For some fantastic tabletops you no longer need a real table.
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Many people in our editorial team are passionate about pen and paper and all kinds of tabletop games. Our boss Heiko spends hundreds of euros on the absolute final bosses of board games, Steffi and I are in a P&P group for Cyberpunk – and our DSA god Fabiano recently finished his mega campaign in The Dark Eye after five years.
In other words: We're pretty deep into the subject. Maybe we should have a theme week on tabletop games. Different topic, Steam Sale!
As usual, hundreds of games are reduced in the Steam Summer Sale 2024 – we have already recommended some highlights to you. But there are also some really cool games for tabletop and pen & paper fans that are really worth it for little money. That's why we quickly put our heads together and present our recommendations, which either specifically implement a board game or P&P on Steam or are at least based on a license.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Traders
- genre: Role playing game
- developer: Owlcat Games
- Price: 32.50 euros (35 percent discount)
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Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader – Test video for the role-playing epic
Dimitri Halley: I know, I know, 32 euros is still a lot of money, I can almost get a burger and coke for that in Munich, but: Right now it's more worthwhile than ever to give Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader a chance!
As is unfortunately typical for developer Owlcat Games (Pathfinder: Kingmaker), the Warhammer role-playing game was released at the end of last year with great ideas but major technical problems. The game has since received a number of patches, including a really big one in preparation for the first story DLC, Void Shadows.
This patch not only eliminates bugs, but also fixes gameplay vulnerabilities and exploits. And that makes Rogue Trader even more of what it is actually supposed to be: a wonderfully old-school Warhammer role-playing game based on the Rogue Trader tabletop, in which you find your own place in the glorious empire of mankind, make decisions, resist the temptations of chaos (or not) and prove yourself in tough turn-based tactical battles.
If you love classic role-playing games like Baldur's Gate or already have a soft spot for Pathfinder, you'll find a wonderful role-playing introduction to the dark world of Warhammer 40,000 here. And you don't have to paint a single model yourself.
Everdell
- genre: Building game
- developer: Dire Wolf
- Price: 13 euros (25 percent discount)
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Everdell: This strategically mature and charming board game is also available on Steam
Fabiano Uslenghi: At the beginning of the year, I fell head over heels in love with the board game version of Everdell and it is now one of my favorite board games ever. It is one of those cute little games that you can always pull out, no matter who you are sitting at the table with. You just need to have a heart for fairytale creatures that live in a dreamy forest.
If that's too kitschy and childish for you, there's still Blood Rage and the like. I personally love this world and like to play a little fairytale soundscape while I build my forest settlement. At its core, it's a flawless construction game. In the hunt for the highest number of points, I hoard sticks, pebbles or amber, hire a raven as a teacher for my school or a turtle as a judge for the court.
The PC version doesn't lose any of this charm. The atmosphere is spot on – even if it doesn't reach the highest heights of the Evertree graphically.
The digital version is especially worth it if you want to try a few solo rounds. Everdell is wonderful to experience with two people, but even that is not always possible on some days. Unfortunately, the Steam version does not offer all of the expansions, but on June 3rd the first DLC, Glimmergold, was revealed!
Gloomhaven
- genre: Strategy
- developer: Flaming Fowl Studios / Saber Interactive
- Price: 14 euros (60 percent discount)
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Highly acclaimed fantasy RPG Gloomhaven celebrates its 1.0 launch in trailer
Steffi Schlottag: Gloomhaven is a pretty beast that I've been lurking around ever since boss Heiko raved about it. I even bought the smaller brother, The Lion's Paws, as a board game, but the big box was always too expensive and too bulky for me. I also force my friends to play regular pen and paper games, so there's not much time left for group activities.
That's why Gloomhaven as a PC game was my perfect solution! It's much cheaper, doesn't take up any space on the shelf and I can play a few levels at any time. I can even play in co-op if I want, if someone has time. The rules are complex, the numerous classes offer a lot of specialization options, and tacticians will get their money's worth here.
