The RPG Engine

The RPG Engine
N/A
Metacritic
88
Steam
73.285
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Release date
6 January 2022
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
88 (227 votes)

A modern 3D world maker. Sculpt, populate and explore any map you can think of. Build, Create and Play traditional TTRPGs online with your friends!

Show detailed description

The RPG Engine system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows 10
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 1 GB available space

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
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Sebek
Sebek

Huge potential in this tool. It can already be used to create fully fledged campaigns.
The more people use it and share their creations the more powerful it becomes.
I hope they add a bit more optimization so you can go wild with creating immense maps. At 1000+ props you start to see fps drops, maybe if every prop not in use could be was marked as "static" somehow (i know there's a Lock button, but I don't know if it does anything for performance)

RozalinaDelaney
RozalinaDelaney

10/10 I really like this for the little bit Ive explored it, so far really cool idea, It has alot of different controls so its hard to get used to at first but I looked up a video by the dev and it makes so much more sense.

KobeFadeaway24
KobeFadeaway24

Game of the year for sure, for my money! Shiiiiiit I'm tryna find shit I don't like about the game but it feels like I'm just grasping at straws tryna find shit to be critically negative of. These "ninjas" did a great job. Usually I'm against pre-ordering and early access but damn it I'm glad for this one, just to show my support! All the homies gonna hear about this.

Darth Gigadome
Darth Gigadome

An excellent 3d rendition for DnD style tabletop.

Comprehensive tools from the GM side of things. I find myself not lacking in new creative ways to use the system the devs have implemented here, when it comes to map building or in session effects or actions. I find it allows for a player to have visual components that enhance their experience and improve interactivity. I can give as many or as few hints to my players as I like.

The devs have also included Steam Workshop for new items, character models (Humans, Gnolls, Demons) and created models using the games near HeroForge style character building. I frequently utilize both the Steam Workshop for custom characters, and the character creator in game to make custom characters that I use as NPCs for my players. I also make use of the splendid selection of already available models hand crafted by the dev team. Really can't say enough about their selection of models. Well done for a small team.

They also have a document manager that allows for a simpler "adobe acrobat" style system in game. You can import pdfs and edit them much like you could in Adobe, allowing you to use custom character sheets (which are also available on the in-game Steam Workshop). I use the system personally so my players always have an up to date copy of their character sheets, even though most of them have other methods of keeping track.

The only thing that this does not have is the ability to have all the information for the DnD editions laid out for you for free. You need to purchase the digital copies online (or pirate) from Wizards of the Coast and either upload the PDFs to the document manager or keep it open outside of RPG Engine.

Another very crucial thing to mention is that much like Fantasy Grounds they allow demo players to play with retail players. This means DMs who buy the game can use the Steam Workshop to find maps, items, NPCs, etc to enhance their campaign, then invite their friends to just download the demo and play with them. Truly fantastic, and especially at such a low price before full release.

TLDR:
Fantasy grounds too much money? Would rather buy the Wizard of the Coast digital books or google PDF versions of the books and use that in homebrew campaigns than have it all laid out for you? Looking for a comprehensive map creator to build the world of your dreams for your players? Looking for a great character creator to put your DnD character to life? This is where it's at for a very low price point. Recommend if you're a DM with players willing to try something other than Fantasy Grounds.

Trace Edge
Trace Edge

This is a really well thought out, and enjoyable system. I love the tools, the community is extremely friendly.

After much research this is the VTT I would recommend.

While its not free its worth the bucks if you have friends or atleast going in together on a the DLC they should be doing to make the game usuable for more than 1 copy for 1 free player.

Bongbart
Bongbart

Since my last Review the Developers decided to change theire pricing plans and now its more transparent and cheaper and more in a pricing range where i could say its worth it.

in addition they gave the gamemaster edition to the owner of the earlier 20€ edition wich supported it back in early accsess wich i appriciate.

Original and outdated Review:

They switched their monitisation model. back when i bought the dlc for hosting the game with friends we could play with 6 players in the session without problems (except for desync bugs but thats a diffrent topic and seems to be fixed by now)

now i would need to pay to the 20€ i already paid 60€ more to keep playing with my part (or better said at the end of the year) wich in my opinion is a unfair buisness model because if i would have known the final price i got to pay to coninue using this programm i would not have bought it.

you will need to pay 20€ per 2 players just so you know it before you buy it. I personally will just go back to roll20 and maybe switch to other 3d tabletop programms wich have a better look and better assets

Calcium
Calcium

The best VTT on the market IMHO. Plenty of customization for entities, effects, motion, etc. and all for cheaper when stacked up against the other VTTs out there. Those who have complained about the monetization model of this VTT.. idk man, only half of your group needs to get it (depending on the number of people, 20 bucks per, and they can host as well if they so choose), or just shell out the extra 60 for an ultimate hosting licence. More money in The Architect's pocket is more money thrown at development, no reason to complain.

Comparing that to Table Top Simulator, Fantasy Grounds, Talespire, etc.. honestly WAY more bang for your buck here than the alternatives. Architect is always updating the engine, with models, effects, requested features, and is always on top of fixing bugs. You can't even ask that of most other VTTs that take a millennia to even address bug fixing, let alone new features.

Should you get this? Idk, do you like hookers and blow and fun?

Buckjoy
Buckjoy

Finally got a chance to run a game using RPG Engine live. Used two different different computers to run my GM copy and a Demo for the players. Worked like a charm. I was really impressed with the ability to change the environment in reaction to what the players were doing (there was fire and tinder). Everyone loved the system and a good time was had all around. Long story short this is a solid option for in-person play as well as online.

VoltaicGRiD
VoltaicGRiD

EDIT (10-18-23): The pricing model has changed recently (you'll probably see this in the game's update news). The new pricing changes are welcome, and I'm happy to see the community have an influence on the tool's development. I hope these changes get some new GM's and groups engaged and involved.

Incredibly effective and powerful tool. I've seen a considerable number of comments and other reviews mentioning the pricing model. As a long time user of Foundry, and someone who's spend well over $500 on digital VTTs, mapping tools, assets, portraits, etc. $120 / $50 + 20 per 2 is beyond fair for the (literal) thousands of assets, allowing you to create beautiful, highly complex, 3d maps in a matter of minutes and hours.

The art style is (I acknowledge) very subjective, but its incredibly well optimized for this use case, and works surprisingly well on lower-end machines.

Honestly, in the end; if you're looking for a tool to make 3D maps, play TTRPG's with a 3D VTT, or just express some really awesome creativity with an absolute ton of already available assets (not including the Steam Workshop)

Seriously. Give this a shot. Its worth it, and if you ever have questions or concerns, the Discord is a beautiful place to ask questions and suggest features, the developer is ALWAYS acknowledging feature requests and bug reports.

Titan075
Titan075

I'm pretty disappointed by their pricing shift and changing core features that people bought into during early access. The Game Master edition does not allow you to run games for a group of more than two. If they had named it the "map maker" version and the "game master" version it would make more sense.

