Tabletop gaming has been interwoven with video games a lot over the years, with recent titles like Resolution Games' Demeo taking inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons as well as card games like Magic the Gathering. Dungeons and Dragons has a long and creative history with video games, and Demeo is the perfect example of how the gameplay of one can be seamlessly implanted into the format of the other, with just a few updates and tweaks.
Other recent examples that showcase the popularity of video game interpretations of tabletop gaming is Gearbox Software's Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, a fantasy-themed RPG that incorporates both elements of the Borderlands series and Dungeons and Dragons. The game's overworld echoes the setup of a tabletop game, much like Demeo's own grid-based map and movable figurine characters that will appeal to fans of both fantasy games and Dungeons and Dragons.
Tabletop Gaming In A New Setting
Video games have been inspired by tabletop gaming before, but Demeo takes it into a whole new level. VR has also been around for a few years now, but it still isn't as prominent as traditional PC or console gaming platforms, and it can be hard for VR games to make as much of an impact. Although it started as VR, the developers were keen to make sure Demeo is available to as many gamers as possible, including ports and cross-platform play. However, the VR setup still brings something different to Demeo's version of a tabletop game, while also maintaining its serious Dungeons and Dragons vibes.
With figurines that players can move around the grid-like map, Demeo feels impressively tactile despite existing in a virtual world, and is more adjacent to actual tabletop gaming than some of its video game counterparts. But Demeo still has all the benefits of VR and lets players connect across the globe with the social connection of online gaming. Just like Dungeons and Dragons, Demeo requires cooperation and strategy as players work together to undertake the adventure, battle against monsters, and complete their quest.
Dungeon Crawling And D&D
Rather than just serving as a nod to Dungeons and Dragons as some video games have done in the past, Demeo incorporates many aspects of proper tabletop games. Gamers can virtually paint the figurines that they use in-game, pick from six hero classes to choose a character with a particular skillset, and use a variety of spells and potions to enhance combat. The encounters are turn-based, with players working together to take out enemies as they travel through Demeo's various dungeon levels.
There are treasures to loot along the way, dice to throw to reach different outcomes, and adventures to play through that can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours for an authentic-feeling tabletop session. The virtual game even takes place in a basement-like room as the board hovers in between players, potentially reminiscent of many players' childhoods as they relive their early days of gaming. Demeo seamlessly combines a smooth user experience with a lovingly crafted and detailed Dungeons and Dragons-like adventure, showing how perfectly VR can utilize the tabletop format.
Demeo has something for die-hard Dungeons and Dragons fans and newcomers alike, with a fun and unsurprisingly interactive gameplay experience that brings together so many classic elements of tabletop gaming with innovative VR components. Unlike many video games that use Dungeons and Dragons as inspiration, Demeo really captures the social element of the game and helps to bring people together across a virtual tabletop.
Demeo is available now for HTC Vive, Oculus Quest and Rift, PC, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality. It launches on PS5 and PSVR2 in 2023.
