Berserk Games released Tabletop Simulator in 2015 as a physics sandbox rather than a game, and that distinction explains everything about how it works. It ships 15 classics including chess, poker, dominoes, mahjong and jigsaw puzzles, seats up to 10 players in one room, and hands you the same building tools its DLC teams use. Almost everything people actually play comes off the Steam Workshop, and only the host needs to own a paid DLC for the whole table to use it.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Physics driven objects
Every card, die and figurine is a rigid body, so pieces slide, stack, topple and fall off the edge like physical objects would. Locking an object freezes it in place, which is how mod makers pin boards down before anyone joins.
Steam Workshop mods
The Workshop holds community recreations of thousands of board games, plus tables, backgrounds and RPG tilesets. Subscribing pulls images and models from wherever the creator hosted them, so a dead link leaves you with blank cards.
Hidden zones and hands
Hand zones hold cards only their owner can read, and Hidden Zones conceal anything placed inside them from other seats. The black GM seat sees inside every hidden zone, which is what makes running a role playing session workable.
Lua scripting
Objects and the global table can run Lua, which powers automated setup, dealing routines, score counters and turn order. You never need to write any to play, but every polished Workshop mod uses it.
Custom object importing
Custom Deck, Custom Model, Custom Token and Custom Board objects take a URL to an image or model and build the piece in game. Host those files somewhere permanent, because a broken link breaks the mod for everyone who subscribed.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Tabletop Simulator combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board games | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Card games | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Tabletop RPG sessions | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Miniature wargames | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Party and social deduction games | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Tabletop Simulator builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Gizmo Tool | Moves, rotates and scales objects along fixed axes, and it works on locked objects and zones that a normal drag cannot touch. | Precise board alignment, resizing imported models, and adjusting zones after they are locked. |
| Flick Tool | Click an object, drag backwards, and release to apply force along the indicated line. | Pool, shuffleboard, crokinole and any dexterity game where flicking is the point. |
| Line Tool | Draws lines on the table that double as a ruler for measuring distance between points. | Wargame movement and range checks, and marking temporary boundaries during play. |
| Joint Tool | Connects two objects with a physical joint, producing spinners, wheels, dials and hinged pieces. | Mod makers building spinners, dials and any component that has to pivot. |
| Hidden Zone Tool | Creates a region where objects are concealed from every player except the zone's owner and the black GM seat. | Role playing sessions, hidden movement games, and any setup where the GM prepares ahead. |
Gizmo Tool: Moves, rotates and scales objects along fixed axes, and it works on locked objects and zones that a normal drag cannot touch. Ctrl clicking multiple objects transforms them together.
Flick Tool: Click an object, drag backwards, and release to apply force along the indicated line. It turns the physics engine into an actual game mechanic rather than a side effect.
Line Tool: Draws lines on the table that double as a ruler for measuring distance between points. Lines persist for other players to see, which makes it useful for marking zones of control.
Joint Tool: Connects two objects with a physical joint, producing spinners, wheels, dials and hinged pieces. It is how community mods build working spinner boards and rotating trackers.
Hidden Zone Tool: Creates a region where objects are concealed from every player except the zone's owner and the black GM seat. Unlike a hand zone it hides whole components, not just cards.
Full breakdowns in our Tabletop Simulator weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Poker Table | 2 to 10 players | Preset seating, chip and card handling, fastest setup in the game |
| RPG Table | 3 to 6 players plus a GM | Room for tileset dungeons, space for a GM hidden zone |
| Hexagon Table | 3 to 6 players | Even seating angles, consistent board sizing |
| Octagon Table | 4 to 8 players | Generous player area space, balanced reach to the centre |
| Custom Table | Any group size | Themed presentation, exact surface sizing for a specific game |
Poker Table: The felt topped default with correct seating positions and space for chip stacks. It comes preconfigured for card play, which saves setting hand zones up from scratch.
RPG Table: A larger surface intended for tileset dungeons and figurines. The extra area matters because RPG Kit rooms sprawl fast once you place corridors and multiple encounters.
Hexagon Table: A six sided surface that spreads seats evenly around a central board. Boards keep a consistent size when you switch between hexagon, square, octagon and poker tables.
