A digital tabletop game is a

video game genre A video game genre is an informal classification of a video game based on how it is played rather than Computer graphics, visual or narrative elements. This is independent of setting (fiction), setting, unlike works of fiction that are expressed ...

that includes video games that have gameplay similar to physical

tabletop game Tabletop games or tabletops are games that are normally played on a table or other flat surface, such as board games, card games, dice games, miniature wargames, or tile-based games. Classification according to equipment used Tabletop games c ...

s, including

board game Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well. Many board games feature a comp ...

card game A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games (such as poker). A small number of card ...

s, and

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

s. Many digital tabletop games are adaptions of existing physical games into the video games, though some of these are wholly digital games that use tabletop game mechanics. There are also tabletop game simulators that allow for users to recreate tabletop games from a variety of game pieces.

Types

Digital versions of physical games

Many digital tabletop games are simply virtual recreations of physical games, which can range from simple card games such as

Microsoft Solitaire Solitaire is a computer game included with Microsoft Windows, based on a card game of the same name, also known as Klondike. Its original version was programmed by Wes Cherry, and the cards were designed by Susan Kare. History Microsoft has ...

to complex tabletop ones such as

Gloomhaven ''Gloomhaven'' is a cooperative board game for one to four players designed by Isaac Childres and published by Cephalofair Games in 2017. It is a campaign-based dungeon crawl game including a narrative campaign, 95 unique playable scenarios, an ...

. The digital versions typically add in support for online play with other players as well as computer opponents for single players.

Video games emulating board games

There are classes of video games that are not based on any existing physical game property but which borrow heavily from board game principles as part of the gameplay mechanics, emulating the board game experience. One of the most notable titles of this sort is the ''

Mario Party is a party video game series featuring characters from the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters (called "CPU (gaming), CPUs") compete in a board game interspersed with mi ...

'' series of games, in which players move around a game board based on roll of one or more die, gaining or losing coins depending where they land. Periodically players then participate in a more action-based

mini-game A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than th ...

to earn bonus items towards winning the game.

Digital collectible card game

Digital collectible card games (DCCGs) are digital variants of

collectible card game A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategy game, strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards, introduced with ''Magic: The Gathering'' in ...

s (CCG), in which players create decks of cards from their library to challenge other opponents. DCCGs followed the popularity of collectible card games like ''

Magic: The Gathering ''Magic: The Gathering'' (colloquially known as ''Magic'' or ''MTG'') is a Tabletop game, tabletop and Digital collectible card game, digital Collectible card game, collectable card game created by Richard Garfield. Released in 1993 by Wizards ...

'' in the 1990s as a way to play these games online with other players. Many early DCCGs were simply reproductions of the physical version of the game, but ''

Hearthstone ''Hearthstone'' is a free-to-play online digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Originally subtitled ''Heroes of Warcraft'', ''Hearthstone'' builds upon the existing lore of the ''Warcraft'' series by u ...

'' in 2014 created one of the first examples of a wholly digital CCG that could not be replicated in a physical game due to some of the game's rules, such as the ability to draw cards from nearly all those that have been published. ''Hearthstone'' led to a surge of new DCCG, both those recreating existing CCGs and novel digital-only titles. Most DCCGs are server-based games with the player's library of cards retained on the server. Players can create multiple decks and challenge computer opponents or other players online. Winning games can earn the player booster packs to expand their library, or they can use

microtransaction Microtransactions, often abbreviated as mtx, are a business model where users can purchase virtual goods with micropayments. Microtransactions are often used in free-to-play games to provide a revenue source for the developers. While microtransact ...

s to buy additional cards.

Virtual tabletops

Virtual tabletops (VTT) or tabletop simulators are video game programs that are designed to allow users to recreate existing games or create their own games to play with others online, such as ''

Tabletop Simulator ''Tabletop Simulator'' is an independent video game that allows players to play and create tabletop games in a multiplayer physics sandbox. Developed by Berserk Games as their first title after a successful crowdfunding campaign in February 2014, ...

'' and ''

Tabletopia ''Tabletopia'' is an online portal for users to play and create virtual tabletop games. The platform is developed by Tabletopia Inc and initially was released as a web browser based service after a successful crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the p ...

''. The game typically provided a game engine with numerous pre-made tabletop game assets like dice, tokens, and cards, and allows players to create or import their own. The game may have limited scripting ability so that some of the tabletop game's functions can be automated, but otherwise, players are expected to know the rules and play them out as given, simply using the virtual tabletop as a game board. This can create copyright concerns since art assets from the published game get distributed freely through user mods. Some tabletop game developers have embraced these programs by offering their games as official

downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...

for the simulator program. Certain types of games have more specialized programs for that game type. For example, there are a number of virtual tabletop applications, both as standalone program and web applications designed around

role-playing games A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal ac ...

that provide for character sheets and combat-related gameplay rulesets. Examples include

Astral Astral may refer to: Concepts of the non-physical * Astral body, a subtle body posited by many religious philosophers * Astral journey (or ''astral trip''), the same as having an ''out-of-body experience'' * Astral plane (AKA astral world), a ...

Fantasy Grounds Fantasy Grounds is a virtual tabletop application, which contains a set of tools to assist players of tabletop role-playing games playing either in person or remotely. History Fantasy Grounds was first released in 2004 by SmiteWorks, originall ...

and

Roll20 Roll20 is a website consisting of a set of tools for playing tabletop role-playing games, also referred to as a virtual tabletop, which can be used as an aid to playing in person or remotely online. The site was launched in 2012 after a successf ...

. ''

D&D Beyond D&D Beyond (DDB) is the official digital toolset and game companion for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fifth edition. DDB hosts online versions of the official ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fifth edition books, including rulebooks, adventures, and other supple ...

'' was a fan-created means to play ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...

'' online that gained enough popularity leading to

Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for ga ...

to acquire the property and help expand out.

References