The worst thing they did was taking away the multiple player seats for everyone who had the early access game master edition. Now you have to buy the ultimate edition on top of the game master edition - even if you had early access with unlimited seats. They completely changed what functions people bought into and would expect from a "game master" edition and are making you pay more to get that access back. I've heard some talk that they're going to give an option to have a few months of "unlimited" available to people who were in early access, but then they'll have to pay.

This is a decent program as far as VTTs go, but the devs really need to get their heads on straight in regards to monetization and transparency in how they operate. There were multiple ways they could have made a shift that didn't stick it to their current userbase. I'm going to be switching to something like RPG Stories once it has it's multiplayer options available.

Egopunk
Egopunk

The system agnostic free-form nature of The RPG Engine has been a dream to work with for map making.

I haven't used it to run any games in as yet, but what I have done is made several 2D and isometric maps with a bunch of 3D establishing slots which will be great props to use for GMing in the near future.

PlayerNull
PlayerNull

New review:

Its nice to see devs that listen, having to own both dlcs if you wanna run an actual campaign with a few players in my opinion is still a little jank but i'll be continuing to follow the development of this engine and im excited to see how things improve from here.

Now for the actual review of the engine itself.
Honestly its got nice tools for sculpting your maps and the animations make attacking and walking around really fun, and the dice rolling is so satisfying, i like that i can spam without slowing down my pc. my only issue with the engine would be how janky and finicky the character sheets are, sometimes they take forever to load or sometimes just refuse to show up for the player you assigned it to. other than that its a great little engine and a fantastic tool for making maps in!

For the devs:

Thank you Devs for listening and making things right, i've seen too many developers get greedy these days and refuse to even admit when theyre in the wrong so seeing these changes was a nice breath of fresh air. i hope you guys continue to develop and improve this engine as very little VTTs offer what you guys give. you guys have crafted a really great and really really special engine as well as a great community behind it, please dont take it for granted like other teams do. thank you once again.

Old review:

Other people have said it better than i could, but TLDR:
this was incredible and fair engine until they changed the pricing model with little to no warning while giving the previous supporters very little compensation.

I was completely behind this engine for the pricing model, it was a step in the right direction to the point i really felt like this would become the go to engine if you wanted a VTT to play with your friends over the internet; in fact me and my friends respected it so much we purchased the game master edition just to support the future of this engine.

But after finding out they changed what was arguably the best part of this engine; the pricing model. especially with little to no warning and very little compensation to previous owners (which just amounts to a trial of the ultimate hosting till the end of the year) it really does feel like the devs thought "Our engine is special and because others are very anti consumer lets do that too!".
I really do hope in the future theyll rethink their decision but as of right now i really cant recommend this engine.

If you want a free albeit 2D way to host/play a VTT with your friends id recommend Tableplop , all you need is a web browser and the GM having either premade maps or a 2d map creator and you're good to go.

NekoNull
NekoNull

Edit: I am happy to say that the developers were incredibly responsive to everyone being so displeased by the necessity of needing to buy the full version. They have not only granted FULL access to the people who backed during early access, but also lowered the price of the full version. This is definitely the way to go in terms of VTT, and I hope they continue to grow this project. I am quite glad that, unlike many other dev teams, they actually listened to what was displeasing to their consumers and responded with haste!

OLD REVIEW:
Previously, I would have recommended this in a heartbeat. However, due to recent changes, the best part of this has changed. It's no longer a matter of only the DM needing to buy the pro version, and even if previously everyone bought the pro version, as compensation they are only giving a TRIAL of the unlimited version. Otherwise, you can only play with the DM and one other person, which kind of defeats the purpose of DND.

Sgt_Winters
Sgt_Winters

I've been using the RPG Engine for a while now and I have to say, the things you can build in this 'game' are mind-blowing. The tools take no time at all to get used to and the customisation is pretty nuts. You can take HOURS to build the perfect map or throw one together in a couple minutes grabbing other peoples shared creations from the library. ezpz.

There's a few things i'm not interested in. I always play my own music and have dnd beyond on a second monitor so I have no need for the in game sheets, but they're there if you want them. (y)

In regards to the pricing change, I've been building a world out in other apps etc for years and for $7 a month, I'm easily out like $150. Subscription based D&D tools are the devil, especially if you're a casual DM/Player, so paying a bigger price to never have to pay again is such a breeze of fresh air. Better to support a passion project than money grabbing corps :) Now that the price has gone down due to feedback its an absolute steal. Get on it.

Fully recommend.

Midknight
Midknight

They made a really bad change but then listened to their community and fixed the issue. $60 is a hefty price but at least it's no longer a scam for anyone like myself who bought the game before the pricing shift.

knuckles625
knuckles625

Low-key the most impressive VTT on the market.

Saw an article from Bell of Lost Souls about this as one of the only alternative VTT's to Talespire that is fully 3D and decided to try it. Was surprised to find out just how many more features it had at the time, and in the 6 months since, they've added 10x what Talespire has (mods not included)

Just the sheer number of assets outstrips any other VTT I've used save TTS. Plus they're animatable, remixable, and if you don't like them, you can import your own (no mods needed). Don't have the style of assets you want for your game-request them and it's pretty likely they'll get added soon (especially if there's a Synty asset pack already).

You can make maps with (gasp!) uneven ground! Lol, it's a little thing but it means your terrain doesn't look like Minecraft. Also love the ability to overlay a 2D picture from a book or handout to help "trace" out terrain and outlines for a map you're building.

Overall, even if you don't initially love the art style, give it a chance. I can almost guarantee it'll surprise you

GrantyGameMaster
GrantyGameMaster

This is a fantastic, feature-rich 3D VTT. It is well optimized, even for the oldest of machines. I love the huge selection of assets as well as the OBJ import functionality. I find the characters and general low-poly feel to be charming and nostalgic. The creative possibilities are endless. The developers are highly responsive; they genuinely listen to and strive to implement the ideas of the fan community. Would definitely recommend!

Stevo
Stevo

THE BUILD MODE
There is a lot to say about this gem of a tool. The possibilities that are achievable with the build mode are endless. You can make your maps as simple or as intricate as you'd like. You can make your own buildings, characters, monsters and weapons. The number of assests is astonisihing and keeps growing. And they cover a whole plethora of genres and time periods. It takes time to get used to the UI and controls, but once you figure it out, your imagination becomes alive with this awesome build mode.
THE BAD AND UGLY
If you do not like low poly style, then this is not a game for you. The style lends well to stretching and manipulating obječts, even though it does sometimes look wonky. There are lots of small bugs that are not annoying enough to make the game unplayable, but I still have to point out that at the moment of writing this is not a product that is super polished and without its faults. There is still some missing features that are coming soon to the game, like an api for people who would like to mod the game and some features that will let the players interact more with the world in play mode.
PLAY MODE
Oh what joy does it bring when my friends play like kids in sand on my maps! And I also enjoy playing in the VTT since I'm a very visual person. You save so much mental energy while gm-ing since you don't need to focus so much on the visual and are free to describe more in other sensory details. The prep time can be as long or short as you'd like it to be. And that's why you have the workshop.
THE COMMUNITY
Although still very small at the time of writing, this game has delighted me not only by its unique charm, but also by helpful people that also enjoy this game and share their creation. There is an official discord page where you can share your creations, ask questions, report bugs or just talk about the game.
THE DEVELOPERS
A very small team for such a big project. They are a hard working, passionate bunch and you can feel that they care deeply about the game and our feedback They polish the game constantly, add new content and answer any questions the players have. I hope they keep working on this project long enough that in the end everyone could without a doubt say that this is the most stable and most content packed VTT on the market.

