You can attach tags to various entities in order to modify their behavior. Tags have three main uses:

• For snap points, tags can define what objects can snap to a particular snap point.
• For containers, tags can define what objects can be inserted into the container.
• In the container explorer, stack explorer, and object library, the search will find objects where a tag matches the search term in addition to objects where the name matches.

There are a couple of places where you can edit tags:

• In the in-game object properties, you can set which tags an object has.
• In the in-game object properties for a container, you can also set the container tags: they determine what objects can be inserted into the container. If the container tags are not empty, only object that have at least one matching tag can be inserted.
• In the editor object properties pane, you can set the default tags for objects of this type. A newly created object will have these tags, but they can be modified in the in-game object properties.
• In the editor snap points pane, you can set tags for each snap point. If tags for a snap point are not empty, only objects that have at least one matching tag can snap to the snap point.
• In the editor for card objects and similar types like tiles or tokens, you can set tags for each image index in the deck. Card tags are used in the card stack explorer window to quickly find cards with a tag that matches the search term. If an object is a single card (and not a stack of cards), the tags used for snapping and containers will be combined from both the object tags and the card tags for this card.
  When you use tags from scripting, myCard.getTags() returns only the object tags, and the card tags are accessible using CardDetails.tags, for example myCard.getCardDetails().tags for a single card.

The tag editor always shows all tags that are in use for the current game (when used in-game or in preview mode) or the current package (when used in the editor). This allows you to quickly find and activate tags that are already used elsewhere. To create a new tag, enter the name in the search field and press enter or the “Plus” button.

If you’re editing an object template in a Beta client, you’ll find the “Tags” tab under the fourth tab on the left. (You can still edit object-level tags from the Properties dialogue as described above.)

Not all games you create should be accessible for everyone, or you may have a prototype that you want to test that isn’t ready to go public yet. In these cases, you can upload them to mod.io as hidden packages.

You can make your package private by checking the “Hidden” checkbox when you upload you package in the editor. If you want to make it public later, uncheck the checkbox when uploading a new version or change the visibility in the Edit section of the mod.io page of your mod.

If you want to play with others while your package is still private, you can use preview feature of mod.io. It allows you to add other users who will have access to your package directly, or generate a preview link that others can use to subscribe.

To add other users to for your mod, open the mod.io page, go to “Package Admin”, then “Preview”, and change the “Enable preview link” option to “Users with access only” and press Update. You can then add users by their mod.io username (identical to their Steam or Epic username if they haven’t changed it). They can then subscribe to the package through the mod.io page when they are logged in with their Steam/Epic account, or in-game when they try to join a game that uses your private package.

Instead of adding users manually, you can also use preview links: Change the “Enable preview link” option to “Anyone with preview URL” and press Update. You’ll see a link below that you can share with your players. If they are logged in using their Steam account (or Epic if they own Tabletop Playground on Epic Games Store or Microsoft store), they can subscribe and the package will be downloaded in-game.

Since the preview links work through the regular browser, make sure that your players are logged in to mod.io with their Steam/Epic account! If they have already created an account using their mail address, they can link it with their Steam/Epic account by clicking on their user name in the upper right and selecting “My Account.” At the bottom of the page there’s a “Connected Accounts” section, switching on the Steam or Epic icon will open a prompt asking them to log in with their account.

You can find more information about previews in the mod.io blog post: https://blog.mod.io/insider-invite-now-live-on-mod-io-c3c2d6568d3f

If you’re using a Beta build, you might instead choose to playtest using Peer-to-Peer Package Sharing.

The most important place to find creations by the community is the game’s mod.io page, where you’ll find all games, expansions, and object libraries: https://tabletopplayground.mod.io. You can find guides and useful hints created by the community in two places:

On mod.io: https://tabletopplayground.mod.io/guides
And on Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/app/838410/guides/

If you want to add your own guides, mod.io is the better place: future players who might not use Steam will be able to find your content there, too.

If you’re looking into scripting, there’s a big tutorial series on YouTube by a community member available: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAKrIav6IfnGWY-pERe1B9q55vRvznSQe

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.

Players on the same team can see the cards in each other’s card holders and interact with them. They can also see the cards that their teammates are holding.

Teams are set by the host in the session options. There are 8 possible teams and each player slot can be set to one of them (or no team). So teams are not associated directly to the players in the game, but to slots in the same way as player colors are. This allows you to already set up teams when creating a starting state for a game, without any players present. When a player switches their player slot/color, they will also switch to the team of that slot.