TaleSpire

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"TaleSpire is a digital game allowing players to experience pen and paper RPGs online with friends, regardless of location. It offers stunning visuals, immersive soundscapes, and collaborative map building while remaining flexible to various rulesets. However, it has some bugs and can be grinding, but it's full of humor and atmospheric, making it a distinctive choice for RPG enthusiasts."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,812 reviews

graphics63 positive mentions

stability24 negative mentions

TaleSpire offers an amazing 3D map-making tool that enhances the D&D experience, allowing for immersive environments and detailed settings.
The integration with HeroForge allows players to import custom miniatures, adding a personal touch to their characters.
The community support is robust, with many pre-made maps and assets available for quick use, making it easier for DMs to prepare for sessions.

Every player needs to purchase their own copy of TaleSpire, which can be a financial barrier for groups, especially if they are not all willing to invest.
The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for new users to navigate and build maps effectively.
Key features like fog of war and character sheets are still missing or poorly implemented, limiting the overall functionality of the VTT.

graphics
118 mentions
53 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics in this virtual tabletop (VTT) software are widely praised for their stunning 3D visuals and charming tabletop aesthetic, enhancing the immersive experience for players. Users appreciate the attention to detail and the ability to create dynamic maps, although some note that the software can be demanding on hardware and may require a learning curve. While the visuals are a standout feature, concerns about the pricing model and limited functionality compared to competitors are frequently mentioned.
- “The graphics are absolutely gorgeous!!”
- “The visuals are stunning and it's seriously fun to build maps in this!”
- “Beautiful visuals, immersive atmospheres, and insane potential for creations and adventures.”
- “As a lifelong fan of miniatures and dioramas, I truly love Talespire's aesthetic and concept, but its execution is lacking.”
- “I feel like the professional mappers and 3D artists, architects specifically, can achieve incredible things here; however, for an average user, it might be on the cusp of usability because the UI at times is unintuitive and it will squeeze your graphics card hard if you're going for something bigger than 50x50x20 (and I've got an RTX 3050).”
- “I love the care that went into the graphics and that they have not tried to do everything in one program (like Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds), but instead created a sub-par product (I'm really looking at you Fantasy Grounds).”
music
75 mentions
24 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game is generally praised for its immersive quality and variety, enhancing the overall atmosphere during gameplay. However, many users express frustration with the lack of seamless looping and the short duration of tracks, which can disrupt the experience. There is a strong desire for the ability to import custom music and expand the existing selection to further enrich the gaming environment.
- “The addition of music and sound effects are also a brilliant way to add ambiance to an environment.”
- “The music you can choose in the game is top notch, spanning from casual town market songs to epic battle themes.”
- “The atmospheric and music options are incredible and fun to just use on their own.”
- “I do find it sad that the music isn't seamlessly looping.”
- “The music does not loop seamlessly; indeed, the tracks are only about a minute long and have about a 10-minute fade in/fade out/pause in between each play, which gets really annoying fast.”
- “Just like miniatures, it would be nice to have the ability to add your own music to the list of those a creator can choose from when editing a map.”
story
54 mentions
28 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight the game's strong potential for immersive storytelling and world-building, allowing players and DMs to create unique narratives and environments. While the platform offers extensive creative freedom and tools for visual storytelling, users note a steep learning curve and some technical limitations, particularly with multi-story setups. Overall, it is praised as a valuable aid for enhancing tabletop RPG experiences, though it requires significant effort and external resources for comprehensive storytelling.
- “It's a great system for visual storytelling and adding depth to current and new tabletop campaigns.”
- “This game is brilliant; it is full of potential that could bring any DM's or player's experience to life through the storytelling of figures, custom worlds, and creative storytelling.”
- “Creating an entire bandit fort that my party could see in 3D turned what I expected to be a simple stealth mission on a 2D map into a full-on spy movie with extremely dynamic combat choices.”
- “The problem is that many require a huge learning curve, programming knowledge to do more than basic, purchasing of extra content to just get a decent D&D story going, or their developer abandons the project after a little while.”