Project_X
Project_X

Out of all of the full virtual table tops still one of the more feature rich. Being able top import your own OBJs makes this worth it in its own right. Also one of the very few tabletops that has enough Sci-Fi stuff to actually make more than one map. Map making inside the creator is relatively easy, you can export your maps you create into other VTTs such as foundry or roll20. The creators are active on discord and it is relatively easy to make your own objects without importing any objs. There are currently 2 downsides from my personal preference. Downside 1 currently as of this review it is mainly a D20/traditional dice system (This is obviously fine as most systems out there are D20) I think there are plans to add support for custom dice but currently anything outside of D20/traditional systems is harder to implement inside the tabletop you will have to do it outside while playing. Downside 2 the internal character sheet/ Notes section is lacking without some serious work on your end. You can make your sheets pretty much anything you want as you can import images into them and do roll formulas behind the scenes making it powerful but you do have to put in a lot of work to do it its not an out of the box solution like most other VTTs have. But It is also really easy to get lost in the sheets as there is no defined size it expands forever in all directions it would be nice to have confined sizes. I am 100% recommending this product to anyone looking for a full 3d VTT, beyond those 2 downsides I mentioned, which are more personal preferences, it is probably the best 3D VTT on the market that is still being supported.

gone4awalk
gone4awalk

By using the Ashen type of art style I and my players find it easy to fill in the gaps in details. I also believe that it is what allowed this game to coherently develop so many features. Saving time by not making everything look like real life is actually my favorite feature of this game. Being able to provide my players with a base to write their own fantasy on is invaluable.

FullOnGritz
FullOnGritz

Recently improved monetization after some community complaints about how it was presented and a price shift out of early access. Awesome response from the Dev. Also, this is a very good tool if you want to animate your tabletops as it is so flexible. The graphics are stylized, making it a solid choice for players without decent PCs as well.

Corerupt
Corerupt

What a tool. Even in this early stage the amount you can do with it is incredible. From creating your own custom maps, as you'd expect, to creating your own custom assets. This includes character models, to prefabs, custom animations and importing of images. So many assets already included with a ton more coming according to the dev. Most if not all TTRPG genres covered, and with steam workshop, i don't think you'd be short of any asset/prop ever.

Not only that, it seems they are implementing some pretty robust VTT tools to compliment the mapping side of things. A perfect all in one title for playing your TTRPG's. I havn't looked much into the document system that they have in, but from what i have seen in video's it looks pretty powerful.

The main thing i use this for is solo RPG play. And the fact it has an in-game browser that allows me to log onto my foundry VTT campaign for dice rolls, journals and, random tables makes this a no brainer for a solo player. Rolling in foundry to generate random elements, then incorperating that directly to the map as you discover things, all on one tool.

Spot on!

But THE best thing about this EA title is the Dev support. I reported 2 bugs in 2 days. Both got patched out in as many days. It's clear to me they care about their project and are working on it daily. I mean these bug fixes came on boxing day, and one coming the day after.

Anyway, if you enjoy making maps for your VTT of choice or just in general, this is a great tool for creativity, It has the 2d export functionality also. And if you're looking for an AIO solo play tool or a decent VTT in it's own right, (even though this part is still being fleshed out), then you need to get this. All those features st this price is a must buy IMO.

belanna89
belanna89

I'm enjoying this program. There is a learning curve, however, it's not as steep as some of the other programs like this one. Manipulating the terrain is easy and there are so many options. It comes with music to use during your sessions, also.

Binky
Binky

One of the best thing's I've become addicted to. Over 100 hours of world building and simultaneously playing in a friend's homebrew. While working on my own I've thought of a couple things that would make it easier on the DM side of things. Add more animal people like squids and shit, add cowboy hats in the customizer, and add patrol pathing, random roam is obv hard to manage. Thanks for the great experience!

Scrap
Scrap

Over 150 hours and we have dabble into 1/4 of my campaign, i've had up to 14 of my friends hop in and out of the game. Easily best RP simulated game I've ever had the pleasure of using. I've only had the game nearly 2 months and seeing what they've done within a year has astonished me. I consider myself a part of the community and I'm cheering them and the team on for every step they take making a already amazing game, even greater.

Angelis187
Angelis187

I don't normally write reviews

So after spending a good 8 hours on this program i can in all fairness say that the RPG Engine is a must.
The creator should be proud of himself for building something that is really easy to use and lots of fun,
the possibilities for this are endless. I'm not the brightest spark but i love to build things but normally with this sort of program i loose interest after trying to figure out all the techniques however the interface with the RPG Engine is user friendly.
My first build is called Keep Courtyard and im really please with how easy it was to create something like this and obviously with more time spent on it i could do alot more but 8 hours in i think i did well.
I look forward to building much more with this.

mazwell de poopington
mazwell de poo…

I have a Macbook, so I don't game much, but I was surprised by this tool's compatibility and relative ease of use. You can get a lot out of this thing, and it takes a little bit to get used to but once you understand the system the potential to build is nigh limitless. Plus, it's still in beta, and is getting updated regularly with new content and features, I have no doubt that with a little more time in the oven this could be the best and most accessible VTT bar none, with practically no barrier to entry.

Zveroba
Zveroba

This is the new level for D&D like tabletop gaming. Beautiful Game-Master/Player compatibility and demo version for Players is great choice! Game in constant community-based development. Many editable assets, characters and embeded customizable character sheets! Worth every penny I paid for it.

Holy Diver
Holy Diver

Admittedly this game can still be a bit rough around the edges at times with bugs and incomplete features, especially if you are hoping to use this as your full PnP gameplay experience. As a map-building and exploration software, however, I'd say this is currently one of the best on the market if you are looking for three-dimensional maps that allow for a variety of settings, including fantasy, modern, sci-fi, or post-apocalyptic.
It has a wide array of assets which are regularly being expanded, the ability to import your own images as map assets, new additions and bug fixes being implemented regularly, and a very responsive and hard-working dev team that is active on their Discord and regularly addresses player feedback.
It is far from perfect, but then again it is still in early access. Mind you, it being in early access is not an excuse to shield it from all criticism, but the diligence that new updates keep getting released with gives me hope that, with enough time, this will turn into something special.
So far I am happy with my purchase, and I am very much looking forward to seeing the software expand and be optimized even further.

