Tabletop Simulator is a sandbox. This is a D&D table.
Tabletop Simulator can play any board game ever made, which is exactly why it is an awkward home for D&D: the grid, the ruler, the turn order and the minis are all things you assemble from Workshop mods. TerrainTale is only a D&D table, so those are the product, and it runs in a browser tab for free.
Side by side
| Topic | TerrainTale | Tabletop Simulator |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A 3D battle-map tabletop built around the 5-foot grid | A physics sandbox for any board or card game, with Workshop mods |
| The map | Built from a realistic CC0 library, lit and shadowed, or imported as .glb | Workshop tables and tiles, or imported models; no map builder |
| Measuring | Feet on the grid with waypoints, a diagonal-rule setting and height | A basic ruler; grid snapping is set up per table |
| Initiative and HP | Built in: tracker, HP, conditions, round counter | Via mods or scripted tables |
| Miniatures | Animated library minis, image standees, your own .glb | Workshop models, custom imports, Hero Forge .unity3d bundles |
| Multiplayer | Not yet; one shared screen, in person or over a screen share | Yes, hosted rooms; every player owns a copy |
| Dice | None; roll your own | Physics dice you throw across the table |
| Price | Free, every feature included | One-time purchase per player on Steam (around $20 at list, often on sale; a 4-pack is cheaper) |
| Install | Browser, any OS | Steam download for Windows, macOS and Linux; VR supported |
Tabletop Simulator is a trademark of Berserk Games and is not affiliated with TerrainTale. Feature and price notes describe the other product in general terms as we understand it at the time of writing; check its Steam page for current details.
What a grid does for a fight
In Tabletop Simulator a D&D map is a table someone built, with a grid someone aligned, minis someone imported and a ruler that measures in table units. It works, and thousands of groups have made it work. In TerrainTale the floor tile is a square, the wall is an edge, the ruler reports feet with your diagonal rule and the height difference, and a Large creature takes two squares by two because the mini knows its size. Nothing is assembled; the grid is the medium.
Building instead of downloading
The room tool, the tile brush and the shelf make a map in minutes from a realistic library of scanned materials, photoscanned props and animated characters, all CC0. A scene recipe written by an AI assistant imports as grid-correct geometry. Tabletop Simulator has no builder; its strength is the Workshop, which has a version of nearly everything and a quality range to match.
Where Tabletop Simulator is still the better pick
Remote play: every player at their own computer, moving their own mini, is the thing TerrainTale does not do yet. Physics dice, hidden hands and any other board game are what the sandbox is for. Hero Forge's paid 3D minis import directly as .unity3d bundles, which no browser VTT can read. If your group meets online and already owns it, it is a fine home; if you meet in person or share a screen, and the fight is on a grid, this is the shorter path.
Questions
Can I import my Tabletop Simulator tables?
No. Tabletop Simulator saves and mods are not a format TerrainTale reads. Individual models exported as .glb import directly.
Does TerrainTale have physics dice?
No. It tracks HP and initiative but does not roll; use real dice, a dice app or a Discord bot.
Is TerrainTale free like a Steam sale?
Free outright: sign-up is free, every feature is included, and the library is CC0. It is also self-hostable.
Does it do multiplayer like Tabletop Simulator?
Not yet. Today one screen is the table, shared in person or over a screen share. A shared player view is the next planned feature.
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