DIGITAL BOARD GAME LABS
EXPLORING WHAT IS POSSIBLE IN DIGITAL GAMING
I love board games.
I enjoy playing them, teaching them, designing them and, more recently, making them come alive in Tabletop Simulator - a virtual tabletop gaming sandbox platform that allows you to create a digital version of pretty much any game.
With the pandemic making physically playing board games more difficult these days, I have become obsessed with translating the experience into a digital platform as accurately as possible.
If you would like the TTS mod for your game to be treated with care and respect, then you have come to the right place.
Welcome to my workshop
One to One (1:1)
I strive to make Tabletop Simulator mods as close to their physical counterparts as possible. This means accurately replicating them visually and functionally. To achieve this, I use a combination of 3D modeling and scripting.
Custom 3D Models
From showing the cardboard layers of components, to creating the subtle effect of linen finish, these small details really help elevate the look of the game and engages players visually.
Custom models also usually pave the way for more interesting functionality within TTS.
Automating Tedium
That 15-minute setup time for your favorite game takes an instant in TTS. Clunky turn-on- turn administration and upkeep can also be done automatically.
Automation is a double-edged sword as it can misrepresent the actual feel of your game in real life. So my approach is to automate when doing something trivial in real-life proves to be challenging or tedious in TTS.
FORM + FUNCTION
I created the Obsidian Tracker as a way to represent dual-wheel trackers in Tabletop Simulator. While the stock counters in TTS are ultimately a more practical solution to keeping track of numbers, it is immensely satisfying to see physical components being successfully translated to digital form.