Gwen
Gwen

I bought the RPG engine yesterday and stayed up all night last night learning to build maps with it. I still have a lot to learn - mostly related to optimizing map scale, but so far I am pretty impressed with the software. I have been using Foundry for the last few years and I must say the RPG Engine impresses me. I can create 3D maps with animations in a fraction of the time it takes me to build 2D maps. And I'm realizing I don't need game rules integration with the game if I can have an immersive, much more functional world I can build in a few weeks rather than much longer.

I have been following all the other more popular VTT software for the last few years and despite their much higher prices, other than Foundry they just won't allow me to to build the worlds I want to build, or run them the way I want to. Don't get me wrong, I love FoundryVTT but the RPG Engine is literally a game-changer by providing great versatility, customizable/importable assets, and much faster map building.

The bottom line for me is: considering what you can do with this tool and at the VERY reasonable price point, You just cannot go wrong with the RPG Engine.

Now for my request: Please, Mr. Architect =) : can we get some 1920's era love in the assets department? I want to run a Call of Cthulhu campaign with this and would really like to have some good assets to use for it.

Keep up the great work! I can't wait to see what comes in future updates.

AmethystVoyage
AmethystVoyage

So I was skeptical about this one. Being a player who for me the medieval fantasy drama is very played out (pardon my blasphemy) and preferring other less popular genres, I wasn’t sure if there would be enough assets to create a desired scene. I play in a modern horror fantasy game right now. World of Darkness style games. So my report is that Yes it does. And I hope the community and developer will add more. But I was able to make everything I had in my mind’s eye with only some exceptions and needed tweaks and “close enough” representations. I am enjoying this and it runs pretty well for a program still ironing out the kinks.

Ottomayun
Ottomayun

Hello!
Ignore my playtime, as I mostly play on my family shared account. (on which I've got over 250 hours )
That being said, here's a brief overview of this amazing game.

The RPG Engine is a fantastic tool for any tabletop gaming enthusiast. One of the standout features of the game is its ability to sculpt and customize terrain, allowing you to create unique and immersive environments that perfectly fit your campaign. Whether you're traversing a treacherous mountain range or exploring a bustling city, The RPG Engine gives you the tools to create a world that feels truly alive with its vast collection of objects and props, beautiful lighting and weather effects. From futuristic sci-fi gears and vehicles to medieval swords and shields, The RPG Engine has an impressive array of items that can fit any theme or setting. And with the ability to color and customize these objects, you can truly make them your own and create a cohesive and immersive experience for your players.

The ability to kitbash props is a fantastic addition to The RPG Engine. You can take existing objects and modify them to create new and unique items, whether it's a unique fantasy weapon, cyberpunk gun or a realistic Aztec weapon. This flexibility allows you to truly make the game your own and add a personal touch to your campaign.

Custom character sheets are another great feature of The RPG Engine. With the document manager, you can create and customize character sheets for each of your players, including automated calculations for their rolls. This not only saves time during play, but also adds a level of polish and professionalism to your game.
Speaking of characters, the game features a character builder that lets you create your player character or NPCs, tinting the clothing, hair, armor and even skin as you see fit.

Personally, I really enjoy this game because it allows me to run any campaign theme, whether it's D&D or Cyberpunk, gives incredible freedom and ways for you to use your creativity in a fully 3D world. It was enough for me to bite the bullet and switch my entire campaign mid-point from tabletop simulator onto here.

The level of community involvement in The RPG Engine is truly impressive. The developer's dedication to listening to the community's feedback and incorporating it into the game is a breath of fresh air in the gaming industry. It's clear that the developer truly cares about the experience of the players and is committed to delivering a game that meets their needs.

One of the standout features of this community involvement is the frequency of updates. The developer releases meaningful updates every two weeks, which is a testament to their commitment to making the game better with each iteration. And these updates aren't just small bug fixes – they often include significant improvements to the game's functionality and features.

It's also worth mentioning that the game's flaws are relatively minor and mostly related to polish and quality of life improvements. The UI can be a bit clunky at times, and some of the controls and tools could be more intuitive, but these issues are being actively addressed by the developer. With such a strong focus on community engagement and improvement, it's clear that The RPG Engine is a game that will only get better over time.

ScumBunny
ScumBunny

Incredibly easy to use, and with a pretty impressive amount of map parts and props and characters (not to mention character customizations) lets me quickly build every map I need for my sci-fi themed campaign. And then go through it with my players.
Plus the devs are incredibly helpful.

BOYAFOYA
BOYAFOYA

ATTENTION EPIC GAMERZ!!!

THIS IS EVERYTHING AND A BOX OF ROX! Ive been wasting all my money on these other "sandbox" style games when ive just been looking for this game! I wish I was making the big bucks to donate to this games Patreon because this needs all the support in the world! the fact this game is just getting better and better.

WE OUT HERE!, come join HMU if you need people to GM or Play! Buuuuut 10 outa 10 highly recommend!

stargolem
stargolem

I 100% recommend RPGE to anyone looking for a 3D VTT.

I’ve tried all the main ones (a lot of them), and many of them are amazing, but only RPGE had all the features I need. I can run Fantasy, Sci-fi, Modern, Post Apocalypse games.
I can run group TTRPGs and skirmish games.
As well as battle maps, I can create world maps.
Has thousands of assets, a character creator, character sheets, chat, PDF viewer, 3D dice, ambient audio.
You can import your own models, even from Hero Forge. Creators share their assets and maps on the Steam Workshop and some of them look amazing.

There are a handful of things I’m hoping to see added and the thing is new features appear incredibly frequently. Developers are responsive and excited by your ideas on Discord. The Discord community is ace. And the software is excellent value for money considering what you get. And it's great fun to play with!

Legion Worthington
Legion Worthington

I think TRPGE has the potential to be the best 3D VTT and maybe overall.

It's EXTREMELY modular; nearly everything can be customized in some way, and this allows for a vast amount of user-generated props, characters, and character sheets to be added into the game, made even more powerful and easy to share with Workshop integration. It even allows Hero Forge integration and custom model, document, and image import, and it's not as fiddly as something like Tabletop Simulator, it's much more streamlined. The dev is even planning to add card decks in the future.
Versatile enough to be used for other purposes, as the store page puts it, "brainstorming, storyboarding, visual storytelling, level design prototyping" and I can wholeheartedly agree with its functionality for those things.

The developer is very active and involved with the community, and this has meant that TRPGE gets new features, overhauls, and content regularly, alongside frequent bugfixes. At time of this review, TRPGE is still in alpha, and yet it's more polished than many of the big VTT systems. Development has been extremely transparent, as well, with community members being able to vote in the official Discord on things like UI layouts, new props, and so on. Including a demo for people to try really demonstrates that commitment to transparency.
The community Discord is extremely helpful and will answer any questions quickly.

Some users may be turned off by the low poly art; I think it's the ideal usage for it; it works really well and allows for that "theater of the mind" experience that TTRPG players and DMs have come to love over the decades, and allows for the developer to focus on systems in the game without having to devote resources to modelling fancy photo-realistic assets, which is critical for a small dev team that isn't developing full time. It strikes a balance between visual quality and performance optimization, which is huge for users that might not have a powerful machine.

