Board Game Design Tools · Online Playtesting
Bring your prototype and a few players. Try that new rule, change the card that feels too strong, and save your table for another round. All in your browser.
Free plan. No credit card.
Invite your playtesters. They don't need to install anything or create an account.
Made by Dustin, board game designer & developer.
A real prototype on a real playtest table. Click the screenshot for a closer look.
Choose your kind of game to find tools for your next playtest.
Test how your card pool feels in sealed play. Choose the cards per pack, rarity tiers, and odds, then let players open randomized packs at the table.
Let players build their own decks and test different combinations. They can save a deck to their computer and bring it back to rooms where you allow personal decks.
Build different decks from the same card library and group tokens into stacks. Update a card once in your library and every deck using it gets the change.
A long game can wait until next week. Players can save the table, including every player's hand, to a sealed file and resume from the same setup when the group returns.
Lay out your game once and reload it for the next playtest. Pieces, zones, snap points, and room settings come back together. Pro adds more setups and public sharing.
Watch a recorded session back to understand a turn you missed or revisit a tricky moment. Follow moves and draws on the timeline, then save a moment as a setup to test it again.
Give pieces a clear place to land on your board. Snap points can accept specific pieces, rotate them, or flip them as they arrive, so players spend less time lining things up.
Make spaces for hands, discard piles, hidden information, or neatly arranged pieces. Set how each area behaves without writing code.
Set real dimensions for your cards, boards, and tokens so you can check how everything fits. Use built-in shapes or draw your own outline in the Mask Editor.
Send your pitch to a publisher accepting submissions and attach a playable setup. They can try it in a private room while your project stays private. Track replies and status in My Pitches.
Take your prototype to an in-person playtest. Make a printable PDF at the right sizes, with cut lines and bleed marks. Save the layout so you can generate a fresh copy after changes.
Put a playable version of your game in front of community testers and judges. Get feedback through the competition, and display any awards on your designer profile.
Build the pieces, play with your group, and keep the notes that matter. Select a tool to see how it works. Pro tools are marked below.
Start with the artwork and components you have. Fill in the rest as you go.
Keep components, game details, playtest sessions, and exports in one place for each game. Come back to your project when it is time for the next version.
Add your own artwork to cards, tokens, boards, and more. Create a batch of cards at once, or start with built-in game pieces while your art is still a work in progress.
Make a hex tile, a round token, or a shape of your own. Edit a shared outline once and all the components using it update together.
Bring component lists in through CSV or JSON, or sync from Dextrous. Pro also imports Tabletop Simulator saves and The Game Crafter games, so you can use work you already have.
Check the odds of a dice roll or card draw before your next playtest. See whether a target is too hard to hit or a key card is too rare to find.
The familiar things your group needs to play, talk, and try a different idea.
Keep hidden cards private and deal opening hands to the whole table. Players can draw, shuffle, flip, and play cards as they would at a physical table.
Roll dice with custom faces, spin for a random result, count resources, or time a round. Shared counters and timers keep everyone looking at the same numbers.
An accidental move does not have to interrupt the game. Undo the last table action, or redo it if you change your mind.
Circle a card that needs work, mark damage with a sticker, or leave a note beside a piece. Capture what you notice while everyone is still playing.
Bring in a PDF rulebook or write one in Markdown. Players can read and search the rules without leaving the table, and you can edit them during a test.
Talk through turns and hear reactions as they happen. Voice chat is included on every plan, so your group can join the table and the conversation in one place.
Draw, shuffle, and move around the table with keyboard shortcuts. Change the keys to suit you and keep those settings across rooms.
Keep the feedback, follow up on changes, and let more people try your game.
Write down a design change without stopping the game. Keep your to-do list with the project and check off fixes before your next test.
Ask players the questions that matter to your game. Collect their answers at the table and review them with the session afterward.
Let people try your game on their own schedule. Publish a saved setup so they can open a table without an account, or list a live room for players to join.
Invite your group, update your prototype, and use each session to plan the next test.
