Tabletop Game Shop Simulator:
Early Access Review

When I was about 15 years old, someone at my high school really wanted to play Warhammer 40k with other people. To this end, they let me borrow a bunch of clunky metal models called the “Eldar” so he could blow them up with space marines… and that’s how I got infected with the need to play wargames. People in the hobby know this feeling, even if we can’t explain it; videogames, board games, ttrpgs… they are all great, but there’s nothing quite like trying to horde and collect an army to throw down against someone else.

Of course, Warhammer, and just wargaming as a whole, are expensive and time consuming. It comes with the territory, and with someone with a young child and full time job, I only get to play once in a while. So last November, when I got an invite to try out a brand new Early Access game all about running a wargaming shop… well, I had to give it a shot.

Now, I had never played a simulation game like this before, so I took my time with it and wanted to experience the genre. I’ll get into specifics in a minute, but to summarize: Tabletop Gaming Shop Simulator (I’ll just use Tabletop to save space from now on) is a fun dopamine drip of a game, great for when you want a dad game instead of a high octane thrill. There is plenty that can be improved, and after waiting an extra month to write this up, I’m happy to say the game is getting the support it deserves.

Onto the specifics: is this game right for wargaming nerds for me, or for dad gamers everywhere?

What Is A Store Simulator?

First things first: let’s get out of the way that Wargaming is a store simulation game, and there are a lot of store simulators on steam these days. I hadn’t ever played one before this point, and thought this would be a great excuse to get into this dad-game genre properly. So, I played a bunch of Tabletop, bought TCG Game Shop Simulator, and then played that as well along with a demo of Supermarket Simulator to have some reference points to compare to.

It’s safe to say that the basics across most games in this genre are incredibly similar. A quick summary of these style of games:

• Start off with a small amount of money and a small store
• Order shelving and basic products to put on the market
• Help people check out at the counter, doing basic math and data entry
• Try and make enough money to buy higher quality items and decorations
• Level up to expand your store size, hire help, and customize the shop.
• Deal with small hiccups such as store cleaning, selling individual cards, or dealing with robbers - these are more individual to each game
• Profit. Make enough to pay rent. Watch the numbers go up.

That’s pretty much it in a nutshell: start off small, make the profit line go up, and deal with expanding complexity as new ways to make more money and interact with customers increases. Each game has their own nuances - in Supermarket Simulator, you have to deal with thieves, while in TCG Card Shop, you have to constantly have air freshener on hand for sweaty nerds - but the overall idea is the same.

This might sound like I’m being reductionist, but I hope it’s not coming across as an insult. Each game genre can be reduced to a basic formula after all, and a player’s enjoyment will vary based on theming and quality of the game code, graphics, music, and other elements. I just thought since this was my first entry into the genre that I should spell out what to expect in general. There are dozens of takes on the ‘cozy’ Stardew Valley, which itself is an homage to Harvest Moon, and if people like the idea of entering the ‘cozy’ genre, they may be more attracted to a different game just based on taste and theme.

For my review of store simulators in general? I’ve found I enjoy them! They are incredibly cheap (All that I found cost $20 or less, with most being in the 13-15 dollar range), give you a sense of slow and steady progress, and give you an increasing amount of customizable options so your store feels more like ‘you’ by the time you are done. Naturally, these are not games meant for adrenaline junkies, but they are a great way to unwind after a really busy day at work. …Why do I want to pretend to work retail after a full day at my desk job? That’s probably a question I should ask my therapist.

Regardless, Tabletop Game Shop Simulator is very much a ‘standard’ shop simulator, just geared towards running a store based around little plastic figurines you collect and paint. So, for someone like me who has an unreasonable obsession with the Warhammer universe, this should be a perfect fit!

So, What Makes Tabletop Gaming Shop Stand Out?

Let me preface this next section by reminding everyone that Wargaming is still in early access and that I found the moment to moment gameplay the most enjoyable out of the tour of store simulators I tried before writing this. I’ve put in roughly 14-16 hours of active gameplay into the game, got to level fifteen, and only really stopped making it my relaxing game some evenings because I wanted to wait to see how the game plays when it is more complete with all of its additional content added. Already, putting 10+ hours into an early access game for me usually means I find it fun and a bit addicting, even in an unfinished state.