- “I was expecting to be able to set up a story level where you can speak to NPC characters, giving them dialogue, choices, or options for conversation with conclusions that affect the game, but it seems everything needs to be real-time, real people.”
- “Just like running D&D in real life, you, the GM, need to do all the preparation work whether it's a pre-built wizard's module or a homebrew campaign with your own story and assets.”
gameplay
51 mentions
22 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Talespire is praised for its visually appealing 3D environments and creative potential, making it a strong choice for tabletop RPGs, particularly D&D. However, users note that it requires practice to master the controls, and many mechanics, such as character management and combat automation, are still underdeveloped, leading to a somewhat clunky experience. While the building mechanics are enjoyable and the game shows promise for future improvements, players express a desire for more assets and streamlined gameplay features to enhance their overall experience.
- “This platform creates lots of opportunities for creativity and storytelling - as a player, I've had an easy time incorporating it into my gameplay.”
- “The graphics are great, the mechanics are easy to learn for regular users, and many of the models are based on popular TTRPGs.”
- “The building mechanic is fun and well thought out and has all the chill vibes as you're constructing your ideas.”
- “13 characters in an engagement and I have to manually roll for each character and order them myself, which can be done in a spreadsheet, but it's such a simple mechanic for a machine to do and not a feature.”
- “A lot of the minute mechanics stress me out, like if you turn a character invisible you cannot move or select them anymore without going through a lot of trouble.”
- “Talespire has huge potential, but there are seriously lacking mechanics and functionality for creating/building maps and the GM role overall.”
atmosphere
43 mentions
72 % positive mentions
21 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, featuring atmospheric lighting, soundtracks, and detailed visuals that enhance the overall experience. Users appreciate the intuitive tools for creating dynamic environments, allowing for seamless transitions and engaging gameplay. However, some critiques mention that the pricing model may detract from the overall enjoyment, despite the strong atmospheric elements.
- “It's detailed, it's got an active and loving builder community, it's got a lot of atmosphere and charm, and it's simple enough where I can think on my toes and react quickly to surprises without getting overwhelmed with the UI.”
- “The atmosphere you can produce with the slight changes to the coloring of the lighting and the ambient noises in the background is wonderful.”
- “Beautiful visuals, immersive atmospheres, and insane potential for creations and adventures.”
- “I really do wish seats were never teased/added as I think it has created a foul atmosphere and a disconnect between the buyer and developer. Anyone who loves TTRPGs shouldn't bat an eye at a thirty dollar buy-in.”
- “A great product ruined by the decision to sell seats. Buying Foundry VTT is cheaper, and you can invite all the people you like. A 3D atmosphere is not enough to charge me $80 (if I want to run a party of 6 people) when Foundry VTT costs $50 and has better support in general.”
- “As a way to play TTRPGs, this absolutely needs refinement, but the stellar visual and audio design create an atmosphere not previously experienced for VTTs, however.”
stability
25 mentions
4 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
Overall, users acknowledge that while Talespire is still in early access and exhibits various bugs and glitches, it remains a promising and enjoyable tabletop RPG simulator. Many reviewers note that the minor issues are typical for a beta version and express confidence in the developers' responsiveness to these problems. Despite some frustrations, the game's potential and community support are highlighted positively.
- “While it still needs quality of life improvements and a fog of war mechanic (that is not buggy), TaleSpire is in its current form an amazing TTRPG board simulator.”
- “Mostly just disappointed it's too buggy to use, and when I could use it I was met with frustration.”
- “Tabletop simulator, which I love, has some very clunky glitches that cause navigating, loading and running things to be frustrating at times.”
- “It has less features than any other VTT, costs too much for a whole party, and is buggy, but has potential to be good.”
optimization
24 mentions
33 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is a mixed bag; while some users report smooth performance even on lower-end machines, others highlight significant optimization issues, particularly with larger maps and demanding features. The developers are actively working on improvements, and many players appreciate the potential for expansive maps without severe performance hits, though there is still room for enhancement as the game is in early access.
- “The game is well optimized, runs smoothly, graphics are on another level.”
