friends, game patched, won't launch again no matter what steps I've taken to fix it, and the dev team is useless at troubleshooting.”
music
179 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
89%
3%
The music aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the ability to import their own music and use in-game tablets to stream from platforms like YouTube, enhancing the gaming experience. However, the default in-game music, particularly the menu soundtrack, is often criticized as annoying or unappealing, leading some players to disable it entirely. Overall, while the customizability of music is praised, the built-in options leave much to be desired.
- “The menu soundtrack is an absolute jam.”
- “The ability to import your own music for the whole lobby to hear is priceless.”
- “Sound effects and music enhance the atmosphere without overshadowing gameplay.”
- “The in-game music player will reset and require you to upload your own songs again each time you load a new game unless you saved it.”
- “Menu music has been used to taunt friends into berserker rage.”
- “The menu song is so catchy!”
story
158 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
74%
16%
The reviews reflect a mixed reception regarding the story aspect of the game. While some users appreciate the moral lessons and personal connections formed during gameplay, many others criticize the lack of a coherent narrative, stating that the game primarily focuses on gameplay mechanics rather than storytelling. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game is more about the experience and interactions rather than a traditional story-driven format.
- “The story in this game is 10/10.”
- “Overall just incredible gameplay, storylines, and voice acting.”
- “Come for the catgirls, stay for the story and lore.”
- “The story sucks and there's no battle royale mode.”
- “This was horrible for me, as it was already placeholder for delusional backstory.”
- “The game contains no music, cinematics, or storyline.”
optimization
115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users noting significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems and during multiplayer sessions. While some players report smooth gameplay and quick loading times, others experience lag, crashes, and unoptimized features, especially in VR mode. Overall, while the game has improved over time and offers a lot of fun, it still requires further optimization to enhance the user experience consistently across all platforms.
- “The game is optimized for card and board games, with features for stacking tokens, chips, coins as well as placing and rotating miniatures and the like for war games.”
- “Over the years, the developers have added many features and optimized the game a lot.”
- “Best board game ever, has almost every board game possible and also supports VR, well optimized and can almost run on every low-end PC at 60 fps.”
- “This game is terribly optimized and constantly crashes while also not working as intended.”
- “Terribly buggy, messy, shoddily made code plastered on an engine riddled with connection issues, horrible codecs and unoptimized piece of garbage.”
- “The game does suffer from performance issues thanks to its very realistic handling of each individual object, but this is negligible in all but the largest scenarios.”
replayability
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
Tabletop Simulator boasts exceptional replayability, largely due to its extensive Steam Workshop, which offers a vast array of user-generated content and mods. Players can enjoy virtually limitless gaming experiences by modifying rules, experimenting with setups, and accessing an ever-growing library of board and card games. While some users note potential limitations without community content, the overall consensus is that the game provides an unparalleled level of replay value, making it a worthwhile investment for tabletop enthusiasts.
- “Furthermore, the ability to modify rules, tweak game setups, and experiment with different variations ensures that no two sessions are alike, extending the replay value significantly.”
- “The extensive library of user-generated content and the ability to import custom assets further enhance the game's replay value.”
- “This game has virtually unlimited replayability and was a great investment for years to come.”
- “A decent game, but after the first 10 hours or so, there isn't much replay value.”
- “I will say that its replay value, without the workshop, has potential to be limited, but overall I can highly recommend playing this with a few friends.”
- “I don't care if it's made up or based on another board game, I just want more of a variety with much more replayability than these classics.”
grinding
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
30%
68%
Reviews highlight that grinding in the game can be quite tedious, often requiring significant time investment for tasks like setup and gameplay management. While many users appreciate the automation features provided by mods and scripts that alleviate some of the repetitive aspects, others find the controls cumbersome and the overall experience can feel like a grind, especially for complex games. Overall, players suggest that while the game offers a rich experience, it may demand more time and patience than some are willing to invest.
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “One long, tedious grind.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I found the game very tedious and painful to navigate; would not recommend.”
- “As a very experienced computer gamer, I found it extremely tedious to use; there's no way I'd consider introducing casual gamers to this as a mechanism to play a board game - the pandemic just won't last long enough to get a game finished!”
emotional
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to foster connections and create heartwarming experiences among friends, especially during challenging times. Players express a mix of joy, nostalgia, and even existential reflection, with many finding comfort and support in the game's community. Overall, it offers a wholesome escape that can evoke a range of emotions, from laughter to heartfelt moments, making it a valuable social experience.
- “This game has ever since brought me and my son closer again.”
- “In this current year where everything is quite literally on fire, and nobody can really be around each other face to face, this has been a massive emotionally supportive system for those of us craving the social stimuli to just crowd around some board games and have a laugh for a few hours with friends.”
- “Honestly, the community that plays this game is super wholesome, it's just a fun way to connect with your friends, especially with COVID going around.”
monetization
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
19%
69%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reviews, with many users criticizing the prevalence of microtransactions, particularly those that affect gameplay and cosmetic options. While some appreciate the free-to-play model and the potential for promotional content, others feel that the monetization practices detract from the overall experience, likening it to a "capitalist cash grab." Additionally, concerns about misleading advertising and a lack of quality control have been raised, suggesting that the monetization approach may alienate players.
- “It's free but loaded with microtransactions.”
- “There are cosmetic microtransactions.”
- “There are gameplay-oriented microtransactions.”
- “It's a shame many devs won't support the free advertising, but many do as well, sometimes providing beta content.”
- “The ads and how people presented it are very misleading.”
- “They're also gradually locking people out of playing certain games via microtransactions, which is the cancer that's going to kill this lousy application.”
atmosphere
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive sound effects and music, which complement the gameplay without being intrusive. Players appreciate the variety of environments and customizable tabletop backgrounds that enhance the overall experience, making it feel cozy and inviting. While it cannot fully replicate the in-person experience, the game effectively bridges distances, allowing friends to enjoy a rich and engaging atmosphere together, especially during lockdowns.
- “Sound effects and music enhance the atmosphere without overshadowing gameplay.”
- “The game also provides a variety of different environments and tabletop backgrounds, allowing players to enjoy different atmospheres and visual experiences.”
- “The game can never replace the atmosphere of playing at a real table with your friends around you, hanging out, eating snacks and socializing.”
- “The atmosphere is what I would say is the only real benefit to playing this way over playing a physical game.”
- “Overall, the atmosphere of the game is very cozy, and you don't really feel unwelcome.”