Some nitpicks that I've run into so far has been the placeholder UI, lack of certain styles of props and character customization options, no environmental VFX like rain or snow, and no sound effects; at time of review the developer has been working on the new UI which fixes almost every issue I've run into so far, and new props are being added regularly as well as workarounds jury-rigged with existing props; the rest of the issues are on the roadmap and I have confidence that they will be addressed in due time.

Overall, this may be an Early Access title, but it's worth every cent of the $20 asking price, and I'd consider it to be competitive with most other VTTs in its current state. On top of all of that, it's just fun and easy to use.
I eagerly await the continued development of the gem.

Airickson
Airickson

I've not used this to conduct a game session, so I can't comment on the VTT element of the product, but I can say that the 3D modeling is intuitive and quite powerful. There are a large number of assets available including props, walls, trees, and characters. Many objects have multiple states (like doors which can be switched to be opened or closed) and the character creator tool is relatively robust. It's the best tool I've found to render 3D environments / maps to share static versions of with my players or create short video clips.

TimberShadow
TimberShadow

I'm currently running two different campaigns for family and friends. I wanted to be able to give them something with more 3D elements to it. I'm not really experienced with 3D modelling stuff, so I couldn't really deliver what I wanted through Tabletop Simulator. I was initially interested in The RPG Engine as soon as I saw it had 3D sculpting of the terrain while you are making a map, but all the customization options for characters/NPCs and all the currently available assets really made it seem like a solid purchase. It's also really nice to see how active the dev is within the community. I reported what I thought was a bug on discord, and they replied with how to fix it in only 21 minutes (Might have been convenient timing, so don't hold them to a 30 minute or less response time at all hours every day.). Even though it turned out to be a simple fix on my end, they didn't treat me poorly for it. I'm really looking forward to all the features planned for the future, especially the custom dragon creator.

Tachyon
Tachyon

gave this a whirl, seems like it has a lot of potential, is there any way to filter things? by genre, material, etc? really annoying to scroll thru hundreds of futuristic armor pieces to find the matching fantasy gear

EliGrim
EliGrim

Not quite the all-in-one solution for virtual tabletop RPGs yet. However, it is already apparent that The RPG Engine is on a very good path towards that goal. The game (or rather the tool) is improving sensibly with every update and if you have ever worked with a 3D gizmo, creating maps will not be that hard. Everyone else will have to fumble around a bit, but will quickly learn how to use it.
I am extremely excited about the next updates and will revise this review after the Early Access has been left. Nevertheless, virtual TTRPGs can already be created and played quite smoothly. Therefore, a recommendation is basically just a matter of form.
I sincerely hope that the sales figures are decent, because I am convinced that a superb tool is being created here.

SkippyDaMule
SkippyDaMule

I have been really impressed with the overall quality and capabilities of this tool. I have been let down before with similar applications. So, far this does almost everything I need. And, if it isn’t in there the devs are working hard to get it in place.
I was able to recreate the classic D&D adventure Keep on the Borderlands better than any previous tool.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2893243276&searc…

daddysixstringer
daddysixstringer

What a wonderful way to bring a virtual tabletop to life. There is quite a fair bit of assets, and a considerable amount of user generated content. All in all, there should be enough to get you going. The custom images, etc... are a nice touch. Ran a session of Cyberpunk RED with it, and will likely do more. The art style may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I don't mind it, and to be able to have some cool 3D gunfights, I can't complain.

Knight
Knight

an absolutely amazing tool for creating maps for TTRPGs. There are so many assets for almost any situation you can think of. I've only spent 6 hours poking around making maps but I used the demo for 20+ hours looking at maps my friend and GM had made for us using the assets as The RPG Engine was updated. My only problem is that there doesn't seem to be a way to switch to a scaling or rotation tool from the translating tool. That might just be on me though, if it isn't actually in the Engine I would love to see it added!

Solarfang
Solarfang

The amount of creativity you can do in this engine is Astounding! Allowing complete manipulation of all props and terrain allows for so much to be done with just a couple items. Let alone the massive library of props and more that they continue to make.

JeansenVaars
JeansenVaars

I have tried most of all available 3D VTTs to the time of this writing, and I can firmly say that RPG Engine is the strongest out there feature wise, development speed and fun factor.

To start with the cons, the weakest point could be the low-poly graphics, but don't let that fool you. In practice it works very well, it lowers the standards to create environments for you and your friends to play on it without being too picky about details, achieving results with little effort, that you can narrate on top of in your games. The UI needs a bit of attention and creating maps is a bit clunky, could be done faster if we could draw walls from lines or paint area floors.

That being the only con, I have to detail the pros:
- Active community, developer and incredible developer speed that hears feature recommendations, with a practical mindset on getting the players those amazing features we all want
- Content exceeds any other VTT. Period. I think it has above 7000 assets.
- IT HAS A CHARACTER CREATOR! Take this as the biggest point imho, each player would design and customize their own character, clothing face, equip weapons, run around with them, shoot and animate them
- Document Manager to hold on character sheets, including formulas to directly roll from them
- Play with 2D material, such as battle map, which you can easily show by pressing ALT in front of the screen
- STEAM WORKSHOP, you can extremely easily upload your creations and download others creation
- Upload your own models and assets, if you are into that kind of thing
- Sculpt maps and build scenarios with a feature rich builder
- Easy multiplayer through Steam, and buy as a GM, invite players for free (At least for now!!!)

In conclusion, keep in mind this is in early stages of development, so some things like the UI are rough on the edges at times, with a bit clunky asset navigation. Building walls and floor could also be made faster. But it is stated on the roadmap that the UI will receive some love soon, plus 3D dice coming soon! You won't regret this tool if you like to explore the idea of playing an RPG in a 3D world.

Sephryn
Sephryn

I'll start by prefacing that this isn't a game; it's a tool, or an engine as the name implies. It is to be used as a virtual tabletop for playing TTRPGs with friends online, or simply used to visualise landscapes or battlemaps before sketching them down if you play in person. I have used this program for both of those use cases and it has been a blast. With several thousand props and entities to populate your maps with your own creativity is the only real limit, and that's why the game also has a workshop for other users to submit their maps. characters, and prefab props.

If you're into VTTs, this is not a purchase you'll ever come to regret. Highly recommended.

Captainstubs1
Captainstubs1

I've run 8 or so sessions with this VTT now and I really love using it. Building maps, while a little daunting at first, becomes very easy once you get used to the tools at your disposal. The plethora and breadth of included props are fantastic and what hasn't been made by the dev just might be on the Workshop. Getting to customize 3D characters who can animate has been a real joy for my players too. All in all I love this program and can't wait to see it get grow as it closes in on 1.0.

beefylettuce
beefylettuce

This VTT is a huge advancement in the genre of VTTs, I have spent many hours on Talespire and don't get me wrong Talespire is amazing in it's own right but The RPG Engine picks up where Talespire lacks. It has unlimited freedom and so many features at your fingertips for creative DMs, a whole new level of galaxy brain creativity and customisation! Do yourself a favour and invest in this VTT for your future sessions, I guarantee you will not regret it.