Octagon Table: The widest of the fixed shapes, giving more edge space for player areas without pushing everyone far from the centre. Good for games with large personal tableaus.
Custom Table: Load your own image or model as the surface, or pick None and drop any imported model in as the table. This is what most polished Workshop mods use for their themed presentation.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Only the host needs to own the DLC. If one person in your group owns an official pack like Scythe or Cosmic Encounter, everyone seated at that table can play it, which makes it worth deciding as a group who buys what.
- Lock the board before anyone joins. Right click and choose Lock, otherwise a stray drag slides the entire map across the table and undoing it never quite puts the components back where they were.
- Set up hand zones for the exact number of seats before you deal anything. Cards dealt to a colour with no hand zone land face up on the table, which is a game ruining reveal in any hidden information game.
- Use the Gizmo Tool for anything that needs precision. It moves, rotates and scales on fixed axes and works on locked objects, which normal dragging cannot do, and it handles multiple selected objects at once.
- The Flick Tool is what makes dexterity mods work. Select it, click the piece, pull back and release, and the line shown on screen tells you the force before you commit.
- Save your state the moment setup finishes. Games with long setups deserve a personal save immediately, so a crash or a physics accident costs a reload instead of twenty minutes of rebuilding.
- Blank cards in a Workshop mod almost always mean dead image links rather than a broken subscription. Look for a different upload of the same game instead of trying to repair someone else's mod mid session.
- The in game Tablet loads a web page directly onto the table, which is the fastest way to keep a rules PDF, a reference chart or a character sheet visible to the whole group without anyone alt tabbing.
- Turn on grid and snap points for games with tight board spaces. Snap points come from the mod maker, so if a mod has none, add them through the object menu rather than fighting the physics every turn.
- Performance problems come from object count rather than file size. Bag away components you are not using instead of leaving hundreds of loose tokens on the table, which matters most in wargame and legacy style setups.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming a Workshop mod matches the current printed rules. Community versions often lag expansions or bake in house rules, so read the mod description before the group commits an evening to it.
- Running a role playing session without hidden zones. GMs end up hiding notes outside the game entirely, when the black GM seat already sees inside every hidden zone on the table.
- Playing on an unlocked board. One accidental drag mid game shifts every piece's relative position and there is no clean way to restore it without a save.
- Hosting custom art on a temporary image service. Links expire, and when they do the mod breaks for every person who subscribed to it, including you.
- Buying it expecting the 15 included classics to be the product. Chess, poker and dominoes are a starting point, and the actual value sits in the Workshop library and the official DLC catalogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all players need to own the DLC?
No. Only the host needs to own an official DLC pack, and everyone seated at that table can play it. This applies to the paid board game packs, not to the base game itself.
How many players fit at one table?
Up to 10 in a single room, with VR and non VR players able to share the same table. Larger party games work, though object count starts to affect performance.
Does it include real board games?
Yes on two fronts. Fifteen classics ship in the base game, over 40 official DLC packs license real designer games, and the Steam Workshop carries community recreations of thousands more.
Do I need to learn Lua to make a mod?
No. Custom Deck, Custom Model and Custom Board objects build components from image and model URLs with no code at all. Scripting only becomes necessary for automated setup and score tracking.
Does Tabletop Simulator support VR?
Yes, with HTC Vive and Oculus Rift support, and VR players can sit at the same table as players on mouse and keyboard without any separate lobby.
More Tabletop Simulator Guides
- Tabletop Simulator Best Builds
- Tabletop Simulator Tier List
- Tabletop Simulator Walkthrough
- Tabletop Simulator Beginner's Guide
- Tabletop Simulator Tips & Tricks
- Tabletop Simulator Weapons Guide
- Tabletop Simulator Combat Guide
- Tabletop Simulator Boss Guide
- Tabletop Simulator Maps & Locations
- Tabletop Simulator Crafting Guide
- Tabletop Simulator Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Tabletop Simulator, check out these related guides:
- Terraria Guide: sandbox game with similar mechanics
- VRChat Guide: sandbox game with similar mechanics
- Garry's Mod Guide: sandbox game with similar mechanics