But be careful, you definitely need to be able to handle frustration. Unfortunately, the game is still plagued by annoying bugs. And it also punishes you mercilessly if you make strategic mistakes or forget something on your turn. If you can handle that, many hours of fun and challenge await you.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist
- genre: card game
- developer: Other Ocean Emeryville
- Price: 5 euros (75 percent discount)
Tristan Gudenrath: In the almost 20 years of my career as a passionate video game fan, I have tried countless Yu-Gi-Oh games. Some were bad, many were good, a few were outstanding. Legacy of the Duelist stands out in particular because, despite my nostalgic idealization of numerous Game Boy Advance derivatives, it is not only the best part I have played, but also my favorite.
My personal highlight is the story mode, where you replay the main story of the first five main series using pre-made decks. This gently introduces you to the complex rules and card types and allows you to learn completely new and different tactics.
This is especially a blessing for people who are new to Yu-Gi-Oh or are returning after a long time and are having trouble getting to grips with the many new actions like Pendulum Summons and the like.
And if you prefer to express yourself, that's no problem either. With over 9,000 different cards, you can create tons of individual decks without ever getting bored. However, since this can quickly become overwhelming due to the large number of cards, numerous filters help you find the right ones for your playing style.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
- genre: Role playing game
- developer: Owlcat Games
- Price: 12 euros (70 percent discount)
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Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous – The role-playing masterpiece in the test video
Benedict Grothaus: Yes, even the MeinMMO nerds play role-playing and board games and Dimi has given me permission to introduce one of my favorites here! With over 330 hours, Pathfinder: WotR is one of the longest-playing role-playing games of all time – and the only reason it's not sure of first place is because I have no idea how many days of my youth Gothic cost me. I don't regret a single second of my playing time.
If you know D&D, you've probably heard of Pathfinder. The rulebook evolved in version 3.5 and is a kind of “complex” version of Dungeons & Dragons: more rules, more equipment and many more classes. Wrath of the Righteous and its predecessor Kingmaker have captured this complexity brilliantly and translated it into a video game.
If you want to commit to a game for dozens or hundreds of hours, WotR is the game for you. But you have to be prepared to learn – and if necessary, through pain. Interactions between skills and effects are vital to survival and can overwhelm even pen and paper veterans if they are not familiar with the system.
The last DLC of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous has now been released. So the game is complete and has captivated me for over 40 hoursalthough I've already finished it. If you're more into sci-fi and dystopias, you'll be well served by the spiritual successor Rogue Trader – Dimi introduces it to you above.
To Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous on Steam
Cyberpunk2077
- genre: Role playing game
- developer: CD Projekt Red
- Price: 30 euro (50 percent discount)
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Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is a fantastic story expansion
Peter Bathge: Yes, okay, that is not the Insider tip. It's Cyberpunk 2077, everyone probably has that in their library. Not at all. I, for one, still have to finish the role-playing game. And this sale (which is mirrored on GOG.com and the Humble Store, by the way) comes at just the right time!
The pen and paper system Cyberpunk 2020 was of course the great inspiration for the world that CD Projekt Red takes us into, and its creator Mike Pondsmith was on hand to advise the developers. You can see that in every corner of Night City.
What is completely different from the original, however, are the action-packed battles. And you can only play your own character to a certain extent, since the story of protagonist V is roughly predetermined for each playthrough. But that doesn't matter, because for many fans of the pen and paper role-playing game, Cyberpunk 2077 is still a dream come true.
Basements n' Basilisks: Storms of Sorcery
- genre: Role playing game
- developer: Envy Softworks
- Price: 2 euros (35 percent discount)
Jesko Buchs: Basements n' Basilisks, or B&B for short, is exactly the right tabletop implementation for everyone who can't stand long-winded rulebooks and months-long gaming sessions. As the title suggests, the role-playing game-visual novel hybrid pokes fun at the time-honored Dungeons & Dragons and serves you an entertaining role-playing game campaign with a small map and three iconic, wacky companions.
Just like in the original, you make decisions and roll your dice to navigate through the fantasy story. Basements n' Basilisks feels wonderfully streamlined. Instead of powerful D20 dice, you only have two D6s on the virtual game table. And you don't need to look for friends for a long campaign – B&B can easily be completed on its own in around five hours.
This combination makes the role-playing game wonderfully beginner-friendly. And let's be honest: for just two euros, you can't really go wrong here.