Tabletop Simulator Review
A bit of preamble: To review a game like Tabletop Simulator is difficult for me, much in the same way that a proper review of Minecraft is difficult. You are putting a score to a tool - something to be used to facilitate the playing of a game, not so much an actual "game." It also requires a bit of decision-making as to whether you should simply review the base game, or if the mods should be considered. For the sake of clarity: This review will start with the base game, and mods will be factored in near the end.
Have you ever sat in a basement with three or four friends, pulled out a board game, and spent a few hours playing it - making jokes the entire time? Tabletop Simulator aims to beckon you back to those times. It isn't so much about having the most polished experience in gaming, just like it wasn't when you spilled that Dr. Pepper on the couch and had to put a pause to your game of RISK, and grab the paper towels.
When you start Tabletop Simulator for the first time, it may seem a little daunting. There are dozens of game-specific options to be set, even more parameters to be edited, along with a ton of ways to control. But all you'll really need is about ten minutes to sitting down with it, spawning a chessboard, and experimenting with the physics. After that you'll be totally ready to sit down and play with friends. If you download Tabletop, and don't download anything additional, you'll start the game with fifteen prebuilt games to play. Chess, poker, mahjong, dominoes, jigsaw puzzles, and even a way to play RPGs like D&D, Pathfinder, etc.
The game does some really cool things, and when you see them for the first time your reaction will likely be "oh, that's perfect!" For example, if you're playing a game with cards, when you drag the cards to a specified area in front of your name, you're able to flip them over without your fellow players being able to see. This is great if you want to play some mind games, because the others can see that the cards in your area are moving; but they can't see what you're seeing. You can also interact with physics in a fun way, so dice rolls actually feel like dice rolls. And, of course, if you've just achieved some form of dramatic victory, you're able to flip over the table. Caution: Flipping the table may cause all of your friends to swear profusely - I say this from experience.
The developers, Berserk Games, also take immaculate care of Tabletop Simulator. Updates are frequent, and add tons of cool new things - including DLC of real games, Vive support, and wholly new featuresets. The game has been out for years, and I do firmly believe it will be among us far into the future. All of that being said, I think the great majority of my enjoyment of Tabletop Simulator has been the fact that I have a dozen friends who also play it. We have had eight people in a (virtual) room at once playing games, and that experience was absolutely fantastic. If you do not have friends who play the game, you may grow tired of playing board games and solitaire all the time - there are better ways to do that.
This is where the greatest part of Tabletop Simulator comes into play. Steam Workshop support has made it so anyone can create a mod. People are scanning in board games, cards, etc, and this is allowing you to play real board games with your friends. My friends and I have an internal rule that we only play board games that we physically own (Netrunner; Resistance/Avalon; Secret Hitler; Coup; etc), because that way we don't feel like we are "pirating" these games; but yes, the mod support for Tabletop is what turns it from an okay game, to a must-have. There have even been examples of kickstarted board games making their public appearance on Tabletop Simulator first - namely Secret Hitler.
Tabletop Simulator is fairly inexpensive - $20, sometimes less depending on whether or not there's a sale on - and, if you have friends to play it with, completely worth your time. It is an extremely well-executed platform for playing all of your favourite board, card, tile, and tabletop games. The developers take extremely good care of their audience, and show a huge amount of respect to those who use their game as a platform. So gather your friends, pop open a Dr. Pepper, and play some Secret Hitler! (If you ever play with us, Maria is seemingly always Hitler)