Survey of other boardgame software

uckelman · September 24, 2021, 10:39pm

In preparation for V4, I’m collecting information about other boardgame (and related) software. I’d appreciate having links to anything I’ve missed, comments on capabilities, advantages, disadvantages, dependencies, languages used, etc.

Boardgaming & Related Software

Comparison page on BoardGameGeek
Thread from BGG about merits of various tabletop systems

Virtual Tabletops

Aide de Camp 2

Site

Gnarly file format
Basically dead at this point, though technically still for sale
Commercial

Air Board Game

Site
GitHub
BGG Thread

Browser-based
Slick, modern interface
Capabilities beyond being a sandbox?
License: MIT
Latest release: doesn’t seem to do releases
Features:
- Flipping, tapping cards
- Real-time display of other players’ cursors
Uses React, Socket.io, recoiljs, ricochetjs
Editor
Loads any image types supported by the browser
Won’t load map-sized images (intentional?)
Games are exported as JSON

Battlegrounds Gaming Engine

Site

Windows and MacOS
Started as Battlegrounds RPG
Commercial
Images stored in a RIFF container, with some loose
Game data is some (custom?) text-based format

Board Game Arena

Site
Dev site

Browser-based
Server-side PHP
Extensive match-making features
Rules enforcement
Commercial
No editor
No user-side saved files
Game data is stored in SQL database
Requires sign-up to become a module developer because your module runs PHP on their server

Boardgame Lab

Site
GitHub
Documentation

Browser-based
TypeScript
Interface feels slow
“graphical” scripting
Are there any example games?
License: Apache 2.0
Latest release: 0.13.1, undated
Editor
Game data currently saved as JSON in browser local storage, claims cloud storage will be used in the future

Board Gamer 2d

GitHub
GitHub

Project seems dead?
Browser-based?
License: MIT

Cyberboard

Site
GitHub

C++ and MFC
Windows only
Antiquated UI
Editor
No scripting
Binary file format
License: MIT
Latest release: 3.10

FreeBoardGames.org

Site
GitHub
Documentation

Browser-based
Built on boardgame.io
Appears to be implementations of some simple games
Latest release: seems not to do releases
License: AGPL 3.0
TypeScript, React, GraphQL
No editor

GameStructor

Site

Browser-based
Closed source
Clunky UI
No user-side saved files

Ludii

Site

Java client
AI-focused academic project
LISP-like game grammar
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Latest release: 1.2.9, 2021-09-13

PlayingCards.io

Site
Documentation

Browser-based
Card and abstract games
Interesting drag-and-drop editor
Closed source
Exports zipped JSON, imports JSON of game state

Screentop.gg

Site
Documentation

Browser-based, but desktop-only
15 hosted games
Smooth UI, interesting controls
Scripting with JavaScript
Closed source
Editor
8MB, 4096x4096 image size limit
No user-side saved files

Tabletopia

Site
Documentation
Editor Documentation

Windows, Mac (are these native clients?); also browser-based
3D
Interesting UI
Laggy when full-screen
License: Commercial, closed source
Editor
No saves

Tabletop Playground

Site
Documentation

3D
Seems like a Tabletop Simulator clone?
Has a Tabletop Simulator importer
Scripting in JavaScript
Integration with boardgame.io
Commercial
Editor

Tabletop Simulator

Site
GitHub

Windows, Mac, Linux
Annoying 3D features
Apparently in C# and Unity
Extensive scripting API, Lua scripting
License: Commercial, closed source
Latest release: can’t tell, but actively maintained

VirtualTabletop.io

Site
GitHub
Documentation

Browser-based
Interesting visual editor
Latest release: ???
License: GPL 3.0
Saves are JSON and images in a ZIP archive

WarGame Processor

Site
Documentation

Windows only
Latest version: 4.15, before 21 March 2010
Graphics are saved to a single sprite image, then cut out
Binary file format

ZunTzu

Site
GitHub
File format

C#
Windows-only, heavy use of DirectX
Latest release: ???
License: MIT
Game boxes are ZIP archives containing images and an XML file
Counter grids may be defined over counter sheet images rather than having one image per piece
Voice chat
No editor

Implementations of Games

Boardgamecore

Site

Browser-based
Implementations of four Euro games
Live or at a predefined pace
Closed source

Boardgamers.space

Site
GitHub
Documentation

Browser-based, asynchronous play
Three games implemented
License: AGPL 3.0
Game data stored remotely
No editor

