Tabletop game

Tabletop games are games that are 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 the general form or equipment utilized. For instance, games like chess and draughts are clear examples of board games, while others such as Monopoly and many modern eurogames use a combination of attributes like a board, dice, and cards, making them less straightforward to categorize. Within these broad categories exist sub-categories and genres; board games alone include German-style board games, board wargames, and roll-and-move games, each differing markedly in style and general interest.

Tabletop game components

The components used in tabletop games are diverse and specialized, including miniature figures, playing pieces, game boards, gambling chips or play money, scoreboards, timers like hourglasses or egg timers, rule manuals, and various randomizers. Randomizers can include coins, dice (including polyhedral dice), dice towers or cups, playing cards, tiles, tops such as teetotums or dreidels, drawstring bags, spinners, and even ancient items like bones, cowrie shells, or stick dice. Other aids may include gamemaster’s screens, modelling clay, card sleeves, and stickers used in legacy games.

As an alternative to classification by equipment, games can also be categorized by the elements of chance involved. In game theory, two fundamentally different elements of chance play a role: outcome uncertainty, such as from dice rolls or unknown cards being dealt, which makes a game stochastic rather than deterministic; and state uncertainty, such as from an opponent’s hidden position or cards, or from simultaneous moves, which makes a game one of partial or imperfect information rather than full or perfect information. Numerous organizations sponsor events for tabletop games, including Board Game Geek, PAX, and Geek & Sundry, alongside many independent local groups and college-run organizations. Digital variations of tabletop games also exist, ranging from straight reproductions of physical games to video games using tabletop principles and virtual tabletops for online play.