Send a room code. Your players join in their browser, including on phones and tablets. You sign in to host; they can come straight to the game.
A card is too strong? Edit it in your library and sync the copies on the table. For a bigger revision, bring in a CSV of your changes and try another round.
Check the draws, dice results, and player feedback after the game. Designer Insights highlights patterns worth investigating. Turn on recording to replay a moment you want to understand better.
A quick look at the steps from prototype to next revision.
| When you want to... | In DDD, you can... |
|---|---|
| Get a prototype ready | Add artwork and built-in pieces, organize decks, and check your dice and card odds. |
| Start another playtest | Load your saved table and send players a room code. |
| Test a revision | Edit your components and sync the changes onto the table. |
| Decide what to change next | Review player feedback, analytics, and recorded sessions with Pro. |
| Share beyond your group | Attach a playable setup to a publisher pitch or competition entry, or make a print-and-play PDF with Pro. |
I make board games too. I built Dustin's Designer Den so I could change a card, try another round, and keep track of what still needed work. I test my own games here every week, and I want it to be useful at your table too.
Board game designer, self-publisher, and the developer behind DDD.
Tell me what would make your next playtest easier.
Tested here
My co-op survival game for 1 to 4 players. Try a table and see how it feels to play here.
Put out a brief for the game your catalog is missing, or open your inbox to pitches. Play the prototypes and meet the designers behind them.
Set a theme, audience, or design challenge and invite designers to make something new for it. Host under your publisher name, choose judges and scoring criteria, and play the entries yourself.
Hosting requires Pro. Browsing entries and contacting opted-in designers does not.
Explore publisher competitionsSet up your publisher profile and choose the questions designers answer. Review pitches in one inbox and track which ones you are considering, accepting, or passing on.
Open an attached setup in a private room with the game already laid out. Your team can try the prototype before asking the designer to send a physical copy.
Ask a question or send feedback without losing the context of the submission. Every reply stays attached to the pitch, so you can pick up the conversation later.
Designing a game? Sending a pitch is free. Find a publisher accepting submissions and pitch straight from your project.
Build your prototype and play with up to six players on Free. Choose Pro for larger groups, unlimited projects, analytics, replay, and print-and-play tools. No credit card to start; see the plans below for Pro availability.
Everything you need to start designing and playtesting your first game.
Dextrous import
Unlimited projects, deeper analytics, and priority support.
Tabletop Simulator import
Mods become components & a table setup
$6.25 / month billed annually
Best value — same Pro features, two months free.
Tabletop Simulator import
Mods become components & a table setup
Need room for more artwork? Add storage to Free or Pro, billed separately. You can combine storage add-ons and cancel them anytime.
5 GB of extra space for artwork, exports, and print files, on top of whatever your plan includes.
10 GB of extra space for artwork, exports, and print files, on top of whatever your plan includes.
20 GB of extra space for artwork, exports, and print files, on top of whatever your plan includes.
Jump in
Enter the room code your host sent you, or browse public setups and live rooms below. You can join as a player without creating an account.
Enter the room code from the host
Shared table layouts from the community — click any to play instantly
These games are shared by designers who are actively looking for feedback and playtesters. No account needed — jump in and play for free. If you enjoy a session, please take a moment to leave your thoughts using the in-room feedback button. Every piece of feedback helps a designer make their game the best it can be, so be honest, be kind, and play with intention.
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No public rooms are open right now.
Check back soon, or launch your own from one of your projects.
I design, build, and maintain DDD myself. I've spent over 20 years working in software, including commercial video games, and I design and self-publish board games too.
I use AI tools to help with development and drafts of some help articles and site copy. Earlier drafts included help from Claude Sonnet by Anthropic. I review and revise that content as the site grows.
AI is part of my development workflow. DDD does not send your projects, game designs, or stored data to AI models. AI is not a feature of the app.
Attention artists: I'm actively looking to commission a new logo for Dustin's Designer Den. If you're an illustrator or graphic designer whose style fits the tabletop / board game space, I'd love to see your work! Get in touch.