When you start up Tabletop Playground, you’ll be greeted with a few options for starting, joining, and browsing games. This page explains those options in detail.

If you want to start a multiplayer game, choose “Start Game.” If you want to join a multiplayer game created by someone else, select “Join Game.”

Starting a Game

When you click “Start Game,” you’re creating a multiplayer game that other users can join. You’ll first be presented with a modal asking you to choose a name and password for your game. The name is how the game will appear in the “Join Game” lobby, and the password is what other players will need to enter to join it.

The options you see will differ slightly depending on whether you’re using the Legacy client (left) or a Beta client (right).

If using a Beta client, simply hit “Launch Game” and you’ll be directed to the Select Game screen. On a Legacy client, click “Load Game” to do the same (recommended) or “Start with empty table” for a blank slate.

On the “Select Game” screen, you’ll see your various game packages on the left. If you click one, you’ll see the saved start states for it on the right.

If this is your first time booting up TTP, it’s likely that the only package you’ll have is classic, which will offer you starting states for the old-school standbys seen above. If you want to play one of those games, just click on it and hit “Continue” to get playing! (Note that you may need to select a table or environment first; see below for details.)

But chances are, if you’re reading this guide, you’re looking for some more modern games, and that’s where TTPG’s partnership with mod.io comes in!

Getting New Games

The easiest way to get new games is to download one of the many packages the community has uploaded to mod.io.

You can choose “Browse New Games” from the main menu (: or “Find More Games” from “Select Games”) to open a Steam browser to mod.io. When you first do this, you will need to log into mod.io with your Steam account. On this hub, you can choose from the hundreds of community creations for games, widgets for existing games, and assets for use in your own creations!

Please note: If using a legacy build, some mods created with beta builds may not work as intended; select “All Versions” under “Compatible With” to filter these out. For more info, see Beta Mod Compatibility.

Click “Subscribe” on any of these packages, and it will automatically download — you’ll see its progress in the upper left corner of the screen. If any of your packages is ever updated, those updates will automatically download the next time you open TTP.

You can also visit mod.io in your web browser. Choose, “Log In” and choose “Steam” from the options on the right to link your Steam account. Anything you subscribe to in your browser will download automatically when you next open TTP.

Once you subscribe to a mod, head back to Select Game, and you’ll see it there as an option!

Joining Games

When pressing the Join Game option, you’ll be presented with a window showing you all the existing game servers someone else has started, along with some filters to help you find specific games. (Note that Beta users will only be able to see and join games started by other Beta users, and vice versa.)

(Most of these will be private, password-protected games intended to be joined by friends. If you’re looking for a game, try coordinating with folks over on our Discord server. Please remember to be respectful and polite, particularly when using text and voice chat during games.)

When you click on any game in the list, you’ll see the Packages it’s using in the bottom right corner. If you don’t have a package, but it’s available from mod.io, you’ll see a “download” button next to it, so you can grab it before joining.

If using the Beta, it is also possible to download mods directly from the game host. If you don’t see a “download” button on a package you don’t own, it means that package is not available from mod.io. For more on how to use this feature, see Peer-to-Peer Package Sharing.

Choosing Environments and Tables

When you choose “Start With Empty Table” you’ll be directed to first choose a table. You’ll see a set of packages on the left, and the table options available within that package on the right. Usually, you’ll want to select one of the many options available under “General.”

You’ll then be directed to choose an Environment. Which one you pick usually won’t matter; this is just the set your table will appear within. If you’re using the legacy client, you will have to choose an environment every time you start a game.

If using the Beta, Environment choices are saved as part of a saved state. So if you’re using any of the starting states for a mod, you will usually be able to bypass the Environment Choice screen. Should you want to change Environments, you can do so at any time from the Menu once you’re in the game.

Further Reading

Between this post and the in-game tutorial, you should know everything you need to start playing games in TTP.