The Devs personally reply to you on their discord, which is the best customer service I have ever experienced for any beta !

Loads of content and updates added constantly! or you can make your own/use someone else's via steam workshop etc!

Adventure on!

MrCaterpillar
MrCaterpillar

Great tool for a DM or any VTT players.
Loveable low-poly graphics, highly customizable "tables", intuitive design. Workshop content is increasing as more and more creators pick up the game (you can import outside assets too).
It's constantly getting updates, the DEV is listening to player suggestions on the official discord, they are communicating very openly.
Big plus that "demo" players can join in on a "paid" game so as a DM I can "lure in" players without financial commitment.

Recommended for any type of VTT enthusiast!

MixyMist
MixyMist

This RPG Engine is super great to make interactive maps and games. There are so many people who create amazing things that you can use right from the workshop. I love using this for our DnD sessions!

Machiavelli
Machiavelli

Probably the best VTT Sandbox out there and its still in alpha!

Even if you use an external resource, you can still export maps and you can really throw something together fast. And the devs are amazing and are super responsive and listen to their community.

etherealgyre
etherealgyre

Tried it out for the first time with my players last night. It was absolutely a lot of fun. Making maps is pretty straight forward. Even on the fly you can toss together a large grid area with some terrain if you need to. Also the discord community is immensely helpful and very welcoming. Can't wait to see where this goes.

Homo Cyberneticus
Homo Cyberneticus

Amazing tool with extremely active development still underway. Quite featureful in current state, and bound to only get better and better. Interface and model manipulation are still a bit clunky, but those are kinks that are going to be worked out in the process. While I do not have much GM/TTRPG experience, what I see I can only highly recommend. Make sure you join the Official discord server for help, tips, tricks, and to report any bug.

Dab-Exe
Dab-Exe

I'm not a wise or artistic man, yet I've put some stuff together that actually looks great! It was all very intuitive to me. I'm working on moving my home games (Witcher and Cyberpunk Red) over to this, no way can I mess with flat maps when I have this gem!

RisenFromTheAshes
RisenFromTheAshes

I've forgotten what the sun feels like. I can only imagine as i cram distorted asset after distorted asset into a makeshift Toilet for an npc my party will see once.

Life is good...

Raintalon"
Raintalon"

I really enjoy this engine, its not clunky and it runs well and you have a so many options to do what you want and if you are haveing trouble figuring things out the dev has made some nice tutorial vids. overall i very much recommend if you are wanting to build some 3d maps and such. the only complaint i have is that the character maker isnt quite as versatile as id like it to be but at the time of me writing this its still in early access and the dev is very good about listening to the community's feed back so im sure that more options will be added in the future.

Julius Sneezer
Julius Sneezer

It's neat to use and will provide a much more immersive game for me and my players next time we meet up

Flash
Flash

40 Hours as of this review

I've had the chance to make a couple maps, overall fairly intuitive and performant. Everything is laid out in a way that's easy to pick up on and start to get a more complex grasp on as you play more with it. I've made a couple maps myself and help friends make a couple maps using the multi GM for our campaign. There are some frustrations, I wish the terrain editor was more robust with more functionality. There are some oddities, sometime things will go funky when linked with other things for no apparent reason. Dont expect a perfect tool, you'll have to work around it's eccentricities, but it is being constantly improved.

We've had a few other friends virtual in with the demo version and everything works with no issue. I myself havent seen any crashes, but a friend has so make sure to save work often (which the game frequently reminds you). The most complex thing I've made so far is The Yawning Portal which will be up on the workshop when I iron out some kinks with about 6500 props in total. Get a smooth 60 fps with that many props until I start getting lots of lighting particles in (Specs at the bottom). I have noticed it starts to ramp up on Vram the longer its been going, I have 16 gigs but have seen it go up to 10, might be the cause of my friends crashes.

Overall a pleasure to use both in work and play and very economical and versatile compared to similar tools. Constantly being worked on and improved. Absolutely would recommend. Bought it for a friend, convinced another friend to buy it. Both are also very happy with it.

Specs:
Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15SE
Ryzen 9 5900HX
Nvidia RTX3080 16gb 130W
32GB 3200 Ram
2TB NVME SSD

joshdennisemail
joshdennisemail

the best VTT ive played and still only in alpha! Get this game!

melotron9
melotron9

Are you a GM, just really into quick 3D modeling, or have $20 to spend and like fun stuff.

Buy this, just buy it. The support is good, the community is good, the software is fun (requires some learning but isn't much harder than say photoshop or something).

Also there's a demo, and its pretty cool, and it works as a Virtual Tabletop that only one person has to buy.

Lucky
Lucky

I played a 21 hour session, and this program was able to keep up with my need to make new maps and change maps on the fly, much to my surprise. Many tools, very helpful developers who answered my questions quickly, and has a really nice style. This program has many features that DM's and players alike will enjoy, and I would wholeheartedly reccomend it to any game runner who wants to give their games a bit of life without having to pay out the nose for physical maps, minifigures, and game supplies.

Llandshark
Llandshark

I highly recommend giving this a shot if you are not quite satisfied with many of the other VTTs out there right now. I love the flexibility I have when building maps and characters. It's still in early access with 1.5 devs, but I've seen more progress in the 2-3 weeks I've owned the software, than I've seen in about a year from TaleSpire.

I've already built a couple really cool maps, and my players love the ability to actually point and click to move their characters, as well as the emotes (especially the dance emote haha).

One thing of note though, is you will need a third party system to actually track combat and everything along those lines. I'm using DnD Beyond alongside it, and that works great for me.

El_Luchaman
El_Luchaman

I've never seen a developer post so many updates, add so many features, and fix so many bugs in such a short time... WITHOUT BEING A FULL TIME DEVELOPER.

The Rpg Engine is an excellent mapping tool and character customize suite for any tabletop rpg game: Make maps, characters and environments from bustling cities to damp dungeons, and even populate them with npcs that roam around and interact with the maps you've made. It supports a lot of settings, not just medieval fantasy, so people playing cyberpunk games will not feel left out. Maps are easy to make and shape, and if you can't be arsed to model so much you can also insert flat images and just use it as a dice thrower / grid for using combat maps with your players. It currently does not support in-game character sheets but that is a feature the developer is gunning for. The character maker is great, but you can also import hero-forge minis if that's your style.

The discord is very active and the developers often engage with the community, answering questions and posting patch notes, and I really like the fact that only the GM has to buy the game to host the tabletop sessions, and that's rad because then your group can freely try the engine without a lot of upfront cost. If you are used to playing on roll20 or on other virtual tabletops, it will take some time getting used to the ui, and you will also have to find a way to adapt your character sheets until the developer introduces that feature, but for the price of less than a roll20 subscription, the RPG Engine is at least worth a try.

