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[Knight of Fools]

Tabletop Simulator is a game currently on Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight being made by Berserk Games. It's basically a tabletop system in which you can play a variety of games, ranging from a game of chess to a game of Tabletop Roleplaying (Which is a promised stretch goal that's been reached). You can also import your own game mats and play by your own rules.

Spoiler: What the game's all about (click to show/hide)

The fun bit is that every object on the table operates under the laws of physics, so you can pick up and throw a chess piece if you want. This also allows for a lot of other fun features - You can roll dice in real time, play games dependent on skill (I'm thinking Jenga, but we'll see if the physics system is up to it), or even have game rules where you throw things in order to do stuff. The game doesn't keep track of the rules, only the physics, so there's nothing keeping you from just dinking around if that's what you want. Naturally you'll have admin rights over the games you oversee, so you can get rid of griefers. Up to eight people can play in a game at a time. There's quite a bit of potential here, and the developer's goals and promises seem realistic.


I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to a game where I can play D&D online and throw actual dice and accidentally knock over my can of Mountain Dew. Just like in real life!


It's currently got 24 hours left on its Kickstarter page and is fully funded with all of the stretch goals reached. You can get the game at release for $10, or beta access at the end of the Kickstarter for $15. It looks like it has most of the core features already in place, it's just lacking some polish and extra features.

[My Name is Immaterial]

This looks very tempting.

[Fniff]

Surgeon Simulator 2013 crossed with Roll20? I am interested.

[Iceblaster]

Sounds neat, a bit expensive sounding though...

Eh. Might be the cheapskate in me talking.

[BigD145]

It looks like Wolfire's free and open source Desperate Gods made into a payable thing.

VASSAL and other online boardgame sites are also free.

[My Name is Immaterial]

Being able to flip a table, sending the pieces flying after a victory or defeat sounds worth it.

[Gunner-Chan]

I wouldn't say $10 is expensive for a moddable multiplayer tabletop engine with apparent ability to put rulesets into. If anything they need to be charging more.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

I think it's less that you can put rule sets in, as it being a thing that doesn't have rule sets and the players need to give each other copies of the game manuals. Like, in order to play Risk, all you'd need is the board and the models for the armies. And you could probably get away with using some default models included in the game already. Hopefully they do a good job of adding in tons of different types of pieces you can use.

I think you could put together a very satisfying war-game with models for buildings, bridges, hills, and woods. The flat board would have rivers, roads, fields, etc.

This might be the thing that finally destroys all the other online tabletop programs.

[rabidgam3r]

I would love it if you could put your own props on side tables, like cans of Generic Energy Drink and bags of Chips.
(avoiding copyrights, fuck yeah)

[Tally]

For tabletop gaming, I might argue that a price tag actually hinders this purpose, on top of potential prices for rulebooks. For playing board games that may not have a digital/online analogue, however, that is a different story. Especially if you wanted to play something like, say, the Doom board game, which is both rare and expensive.

As long as the capability to copy over board maps, cards, and the like from pictures is good, anyway. The ability to flip a table after losing and totally spill your salt shaker, however, is priceless. Especially without potential damage to an actual table and the game itself.

[Hugehead]

This might be the thing that finally destroys all the other online tabletop programs.

It's a funny gimmick, but for me there's barely any overlap between this and Roll20. I don't want to have to worry about knocking over stuff over and throwing the dice off the table, and I want to have dice macros and easily distributable handouts and easy to check character sheets, but this is the complete opposite of that.

[BigD145]

As long as the capability to copy over board maps, cards, and the like from pictures is good, anyway.

You'll get a cease and desist right quick, especially as this is paid software. It potentially takes away from physical sales and puts money into someone else's pocket.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

If the board is just a 2d image file with some realtime processing, people could just change the image. There doesn't need to be a big button labeled "import copyrighted material for illegal use". GameMaker, for example, allows you to use content that's been ripped from other games. How many lawsuits has Squeenix won against that?

[Knight of Fools]

You can't expect to blame the developers for custom content made by their customers. Just look at Garry's Mod, where you can import anything from models ripped from other games to copyrighted characters like Shrek and fully animate them in practically any way.

Yeah, we'll probably get a case where someone tries, but I doubt it'll go very far. The only time I've seen this in the past is when a copyright holder noticed a piece of custom content that included their copyright and sued the company without doing any research, thinking it was stolen. The case got thrown out pretty quick.


Even ignoring that issue games of any variety are difficult to copyright. You can't copyright game mechanics, only artwork and names, and maybe the software behind it (If any). They could include a game called Chance, make some minor changes to the models, board, and flavor text, and boom. The company that owns Risk have no rights over this new Chance game, even if they use the exact same mechanics.

[BigD145]

Copyright lawyer says otherwise. Good luck with that. Some boardgame makers/publishers are okay with derivative work and some will boot you upside the head with a lawsuit.