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.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Only the host needs to own the DLC
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.
2. Lock the board before anyone joins
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.
3. Set up hand zones for the exact number of seats before you deal anything
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.
4. Use the Gizmo Tool for anything that needs precision
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.
5. The Flick Tool is what makes dexterity mods work
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.
6. Save your state the moment setup finishes
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.
7. Blank cards in a Workshop mod almost always mean dead image links rather than a broken subscription
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.
8. 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
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.
9. Turn on grid and snap points for games with tight board spaces
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.
10. Performance problems come from object count rather than file size
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.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Board games (A-Tier):
- Focus on Physics driven objects combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: Gizmo Tool
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Card games (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: Flick Tool
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how Tabletop Simulator's systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
Physics driven objects + Steam Workshop mods: Every card, die and figurine is a rigid body, so pieces slide, stack, topple and fall off the edge like physical objects would. Combined with Steam Workshop mods, the workshop holds community recreations of thousands of board games, plus tables, backgrounds and rpg tilesets.
Hidden zones and hands + Lua scripting: Hand zones hold cards only their owner can read, and Hidden Zones conceal anything placed inside them from other seats. When paired with Lua scripting, objects and the global table can run lua, which powers automated setup, dealing routines, score counters and turn order.
Custom object importing scaling: 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.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Gizmo Tool | Precise board alignment, resizing imported models, and adjusting zones after they are locked. | Moves, rotates and scales objects along fixed axes, and it works on locked objects and zones that a normal drag cannot touch. |
| Flick Tool | Pool, shuffleboard, crokinole and any dexterity game where flicking is the point. | Click an object, drag backwards, and release to apply force along the indicated line. |
| Line Tool | Wargame movement and range checks, and marking temporary boundaries during play. | Draws lines on the table that double as a ruler for measuring distance between points. |
| Joint Tool | Mod makers building spinners, dials and any component that has to pivot. | Connects two objects with a physical joint, producing spinners, wheels, dials and hinged pieces. |
| Hidden Zone Tool | Role playing sessions, hidden movement games, and any setup where the GM prepares ahead. | Creates a region where objects are concealed from every player except the zone's owner and the black GM seat. |
Location Efficiency
Poker Table (2 to 10 players): 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 (3 to 6 players plus a GM): 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 (3 to 6 players): 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 (4 to 8 players): 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 (Any group size): 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.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- 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.
Pro Quick Tips
- 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.
- Start with Card games, switch to Board games when ready
- Invest in Gizmo Tool above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Poker Table → RPG Table → Hexagon Table → Octagon Table → Custom Table. See our maps guide
- Physics driven objects + Steam Workshop mods together are stronger than either alone
More Tabletop Simulator Guides
- Tabletop Simulator Tabletop Simulator Overview
- Tabletop Simulator Best Builds
- Tabletop Simulator Tier List
- Tabletop Simulator Walkthrough
- Tabletop Simulator Beginner's Guide
- 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 Tips & Tricks: sandbox game with similar mechanics
- VRChat Tips & Tricks: sandbox game with similar mechanics
- Garry's Mod Tips & Tricks: sandbox game with similar mechanics