BoardSpace

Site

Java JAR or WebStart (!)
Ugly AWT (?) interface
Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS downloads
Implementations of around 100 abstract games
Closed source
Latest release: 5.69c, 2021-09-24
No editor
No user-side saved files

Boite a Jeux

Site

Browser-based
Implementations of a few dozen abstract and Euro games

BrettspielWelt

Site

Browser-based
Implementations of a few dozen abstract and Euro games

Happy Meeple

Site

Browser-based
Implementations of abstract games

GamesByEmail

Site

Implementations of 30 mostly abstract games
Browser-based
HTML4, JavaScript
Server stores game state
No user-side saved files

Gravon

Site

Browser-based
Implementations of abstract games and a few Euros
Has a IRC-like text-based console (!)

Saito Arcade

Site

Browser-based
Clunky interface
Related to blockchain somehow?
No editor
Closed source
Commercial?

Star Fleet Battles Online

Site

For Star Fleet Battles only
Java, with Mac, Windows, Unix JAR downloads
Monthly or yearly subscriptions
Ugly, clunky interface
Closed source
Latest release: 4.2.21, 2020-06-06

Triqqy

Site

Browser-based
Implementations of a dozen abstract games
Slow site

Wargameroom

Site

Java programs for about 30 games
Ugly AWT UI
Piece images are cut from countersheet images at runtime

Warplanner

Site

For GMT’s A World at War only
Browser-based
jQuery
Closed source
Subscription service, with demo accounts
No editor
Game turn logs are XML

You Play It

Site

Browser-based
Implementations of 6 games
Notification by email when it’s your turn

Yucata

Site

Browser-based
Server-side .NET
Closed source
No user-side saves
No editor

RPG Support Software

Astral Tabletop

Site
Documentation

Focused on RPGs
Editor
Commercial

Foundry Virtual Tabletop

Site
API

Focused on RPGs
Browser-based; self- or cloud-hosted; no mobile currently
Commercial
Video chat
Uses Handlebars, jQuery, PixiJS, Howler.js, GreenSock
JSON file format

MapTool

Site
GitHub
Documentation

Java + JavaFX with Mac, Windows, Linux packages
Ugly JavaFX UI, though fairly responsive
Telestrator-like drawing tools
Has some scripting language (what?)
License: AGPL 3.0
Latest release: 1.9.3, 2021-07-13
Editor
File format is ZIP archive containing XML, images

Roll20

Site

Browser-based
Commercial
Editor

Boardgame Toolkits

boardgame.io

Site
GitHub

Browser-based, but installed via npm
A toolkit for creating browser-based single-game apps
License: MIT
Latest release: 0.48.0, 2021-09-04

Card Design & Tracking

ACTS (Automated Card Tracking System)

Site

Tracks cards for card-driven games
Closed source

nanDECK

Site
BGG thread showing some examples

Card editing program
Has possibly interesting card composition DSL
Windows only
Closed source
Latest release: 1.26.1, 2021-08-16

Squib

Site
GitHub

DSL for prototyping game components
Ruby
Latest release: 0.17.0, 2021-07-23
License: MIT

Save & Log Exchange

Giant Multiplayer Robot

Site

Game file management app for Civilization V
Closed source

Ludilog

Site

Game file hosting and notification for PBEM/PBF/asynchronous play
License: Closed source

RobS · September 25, 2021, 3:02pm

The Wargame Processor - http://www.wargamesbymail.com/
Similar to Vassal, but not free. Never used it.

Games By email - http://gamesbyemail.com/
Online versions of a number of boardgames. I played probably over a hundred games of ‘Mergers’ (a clone of ‘Acquire’) there a few years ago. Nothing fancy, but more than functional and very easy and fun.

You Play It - Play Gonzaga boardgame online or challenge other players at different wargames.
Online versions of several boardgames. Played a coupe of games of Wooden Ships & Iron Men some years ago. Nothing fancy, but functional.

marktb1961 · September 25, 2021, 6:21pm

WargameRoom.com

Small catalogue of rules-aware games implemented in Java.

Closed system,

Brent_Easton · September 26, 2021, 6:03am

BrettSpielWelt of course.