You start off with a tiny store and sell just packs of miniature parts to customers, quickly adding on dice, paint sets, and some different mini boxes. For those of you who play collectible minis games, you’ll be happy to see that you can open up the boxes yourselves and see the sprues of shiny plastic inside. Of course, there is one nefarious difference:

In order to appease some unholy deity of shareholders, wargame miniatures in this world come sold in randomized boxes, meaning you have to collect five or six parts of a particular mini in order to actually assemble the thing! I hope and pray that no actual miniatures game ever does this, but here in Tabletop, it means opening mini boxes yourself comes with the same thrill of opening a pack of Magic: The Gathering cards.

Why do you want to open up the boxes yourself? Well, you can assemble them! It’s silly, but the little animation you get for snapping the pieces together is really satisfying. After that, if you’ve unlocked painting tables, you can play a little quick-time minigame to add paint to your figurines, and then sell them individually, adjusting the price based on how good your paint job is. You can also absolutely just collect a full set that you enjoy and put them on display, which again, as someone who has far too many unpainted minis at my own house, is a great fantasy to play out here in a video game.

As the store levels up, you can unlock play tables as well as painting tables. Both will have customers come in and use, giving you a slow and steady passive income that doesn’t involve restocking shelves with new merch. Indeed, my personal strategy was to add as many of these tables as possible so I know I would always have a little money coming my way, even while I was busy restocking shelves or having a slow day.

There is also a mini game involving actually playing a sort of competition with the miniatures themselves, but I will be honest, it felt a bit underbaked and hard to follow. I am happy that there is a game-within-a-game, but I decided to wait to dig into it when it is better incorporated into the whole game. I was having plenty of fun just watching my store slowly become something bigger and better.

Some Assembly Still Required

Now, this is an early access review, and so some things being left unfinished is to be expected. What I will say is that out of most of the store simulators I sampled, I actually just really enjoyed the base movement and graphics the most out of this one. The customers walked a little more naturally, it was a little easier for me to use the computer to order more items, and things like that. I also really enjoyed how I started with a separate closet area for storing extra ordered boxes and keeping things clean.

What I will say is similar games which have finished or been in early access longer have more bells and whistles. TCG Card Shop Simulator has players hanging out at tables too, but then has the previously mentioned ‘smelly player’ issue and customers leave reviews you can read. Supermarket Simulator lets you drive around and deliver orders and also has you deal with thieves, and Bookshop Simulator lets you have a shop cat!

I say all this not as a way to even put down on Tabletop as a product, just that it is one of the newest additions to the trove of simulator games that have either just recently released or are in early access. As you play, you can practically see the spaces where extra content is going to be pushed into, such as a stronger variety of miniatures, more decorations, and more. In fact, at the start of January they put out a post that they are working on a large rework of the game that will add a bunch more content as well. One of the reasons why I didn’t immediately review the game back in November is I wanted to see if the game was supported, and I’m happy to say it has been! Leveling has gotten smoother, the animations and actions of customers and hired help have greatly improved, and now I’m happily waiting for this first big patch in the start of March to jump back in.

To make a long story short: this is an early access game that is still in its early stages. If you are fine with it and like the concept, jump on board right now! If not, wait another month for this first big content patch, and then decide for yourself if it’s enough.

A Fun Distraction That Isn’t Overpriced

Something I’ve come to appreciate during this experience of jumping into shop simulators is how strangely relaxing they are. They are truly a dad game experience, giving you a sense of improvement and progress while rounding off the rough edges of what would really go into running a retail shop. Another happy surprise for me was realizing just how cheap these games are. Truly, Tabletop Game Shop Simulator is just a solidly fun game and distraction at its full price of $12.99.

I can easily recommend Tabletop for those of you who like the idea of running a Friendly Local Game Store for yourself. I’m not going to sell you that it is a game filled with adrenaline filled action or cozy idyllic bliss… but it also isn’t trying to sell you those things either. It does exactly what it says on the tin, and is an amazing way to unwind for an hour or so a night.

It’s still very much early access and has room to grow, so if that worries you, just put it on your wishlist and see when updates come out for when to buy in. For me, I’m just waiting to see the next update launches, and then I’ll be back to trying to collect every undead miniature in the game. Good luck in retail!