The Playtable is a live tabletop for testing a game before you print it. Its setup lets you control which cards enter the session and how the table begins, so a playtest can reproduce the game state you actually want to evaluate.
Choose the test contents
Open Playtable, select the project, and set Playtest contents.
- Leave Use all cards enabled for a fast test of the project's complete card library.
- Turn it off to select one or more specific card collections and their counts. This is the better choice for a starter deck, expansion, or scenario test.
- Boards, mats, tokens, meeples, and custom dice are selected separately when a session needs them. See Playtesting Boards, Tokens & Dice for their type-aware setup.
The session needs a card deck for dealing. A board-only or token-only selection cannot replace the deck; those components enter the table as objects, not hand cards.
Configure the opening state
Set the starting hand size, the number of discard piles, and whether the deck shuffles when the session begins. Add the built-in dice, coins, or counters your test requires. These options turn a vague "try the game" into a repeatable scenario—ideal for comparing a rules change to the last session.
If you are testing a particular turn or puzzle, choose the smallest relevant card collection and a known starting hand. For a first-read test, use the full deck and default shuffle instead.
Invite players and start
Create an invite from setup before launching a multiplayer test, then share it with the player joining you. The host's project, selected content, and starting configuration define the shared session. Begin only after you have confirmed the project name and selected collection; changing those later is not a substitute for a clean setup.
For a solo pass, start the session and use the same table controls yourself. Solo tests are great for turn flow; bring in another person for clarity, pacing, hidden-information, and rules-teaching feedback.
Use the table deliberately
The table gives a card deck, player hand, discard pile, and play area their own roles. Drag cards to arrange the board state. Use a pile's context menu to draw a chosen number of cards, deal cards, shuffle, or inspect the pile. From a hand or pile view, send a card to the hand, play it, discard it, or move it to another pile.
Right-click table objects for their available actions. A card can be managed in context; counters can be named or reset; dice roll and coins flip. Lock surfaces or objects that should stay put so a movement mistake does not become a false playtest result.
End each session with evidence
Write down the question being tested before you start: "Can a player understand this opening hand?" or "Does this resource rate stall turn three?" Afterward, record the observed answer in Docs & Rules, update the card data or layout, and run the exact same setup again. That loop is much more useful than treating a playtest as a general impression.
