Tabletop Simulator 102: how to add meeples and other stuff you'll want to include in your game

Published on January 11, 2021. Last Updated on January 8, 2024.

OK, so you’ve gotten the hang of Tabletop Simulator. You’ve made your first game inside it, done some playtesting, and maybe even uploaded it to the Steam Workshop. Now what?

Start from the Absolute Beginners Guide to Tabletop Simulator

Yes, Tabletop Simulator offers plenty of the basic tokens, dice, minis, and other pieces needed to make a functional game… but we’re past the basics now. It’s time to add some stuff not built into Tabletop Simulator. Let’s dive in.

Saved objects

Let’s say you’ve discovered a very cool piece in someone else’s game. In most cases, you can right-click on that object, then click ‘Save Object’. Give it a descriptive name or a name you’ll remember, since that’s how you’ll find it later on.

When you want to use that piece in one of your games, head to Objects > Saved Objects, then scroll through your Saved Objects or search for it:

Subscriptions

If you’ve ever gone to the Steam Workshop and found someone’s game, you may have already seen this — you subscribe to their file. You don’t download it. The games or things you’re subscribed to are shown on your game select screen, and you’ll open those as you would one of your own game files.

If the workshop you’re looking isn’t in the most recent five files, click the big blue button to see the full list:

Meeples!

It’s time! This is where you’ll want to subscribe to the Workshop file in Steam, then save the objects of your choice to your Saved Objects.

Meeple-o-rama: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=644617425

One of the biggest collections around, along with the games those pieces are from. A fun little mod to practice navigating Tabletop Simulator.

Meeples! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2089051632
Plenty of specific types of meeples, including Dark Lord, Goblins, Elf Hunter, Elf Druid, Dwarf Warrior, Dwarf Miner, Knight, Princess, Peasant, Titan, Demon, Dragon, Wizard, Barbarian, Thief, and Cleric.

Standard meeples: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=268179193

Sometimes you just want a classic meeple. That’s basically all that’s on offer here, albeit in several colors and sizes. Remember you can always right-click on an object to change its color, or use ‘+’ and ‘-‘ (plus and minus) to scale its size up or down.

Meeples used in Carcassone / expansions: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=439955489

A smaller but focused collection of pieces used across the Carcassone universe.

Notecards and counters

Better notecards and counters: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1552081476

Great for adding notecards in a way that makes it easy. The counters make it easy to increment (left-click) or decrement (right-click).

More cards you can write on: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2170327314

Another option, this one with different colored card backs.

Tools

Stuff in this category makes playing in this virtual environment easier or smoother. These pieces won’t necessarily be needed in the physical version of the game, but they’re helpful here.

Button / script to rotate hands left or right by clicking a button:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=697318372

If you’re building / playing a game where you pass hands a lot, a tool like this is helpful. The script is attached to the button.

Card drafting table – https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2225440105.

Another way to pass cards to player on left or right, but with a couple more tweaks. Note the table and this tool are a package deal – you’ll have to import the rest of your components into this table to make it work.

Infinite Random Bag: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=873630529

Yes, Tabletop Simulator has an Infinite bag built into the program (add one component to the bag, then draw out as many copies of it as you want. This one’s great if you’re looking to randomly choose from a few different things.

“Place any number of various objects into the bag, and you will draw a random one of the objects every time. Each time you take an object out of the bag, it will be cloned and replaced, and the bag re-shuffled, so it’s possible to draw the same object again. You can copy and paste the script onto any container object. Do note that once you place an object into the bag, you can’t take it out because it will automatically be cloned and replaced. A trick that allows you to remove the object is to use the search function, and remove it through that, because while the search is open, objects can’t be put into the bag. The cloned object will appear to go into it, but just be destroyed instead.”

The autoshuffle bag

The autoshuffling bag: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2151266592

“A bag that shuffles its contents whenever an item gets in it.”

Dice!

Yes, the standard built-in dice are fine…but if you’re ready to make your game look as pretty as it does in real life, dice are an easy way to do it.

RPG Dice Collection: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=383336414

One of the bigger collections of dice, including some of the more unusual / exotic dice (everything from a D2 to a D34)

Dice of Power: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2213859849

Custom models, scripted particle effects, eight vibrant colors, and every die you need for a classic RPG experience. Eye candy.

Other pieces

Animeeples & Resource Tokens: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=587573348

Pumpkins, sheep, pigs, wheat, tree, steel, and more.

Generic geometric shapes: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2217611502

Whether you need a cylinder or pentagonal prism, this mod’s got you covered.

The Protospiel Parts Table, Created by Sporktopia: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2054971465

480+ parts (and a banana) on one table – a nice all-in-one sort of place to subscribe to and pick out the ones that you like.

Better Pawns and Meeples: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=424621268

Another catch-all mod offering a variety of pieces. Nothing fancy, but a fine place to cap this collection off.

Head further down the rabbit hole

https://steamcommunity.com/app/286160/workshop/ is a great place to see a bit of everything, or to search for something specific someone has created for Tabletop Simulator. Look along the right sidebar for categories.