Crypto9111
Crypto9111

So far i really enjoy this map builder. With both times I've used it, I've created really amazing looking maps. That's not to say that its easy though. It takes a bit of imagination to get from a blank canvas to a work of art. It works well for D&D purposes and creating battlemaps. It offers very fine tune object controls when used right can make vert small details pop. Its not really fast but if you take your time or if you want a map builder that 2 people can build and make a map fairly fast and offers a simple vtt than this works perfectly. I can imagine with a bit of practice it will get easier to use and offers tons of props.

Space
Space

It makes playing D&D feel like a fully fledged tactical RPG. it even has tools to make giant open world style maps.

Insufferable Smartypants
Insufferable S…

Okay. There's a lot to unpack here.

I want to start off by saying that this program has an UNBELIEVABLE amount of potential. In the short time that it's been up, people are already creating amazing looking maps and uploading them to the Steam workshop.

This could potentially be the next big virtual table-top.

That said, its interface is migraine inducing. The possibilities are virtually endless with this map-maker, and if you dig the art style of the in-game characters, it might be worth it to invest in the time that will no doubt be required to make anything of your own that you're not ashamed to post.

Talespire, this isn't. If you're looking for something to just download and play, you'll want to look elsewhere.

RPG Engine is a huge achievement, but it's freakin' hard, and counter-intuitive. Doing simple little things like making a character walk or opening a door is incredibly frustrating. I'm sure that once you get used to how things work, things will get easier, but personally, I don't understand why I can't just drag a character across the screen. Instead, you right click on them, go to "move", measure out where he's to end up, and then click again - that's a lot of steps to be using for one character, and as a GM I'm like to have dozens of characters to manage.

I went to a map with a lot of doors on them, and many doors don't seem to have an animation to open. Some of them do, but their open feature (again, from the right-click menu) is buried under where exactly you're right-clicking. (It turned out that opening doors often were done in the building submenu - not the door submenu. Counter-intuitive.)

Again - this could be the best thing that ever happened to Virtual Table Tops, but not in its current form. The dev needs a team, or a bigger team. A more beginner-friendly interface would do a lot for this toolset.

This is a program to keep watch on. Its usefulness can only increase over time, but I cannot recommend it in its current form.

Jeeves
Jeeves

I'm a new DM and find The RPG Engine incredibly helpful in allowing my players to visualise settings. It's easy to get started and create scenes, and there are so many 3d assets available to use. My players have all being able to customise their minis and control them to interact with the world. They've all even bought a copy after trying out the demo, it's well worth the cost!

Uunngghh
Uunngghh

Just got it but I was shocked how many props were already in the game. Great for creative types who like building stuff.

AzHysteria
AzHysteria

I saw a video of this yesterday and though I'd try it out. And as a forever DM, I love this. There could be a few more things to help people out when using the engine, like labels are some indicators of what your using, but for the most part, I like what's going on. I think this will will be wonderful when it really get's going

Sian97
Sian97

There is still a lot to add of course, first of all a better camera setting, the possibility to make the ground even and not only up or down, more props would be fantastic, and maybe the possibility for the player to move inside the map as the character with "w a s d".
Other than that, is very promising, ill start to project my new d&d campaign waiting for updates!

Leborond
Leborond

This little beauty has an unbelievable potential. The map making is a dream, with an awesome amount of possibilities, aspecialy when you are creativ. And the price is ridiculously low.

FEARbear
FEARbear

The closest competitor is talespire so bare in mind this review is based on that comparison with 20 hours in talespire at the time of this review. My time in the rpg engine demo version was 5+ hours, after purchase of the full licence it will only list less than one hour

This is an incredible efficient and versatile builder. Even in it's early form with the few and low detailed textures and models they are not limited by any means. All items can be place in any orientation, and at any size, and the landscape sculpting is unique in this space. So the only limitation is your creativity and understanding of building and running a game in a 3d space. That said there is a learning curve for the inexperienced. Thankfully there is an active online community with the creator of the engine the most active to help you out.

It is however an unfinished product so you will find problems as you use the program.

tldr, if you want a versatile vtt to represent your world in a 3d space this is it, if you want it to be pretty if limited by what you can achieve, get talespire

Shape
Shape

THIS IS DEFINITELY EARLY ACCESS! Potential is there, but needs work. This can be an amazing project though bugs are very easy to find, and missing or needed features are easy to find. Wonderful option once this gets off the ground.

eSoup
eSoup

New DM here, this thing is amazing from my perspective, I can't believe the amount of things i can do in this. The community, especially in the discord, is really great. It's also nice to get to talk directly to the developer. There are obviously some updates that'll elevate this to an even greater point, but I'm already loving it.

Elska
Elska

Great engine. Best purchase I have made as a TTRPG game master, and as a Game Design Mojor. This tool really helps me plan out how my maps will look, and allows me to share those with all of my players. I think this is the best way to play D&D and SCI-FI ttrpgs online. As of 2/2/2020 I have a few suggestions since this is still in early development.

1. Add custom avatars/upload custom 3d models.
2. Allow tokens to act like players to help track movement,
3. Allow the ability to change brush shape (sphere, cube, plane/surface, ect.)
4. In addition to page up and page down perhaps add another two inputs like r and f for ease of access.

If I had to suggest maintaining upkeep, I'd recommend having more social features for players who own the full version to encourage buying it. Maybe full version gives more dance emotes for avatars, ect. This is a great application and you should be proud of your work.

Spooky Juke
Spooky Juke

Top. Im really missing the BOW prop xD but beside that, as a DnD GM, one of the best buys I ever did.

Toshiro
Toshiro

This game has great potential and the Architect is doing a great job, hearing suggestions from the player base, in sometime this will be the greatest tool for any roleplaying session.
Highly suggested for everyone C;

Breadfish Dumpster
Breadfish Dumpster

This is just awesome and I'm not even into tabletop RPGs or whatever.

After failing to learn proper 3D modelling, rendering and so on I was looking for something simpler that would allow me to make cool fantasy scenes. I just by pure circumstance The RPG Engine pops up in my discovery queue.

Gave it a few hours. Workflow is quick and easy after you watch the YT tutorial (about 10 minutes). There's a huge variety of 3D models to throw into your worlds. And those are not just medieval fantasy but steampunk and cyberpunk as well.

Thank you for making this!

UnWilled Snow
UnWilled Snow

It looks amazing and feels amazing but it doesn't have any animals except a prop parrot, and the workshop is still small.

With a little more work this could be a great RPG builder.

DomAwesome09
DomAwesome09

Great! a little bit of a learning curve but 10/10 recommend

Bryerick
Bryerick

I've tried a lot of VTTs and this one has by far been the most useful and nonrestrictive.
If you can imagine it, you can build it. This is isn't a tile-based, snapping grid system like other 3D VTTs out there. This is freeform design and creation. If you can't find that particular object you want, you can build it out of smaller objects, group all the objects together, and save it as a prefab to use anytime you need it.
As well, the devs are really motivated about their product and listen to their customers' suggestions.

Edit: The obj importer is here and now this program cannot be defeated as the best VTT in town.

D'Car
D'Car

It's still very much work-in-progress, but it's already at least as good as some other established VTT tools. Easy to use, responsive one-man operation, good plans on extended development for the future.

