Tabulo

About

Tabulo is a single player tactical turn-based strategy game. It was developed by Noah Games and was released on January 15, 2026. It received very positive reviews from players.

Position your pieces carefully to max out your score in this Balatro-inspired chess roguelike. Enhance your pieces, purchase powers, and win bonuses from optional challenges, but be careful - your board only has so much room. Build a unique chess board every run Choose from different pieces with different synergies …

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 47 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

Addictive and engaging gameplay with a unique blend of chess mechanics and Balatro-style scoring, offering a fresh and strategic puzzle roguelike experience.
Variety of boards, tiles, modifiers, and pieces that create diverse runs and synergies, encouraging creativity and long-term planning.
Clear and minimalistic presentation that emphasizes readability and strategic decision-making, complemented by a satisfying scoring system and enjoyable progression.

Some bosses are overly punishing and can make certain builds unwinnable, with no option to reroll or disable them, negatively impacting run fairness.
Runs can feel short and at times too easy, with a slow and sometimes tedious scoring count on large combos and a lack of deeper challenge or complexity for long-term engagement.
Lacks certain quality of life features such as achievements, better Steam Deck support, more unlockables, and variety in pieces and difficulty options compared to similar games it draws inspiration from.

gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The gameplay of Tabulo offers a smart, addictive, and deeply replayable experience blending score-chasing, optimization puzzles, and roguelike elements, with a strong core inspired by but distinct from Balatro. Its unique mechanics, including varied chess-inspired pieces and strategic progression, deliver satisfying and enjoyable gameplay, though some ambitious features could use refinement. Overall, it stands out as a compelling strategy game with engaging mechanics and progression.
- “For fans of score-chasing games, optimization puzzles, and modern roguelikes that transform familiar mechanics into something novel, Tabulo stands out as a smart, focused, and deeply replayable entry in the genre.”
- “Though the game's design is inspired heavily off of Balatro, Tabulo has enough of a distinct identity and gameplay to be able to stand on its own in the roguelike genre.”
- “Some are simple stat changes, such as increasing starting money or number of playable pieces, but my favorites are the ones that directly impact the gameplay of the board itself, by introducing new, non-standard chess pieces to put down, such as dice, xiangqi [my favorite], or checkers.”
- “While the core mechanics are strong, Tabulo’s ambition occasionally reveals areas that could benefit from further refinement.”
- “It's evident from the graphics and gameplay that this game takes a lot of inspiration from Balatro, and while I don't think it will soar to the heights of Balatro, it definitely offers some fun at a reasonable price. The demo gives you a nice amount of content to get a good feel for the game, and at least on PC your progression carries over, which is nice.”
- “Though the game's design is inspired heavily by Balatro, Tabulo has enough of a distinct identity and gameplay to be able to stand on its own in the roguelike genre.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are less polished and heavily inspired by another game, resulting in a knockoff feel. However, some charming elements, like the tile art, add to the overall visual appeal despite the lack of originality.
- “In all ways this feels like a knock off, from far less polished visuals to the scoring glitches like Balatro has some combos.”
- “It's evident from the graphics and gameplay that this game takes a lot of inspiration from Balatro, and while I don't think it will soar to the heights of Balatro it definitely offers some fun at a reasonable price and the demo gives you a nice amount of content to get a good feel for the game and at least on PC your progression carries over which is nice.”
- “I kinda wish the art style didn't crib from Balatro quite so much, but the game is fun and the art for the tiles (i.e. jokers) are charming.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Tabulo excels in optimization by reimagining chess mechanics into a score-driven puzzle focused on synergy and efficiency. Its design emphasizes long-term planning and maximizing effectiveness, making it a standout, deeply replayable strategy roguelike for fans of optimization and score-chasing gameplay.
- “Tabulo is a tightly focused strategy roguelike that takes the visual language and basic logic of chess and reshapes it into a score-driven puzzle experience built around optimization, synergy, and long-term planning.”
- “Ultimately, Tabulo succeeds by reframing chess not as a contest between two minds, but as a system to be optimized and bent toward maximum efficiency.”
- “For fans of score-chasing games, optimization puzzles, and modern roguelikes that transform familiar mechanics into something novel, Tabulo stands out as a smart, focused, and deeply replayable entry in the genre.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Replayability is a strong highlight, combining puzzle-solving satisfaction with roguelike progression to create a deeply engaging experience. Fans of score-chasing, optimization puzzles, and innovative roguelikes will find Tabulo particularly compelling and replay-worthy.
- “It blends the satisfaction of puzzle-solving with the replayability of roguelike progression, offering a compelling experience for players who enjoy numbers, patterns, and emergent strategy.”
- “For fans of score-chasing games, optimization puzzles, and modern roguelikes that transform familiar mechanics into something novel, Tabulo stands out as a smart, focused, and deeply replayable entry in the genre.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits notable stability issues, including scoring glitches, and overall feels less polished compared to similar titles, suggesting a knockoff quality.
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music is praised for its great soundtrack, which enhances the overall satisfying gameplay experience.