- “It's impressive to me how large the maps can be without severe performance hits.”
- “Even in early access the game runs smoothly and there are enough assets to play around with.”
- “Terrible optimization.”
- “Optimization for bigger maps is lacking.”
- “It seems cool and attracted me, but the poor performance did not do it any favors.”
humor
15 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying comedic moments that arise from character interactions, unexpected scenarios, and the limitations of game assets. Many reviews highlight the joy of shared laughter during gameplay, whether it's through amusing character choices or funny mishaps, contributing to a lighthearted and entertaining experience. Overall, the game's humor enhances the social aspect of tabletop roleplay, making it a memorable part of the gaming experience.
- “The huge sets, measuring instead of being locked to a grid, set dressing, and the hours I have spent with my friends laughing and enjoying an imaginary game.”
- “Very funny, of course, but if there's not really a house full of cheese wheels in Phandalin, you're going to have to decide how to fix that yourself.”
- “They love the maps I create and are eager to explore, though we had a very funny instance where they all saw a missing tile in the floor while I could not, leading to awkward questions about a trap being there.”
monetization
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy for the game has been widely criticized as unfair and detrimental to both players and the game's long-term viability, with many users labeling it as a "cash grab." Concerns include the potential for parallel markets due to additional payments required post-purchase and the perception that the game lacks sufficient features to justify its monetization model. Overall, players are calling for a reevaluation of the current approach to ensure a more equitable and sustainable system.
- “Ideally, the profit made from this new avenue of monetization will allow them to continue working on the program and further improve it.”
- “A) Talespire is feature-complete enough to warrant additional forms of monetization.”
- “I leave this review in the hope that you will go back on this monetization model decision.”
- “Having an additional payment after purchasing it is an extremely unfair and harmful monetization scheme for both players and the long-term health of the software.”
- “They have also stated that new tile sets will be released as 'asset packs' or via a subscription service, which screams cash grab.”
- “To even consider new avenues of monetization, you would think that the product would be more feature-complete than it is now.”
grinding
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users find the grinding aspect of map creation in the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often preferring to create physical models instead. The limited options and complexity of building can lead to frustration, although some appreciate the ease of hosting virtual games once they become familiar with the tools. Overall, while the process can be cumbersome, it is seen as manageable with the right approach, particularly through the use of pre-made assets.
- “Difficult to use, tedious if you want to make anything that looks remotely nice (or even serves as basically functional), limited palette of options meaning you have to make a lot of compromises while building.”
- “Even building a board is a tedious enough process that I'd ultimately rather make the damn thing in meatspace out of styrofoam and a slap of paint, then stream it to my players via webcam.”
- “It can be a bit tedious to make a map, placing everything piece by piece, so for those of us who don't have the patience, workshop and pre-made are key.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report that the integration of heroforge with Talespire significantly enhances emotional investment by allowing them to create and visualize their characters in a shared, immersive environment. This connection fosters a sense of togetherness, making the experience feel more personal and engaging, even when physically apart.
- “The HeroForge integration even helped my players become more emotionally invested, as they create their characters in HeroForge and then see them in action through TaleSpire.”
- “Other things felt distant and lackluster, but TaleSpire made me feel like my crew were actually in a room playing together instead of being thousands of miles apart.”
- “This is just touching on the building aspect!”
replayability
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-300 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the high replayability of the game, enhanced by the availability of community-created templates and props that encourage diverse gameplay experiences.
- “Additionally, you can use templates and various props from the community content page, which makes the game even more replayable.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making each playthrough feel repetitive and dull.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to replay the game since the side quests are uninspired.”
- “While there are some community-created props, they don't significantly enhance the overall replayability of the game.”