The early GUI needs a lot of love, and I've had some trouble getting a client to connect to test things out ... but it's so new that I'm willing to overlook those kinds of things for a while.

bloodscarmoon
bloodscarmoon

there is SEEMINGLY a lot to do... but thats just at first glance. Actually getting the assets to fit and function the way you want them to is another story. And the whole thing is pretty much useless unless you know other people that also have the "game". There is never anyone in the queue, so unless you subscribe to the Discord network, you are out of luck with ever getting in touch with anyone else. And even subscribing to the Discord doesnt guarantee anything. If you want a guaranteed RPG, look elsewhere. This has too many variables that depend on outside players to get going.

Also, even though you see sci-fi characters in the banner, you cant really make sci-fi characters yourself. As of this post, the RPG Engine is limited largely to fantasy stuff. And the map creator is not geared at all to hard lines and angles. So people looking to make settings that are something beyond the typical medieval fantasy will not find this as useful as it makes itself out to be.

Jector
Jector

This is the best VTT on the market that I've found, bar none, and I've messed with at least 6 of them. The number of features already present is crazy for the age of the game, and development speed is impressive. They're very active on the discord and listen to input from the users to try and improve TRPGE.

PROS: Huge assortment of assets (many thousands, IIRC). Freedom of scaling/stretching assets. Character creator. Fog of war. Cut box (see inside terrain). Animated minis. Roaming NPCs. Sculptable/paintable terrain. Prefabs (making many objects one unit to move, resize, or save). Workshop sharing of prefabs and maps. Water tiles. Image importing for art or "standee" minis. HeroForge importing. Music library. And a free demo mode that you can play around with.

CONS: Low poly assets aren't going to agree with everyone (HeroForge importer and upcoming OBJ importer will help with that) although on the upside this means scaling them up doesn't look horrid with stretched textures. No rules/character management yet (character sheets are the next thing to go in and will correct this). No animals/monsters yet (animations are being set up for these). UI is very generic looking (on the list to update) but it's fortunately also very functional.

The summary is that TRPGE is definitely worth your time to look at. The speed that features are put in is tremendous and actually why I picked this game over my previous VTT. It's already great for running games right now and just going to get better.

marc
marc

3D game/mapping tables seem to be very much in vogue at the moment, and The RPG Engine is one of the latest entrants into this field. What has been achieved by the developer in a relatively short timeframe is nothing short of astonishing. This is without doubt the easiest of the 3D tabletops to use, and has its own distinctive style. A real pleasure to use, has brought the fun back to 3D mapping. Integration with HeroForge is the cherry on top of the cake.

Fanatiiq Shinobi
Fanatiiq Shinobi

I LOVE this. Been using it everyday. Very easy to learn and so many assets to play with. The Discord is very helpful and I will tell anyone looking for a VTT to try this one.

andi
andi

Works fine with Debian Bullseye / GNU/Linux // Nvidia GTX 1650

Useful Tool - Good Job!

GetOutOfHim
GetOutOfHim

During my search for a Virtual tabletop, I've found many that were graphically beautiful, but lacked the features to play a session.
I've also encountered many that have all of the features needed but lack the ability to create and play 3d maps in real time.
The RPG Engine is the best of both worlds. Of course the graphics are not 4K stunning with insane graphical detail, but the art style and work done so far has so much charm.
It also allows imports from Hero's Forge to use in your campaigns, multi-map setups allows you to seamlessly move to a new scene and continue the story with your party.
Characters have animations, can move and roam the map, and can use "emotes" that can mimic an action such as swinging a weapon, talking or using a magic spell, to name a few.
Combine all of that with a community minded attitude, and open communication from the devs, and its a winning recipe for a VTT with potential.
For an Early Access project, with a Dev that's got some serious passion, i can wholeheartedly recommend it to any DM to add a whole new flair to your campaigns.

pez2385
pez2385

Before I found The RPG Engine (RPGE), I had messed around with demos of other 3d VTTs and found some good, some not so good. I wouldn't say any of them are bad and they all their perks. When I stumbled across RPGE I was in for a surprise. I didn't think much of it at first, but then I loaded up the demo, opened the demo world and saw how simple the game is. I made a quick modification to the demo map; in about 5 minutes I had made myself a cave with grass, stones, mushrooms, etc. right on the map as if I had been doing this for a while. I also noticed how pretty the game is for using the low-poly (I guess that's what you'd call it) graphic design as well as the fog, light, and day/night settings and was sold. For the price, it's a 3d VTT that I don't think can be beat right now. It's easy to use (though currently doing buildings can be a hassle, but it's not game-breaking) and map making is fun with the free-form style of terrain editing. I made a slightly modified version of Cragmaw Castle in about 3 hours total time (it's on the workshop). The dev team is very involved and the Discord is quite busy with ideas, suggestions, help, and questions should you have any. So, feel free to join the Discord and help create an amazing 3d VTT for our gaming pleasure!

TLDR: The game/application is worth the money and you can export your 3d map into a 2d, top-down map for your use in other VTTs as well.

Iobaer
Iobaer

As someone totally new to D&D this really helped to make the game more immersive, as I really like to be able to visualise settings and characters etc. It's also really easy to use as a player (I didn't do the design part) with lots of thought clearly gone into the environment and character models.

More hats please.

Greentongue
Greentongue

The "Low Poly" looks grows on you and allows crowded maps without bogging everyone down. The dev's are very responsive and while they don't implement every suggestion, they do at least consider them.

Being able to have a reluctant friend connect and play through the Demo copy before deciding to buy is a great idea. No more "Buy 2 Try" something that may not work/run for them.

An ever growing collection of parts to make your maps with and Prefab objects others have made, makes throwing something together for a game, much easier. There are almost too many options and it is just getting stated.

The "missing" functionality is already being worked on and should soon be available.
At some point it could replace your current 2D VTT with this 3D one.

Midnight
Midnight

Really enjoying this so far! More of a tool than a game, I'm finding it intuitive to use!

neocarbunkle
neocarbunkle

While there are plenty of features that need to be added to make this the go to VTT, it definitely has enough already to be usable. The simplistic art style works to it's advantage and importing 3D content is extremely easy.

One thing this does really well is exporting isometric maps. There are a lot of map making software out there and often times when they claim to have isometric it's not actually isometric, rather just the normal camera titled down at an angle. I plan to jump back and forth between playing in 3D with rpg engine or playing in 2D with the exported isometric maps. In either case, this was well worth the price

Raye, who is Gaye
Raye, who is Gaye

Easy to use, lots of customisation. Maps can be put together quickly, or you can pull a wide variety of maps from the workshop. It's still in early access, so it's currently missing certain features - chiefly, built-in character sheets. But the pace of updates is rapid, and the dev team is personable and responsive to feedback on their discord.

M.O.B.
M.O.B.

Brilliant. It's a map builder and a virtual tabletop. So not only don't you have the hassle of getting the map into your vtt but you can easily alter and update it live during play. New functionality and content gets added very quickly and the developer is highly communicative and responsive on Discord. Oh, and the low-poly 3d style looks great too!