Closed source implementation of a number of Euros with integrated game lobbies, match ups etc.

marktb1961 · September 26, 2021, 7:38am

BoardGameCore.net

http://play.boardgamecore.net/

Handful of mainly Splotter euros. Also Wir Sind Das Volk,

Closed system, I think.

marktb1961 · September 26, 2021, 8:05am

Extensive article / list of sites and other useful links:

Given that Vassal is not just a wargames site, it should be on this list.

uckelman · September 26, 2021, 9:48pm

Some questions I’d like to answer for every one of these:

What is the system built with?
What is the file format like?
What image types are supported?
What scripting language is available?
What features are there?

Brent_Easton · September 26, 2021, 10:08pm

Dare I say we set this up on the wiki?

uckelman · September 26, 2021, 10:11pm

I aim to at some point when this is more fleshed out, but it’s hard for people to comment there.

slimy · September 26, 2021, 10:28pm

For Ludii:

Java
There is the Lisp-like language as mentioned above. Games are saved as trial files which have enough information to replay a game.
The only images supported are an idiosyncratic interpretation of SVG files. Image support is intentionally limited.
Only the Ludii language itself.
The key feature of Ludii is rules enforcement of abstract games.

Brent_Easton · September 26, 2021, 10:39pm

BrettSpielWelt is probably typical of a number of the closed-source play only sites. The developers provide fully fledged playable implementations of the games. There are no game development tools, scripting and image support are hidden, so in some ways it does not interest us.

There is no file format as it only supports on-line play. It appears to have been written in Java and while there is some browser based support, they provide a downloadable client for improved stability and performance.

What is of interest to us are the tools it provides on the ‘Player’ side - Game Lobby, finding opponents, in-game player management.

The Key features of BSW are providing pre-packaged ready to play online versions of games for players with a rich player support and interaction environment. BSW does not support independent game module development.

uckelman · September 26, 2021, 10:50pm

Right, some of the online closed source ones don’t have a publicly visible file format at all, so there won’t be much to say for those on that count.

slimy · September 26, 2021, 11:14pm

I guess Boardgamearena is the next level up from this. It is pretty closed, but they do encourage people with PHP+javascript+css skills to implement games. I believe yucata.de is at the same level.

marktb1961 · September 27, 2021, 7:46am

I’ve never managed to get off the ground as a player with this website. Even when I was using a paid app which used that site as its online platform, the experience was terrible (unintuitive and unproductive); I probably managed to get 2 or 3 games going). Never had such a bad experience with other of the main sites.

A couple more things on the player side, albeit ones that may not transfer so well to Vassal’s broad catalogue and relatively niche, fragmented userbase.

The ability to examine game stats overall - number of plays, results etc. Based on this; meta-games provide extra interest and player engagement. Yucata and BoardGameArena stand out here for me.
Tournament organising and results; which boardgamearena.com seems to have down to a fine art.

LoadEffectiveAddress · October 1, 2021, 2:49am

I didn’t see Octgn in the list
(octgn.net)

What is the system built with?
C#/WPF
What is the file format like?
Zipped data with XML game definitions
What image types are supported?
The usual suspects
What scripting language is available?
Scripting is available via IronPython and a specific subset of the library

Mostly geared towards CCGs, with some wonky UI choices and some terrible legacy code, not that the Vassal team would know anything about that

Brent_Easton · October 1, 2021, 5:19am

I resemble that remark

slimy · October 1, 2021, 7:06am

I am not quite clear why ACTS is in the list, seeing as it is more of a complement to VASSAL than any sort of competitor. Still its interface is terrible. You generally have to click multiple links to get anywhere. Still for some games it seems to be seen as essential. That is some VASSAL modules are built specifically to work with their ACTS module (e.g. Twilight Struggle PBEM).

But when I played Westphalia we used discord for everything you can do in ACTS. It was a vast improvement in that specific context. For Britannia somehow we still prefer ACTS. Maybe because ACTS sends out emails unlike discord. Many people live on discord, so that is no cost for them.

uckelman · October 1, 2021, 10:19am

That’s exactly why ACTS is on the list. (Note that it’s under the “Card Design & Tracking” category.) ACTS does things that I foresee V4 doing.

slimy · October 1, 2021, 2:18pm

That’s interesting. What ACTS provides here is trust. That requires independent servers rather than VASSAL’s typical peer-to-peer mode. What is the plan here?

uckelman · October 2, 2021, 10:35pm

Game state isn’t all that large and it’s fairly straightforward to mark what can be seen by whom. I’d been expecting to have a game server implementation that optionally provides game state storage, partly for the convenience of it and partly to have a trusted third party.