Tabletop game
Games normally played on a table or flat surface.
Tabletop games are games normally played on a table or other flat surface, encompassing board games, card games, dice games, miniature wargames, tabletop role-playing games, and tile-based games. They are classified according to equipment used or elements of chance, and include a wide variety of components such as dice, playing pieces, game boards, and randomizers.
- field
- Games
- known_for
- Games played on a table or flat surface
- categories
- Board games, card games, dice games, miniature wargames, tabletop role-playing games, tile-based games
- classification_methods
- By equipment used; by elements of chance (stochastic vs. deterministic; perfect vs. imperfect information)
Lore & Background
Tabletop games can be classified according to the general form or equipment utilized. Games like chess and draughts are examples of board games, while others such as Monopoly and many modern eurogames use a board as well as dice and cards, making them not unambiguously classifiable. Sub-categories include German-style board games, board wargames, and roll-and-move games.
Reader's Guide
Tabletop games are significant as a broad category of recreational activity that includes many classic and modern forms of play. They are classified by equipment—such as boards, dice, cards, tiles, and miniatures—or by elements of chance, distinguishing stochastic games (involving outcome uncertainty like dice rolls) from deterministic games, and imperfect information games (with hidden cards or simultaneous moves) from perfect information games. Organizations like Board Game Geek, PAX, and the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society sponsor events featuring tabletop games. Digital variations exist as straight reproductions of physical games, video games using tabletop principles, or virtual tabletops for online play. The category's legacy lies in its enduring variety and the social, strategic, and chance-based experiences it provides.
Did You Know?
- Tabletop games include board games, card games, dice games, miniature wargames, tabletop role-playing games, and tile-based games.
- Games can be classified as stochastic (outcome uncertainty) or deterministic, and as perfect or imperfect information games.
- Components may include dice, playing pieces, game boards, rule manuals, randomizers like coins or spinners, and even modelling clay.
- Organizations such as Board Game Geek, PAX, and the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society sponsor tabletop game events.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly counts as a tabletop game?
A tabletop game is any game designed to be played on a table or other flat surface. The umbrella term covers everything from classic board and card games to dice games, miniature wargames, tabletop RPGs, and tile-based games.
What are the main categories of tabletop games?
The major subcategories include board games, card games, dice games, miniature wargames, tabletop role-playing games, and tile-based games. Each uses a distinct mix of components and mechanics while sharing the common requirement of a flat playing surface.
How are tabletop games classified or grouped?
They are typically sorted by the equipment they require (dice, playing pieces, boards, randomizers, etc.) or by their elements of chance. The latter splits games into stochastic versus deterministic and perfect-information versus imperfect-information types.
What components do tabletop games usually involve?
Common physical pieces include dice, playing tokens or pieces, game boards, and various randomizers. The specific set varies widely depending on whether you are playing a card game, a wargame, or a tile-placement game.
What does it mean for a tabletop game to be stochastic versus deterministic?
A stochastic game incorporates some element of chance, such as rolling dice or shuffling a deck, so outcomes are not fully predictable. A deterministic game, by contrast, relies entirely on player decisions with no random element, making every result a direct consequence of those choices.
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