SecludedGems / Browse by tag
Tabletop hidden gems on Steam
Every game here is tagged Tabletop on Steam, sits between 1,000 and 5,000 reviews, is rated at least 80% positive, and carries a catch drawn from its own negative reviews. All 17 of them. How these pages are made.
BOOK OF HOURS89% positive from 4,321 reviews20230% finish itDeck Verified
Combat-free crafting RPG about organizing occult books and uncovering history. Players investigate lore, craft tools, and guide visitors in a melancholy library.
What players likedPlayers praise this "cozy horror" game as a complex, lore-rich puzzle and crafting experience, akin to Cultist Simulator.
The catchAlmost nothing is explained, so progress means a wiki, a spreadsheet and long waits.
Games like BOOK OF HOURS →
Dungeon Alchemist is a mapmaking application for tabletop RPGs. It automatically generates detailed maps based on user-selected themes, allowing for quick creation and customization.
What players likedPlayers say it's like Talespire and other VTTs, praising its intuitive map building, vast prop variety, and time-saving features.
The catchCrashes often and autosave frequently fails, wiping out hours of map work.
Games like Dungeon Alchemist →
This is a digital board game of 4X strategy with engine building and area control. Players manage asymmetric factions to expand their territory and build powerful mechs.
What players likedPlayers praise "Scythe: Digital Edition" as a great digital version of one of the best designed board games, capturing the original well.
The catchOnline games regularly desync, crash or drop players, and the devs stopped fixing it.
Games like Scythe: Digital Edition →
A 2-player historical strategy game where players use event cards to gain influence and control on a world map. It simulates the Cold War's geopolitical struggle with a focus on historical events.
What players likedPlayers praise it as a faithful, visually appealing recreation of the board game, offering deep strategy and a fast-paced, accessible experience.
The catchDice rolls and card draws run heavily in the AI's favor in single player.
Games like Twilight Struggle →
This is a map design tool for creating tabletop RPG encounters. It features editable objects, layer management, and art import for a flexible creation process.
What players likedPlayers praise it as a versatile mapmaking tool for both dungeons and outdoor areas, used for long campaigns.
The catchAbandoned with no updates in years, so its bugs and clunky controls stay unfixed.
Games like Dungeon Painter Studio →
A tile-placement strategy game where players build landscapes and claim areas with meeples. It offers tactical decisions and a new experience each game.
What players likedPlayers praise it as a faithful digital adaptation of the classic board game Carcassonne.
The catchIt needs a server connection to launch, and the servers go down for days at a time.
Games like Carcassonne - Tiles & Tactics →
dotAGE95% positive from 2,653 reviews202323% finish itDeck Verified
A turn-based town builder with deep worker placement. Manage villagers and resources to survive apocalyptic events.
What players likedPlayers praise this turn-based resource management game with Catan-like elements for its replayability, impactful decisions, and long-term progression.
The catchOne bad random event can doom a run that already took many hours.
Games like dotAGE →
Faerie Solitaire91% positive from 2,525 reviews201019% finish itDeck Unsupported
This is a solitaire card game with pet raising and land restoration elements. Players clear card levels to earn resources, upgrade pets, and progress through a fantasy adventure.
What players likedIt's a clever, faster-paced solitaire that allows for impressive combos, making players feel like pros.
The catchCompleting the pet collection means dozens of hours grinding for purely random drops.
Games like Faerie Solitaire →
Through the Ages91% positive from 2,330 reviews201870% finish itDeck Unsupported
This is a digital adaptation of a civilization-building board game. Players manage resources and technology to develop their society and achieve victory.
What players likedPlayers praise this "mini card-based Civilization" game as the best digital board game adaptation, handling rules well with a perfect mix of skill, strategy, and luck.
The catchAI opponents collude and gang up on the player
Games like Through the Ages →
Dominion87% positive from 2,236 reviews2024Deck Verified
Dominion is a digital board game featuring deck-building where players acquire cards to gain victory points. It offers strategic card acquisition and combo creation for competitive or solo play.
What players likedPlayers praise this solid deck builder as an easy-to-learn card game, even for novices.
The catchThe expansion DLC is priced absurdly high, running past 200 dollars for the full set.
Games like Dominion →
Tiny Civilization is a casual match-3 resource management game with a historical theme. Players collect resources to develop their civilization, facing challenges and utilizing historical heroes.
What players likedPlayers praise its straightforward puzzle design, reminiscent of games that require trial-and-error to master.
The catchRuns hinge on which tiles the game happens to spawn, and people starve out anyway.
Games like Tiny Civilization →
Sunderfolk90% positive from 2,160 reviews20253% finish itDeck Verified
Tactical co-op RPG with flexible local/online play. Players use skill cards to strategize turn-based combat and explore a village.
What players likedSunderfolk is praised as a "Baldur's Gate" or "Gloomhaven" like board game, shining as a deep, tactical couch co-op experience with friends.
The catchDifficulty spikes brutally at the final boss, which whole groups never manage to beat.
Games like Sunderfolk →
A classic jigsaw puzzle game featuring 100 authorized images with customizable difficulty and 100 achievements. Enjoy 12 background music tracks, cloud saves, and ranking.
What players likedPlayers praise it as a cheap, casual jigsaw puzzle game, good for achievement hunting.
The catchPuzzles cap at 24 square pieces, making the whole game a dull hour of clicking.
Games like Pleasure Puzzle:Portrait 趣拼拼：肖像画 →
This is a digital deckbuilding card game where players build decks to defeat opponents. It features asynchronous multiplayer and AI opponents with strategic combat.
The catchOnline multiplayer locks the honor pool low, so games end before decks come together.
Games like Ascension: Deckbuilding Game →
A fast-paced, competitive multiplayer solitaire game where players race to empty their Nerts piles. It features a unique mechanic allowing card movement after Nerts is called, creating a frantic feel.
What players likedPlayers praise "NERTS! Online" for its ability to evoke a drunken, joyful, and chaotic social experience, similar to playing Minecraft song parodies with friends.
The catchLag makes cards unresponsive in a game that depends on split second speed.
Games like NERTS! Online →
This is a turn-based strategy board game where players recruit adventurers to complete quests and build influence in a fantasy city. It features worker placement and area control mechanics for 2-5 players.
What players likedPlayers praise its accurate digital translation of the classic worker placement board game with excellent UI and smooth online play.
The catchThe interface is a clumsy mobile port that is confusing and cuts off on big screens.
Games like D&D Lords of Waterdeep →
Card-based RPG with tabletop narration. Players progress through a story told via cards, featuring a hero's quest.
What players likedIt's an original, short RPG with a well-executed combat system, reminiscent of classic JRPGs.
The catchEvery card animates, so menus and battles crawl even with the fast mode on.
Games like Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars →
