Releasing on 16th February 2026 on Steam, Table Battle Simulator steps into the ever-growing world of shop management games. Published into a genre already packed with titles like TCG and bookshop simulators, it mixes the usual retail grind with miniature collecting and tabletop battles.
On paper, that sounds like a clever twist. Manage your shop, crack open booster boxes, collect rare minis, and then actually use them in battle. The question is, does it carve out its own space, or does it end up another buggy sim that looked better in theory?
Let’s take a look.
Story & Setting: Another Run-Down Shop
You start, as expected, outside a tired, unnamed shop waiting for revival. The town around you is surprisingly charming, with clear Japanese-inspired architecture and cherry blossoms in the distance. In truth, the outside world feels more polished than the shop interior itself.
The tutorial is fairly basic. It walks you through buying and selling your first products, but it is lighter than some genre rivals. That said, if you have played one shop simulator, you will feel right at home. Buy stock, set shelves, serve customers, repeat.
One early visual issue stands out. A half poster clips through a wall, clearly meant for a future upgrade. It is a small detail, but it looks messy until you unlock that upgrade. These little things matter in a genre built on presentation.
Gameplay & Progression: Collect, Sell, Battle
The core loop revolves around buying booster boxes, unlocking licences, and either selling sealed stock or opening packs to chase rare mini figures. Those figures can be sold or added to your personal battle deck.
Be warned though. Lower tier sets rarely make back what you spend on them. If you are chasing early upgrades, focus on steady income first. Cracking boxes for fun is better left until you have some breathing room.
A welcome addition is the warehouse system. Unlike other shop sims where storage spills into every spare room, you eventually unlock a dedicated warehouse. It is locked behind a hefty in-game price tag, but it genuinely improves shop organisation. This feels like something that should be standard in the genre, so credit to the developers for pushing things forward.
You can also buy perk packs that affect battles. These are cheaper than booster boxes, but at the time of writing there is no clear way to sell them. Spend carefully. Going all-in on perk collecting early can slow your progress.
The Battle System
Here is where Table Battle Simulator separates itself.
You can buy one of three game tables and let customers rent them, or jump in yourself and battle using your collected minis. Matches can feel a little confusing at first, but once you understand the systems, they become surprisingly competitive.
Winning earns trophies and feeds into an online ranking system. While the number of modes is limited, this layer adds something fresh to the shop sim formula. It does not completely reinvent the genre, but it does give you a reason to care about what you are collecting.
Visuals & Performance: Charm with Cracks
Visually, the game is a mixed bag.
The town exterior looks great. The scenery, shop layouts, posters, and mini designs all have clear effort behind them. However, NPC character models feel out of place, especially some of the female designs. They clash with the setting and look like stock assets dropped in at the last minute.
Performance-wise, there are issues. Clipping objects, awkward animations, and even falling through the shop floor can happen. Thankfully, there is an “I’m stuck” button in the menu, because simply reloading does not always fix things.
None of these problems are game-breaking every minute, but they add up and make the experience feel slightly rushed.
Sound & Atmosphere
The atmosphere is pleasant enough, with a calm shop vibe that fits the loop of stocking shelves and opening packs. It does not stand out massively, but it supports the gameplay well enough. The real atmosphere boost comes from the competitive edge of the battles rather than the background audio.
Final Verdict
Table Battle Simulator has genuine potential. The miniature collecting and battle system are strong ideas that give it more personality than a standard shop sim. The warehouse system is a smart improvement on genre conventions, and the competitive ranking adds longevity.
However, visual bugs, clipping issues, and inconsistent character models stop it from feeling fully polished. It is fun, but it feels like it needed a little more time in the oven.
If the developers continue patching and refining it, this could become a standout title in the simulator space.
6/10
Table Battle Simulator launched on 16 February 2026 on Steam. If you enjoy shop management games with a competitive twist, it is worth a look, but maybe keep an eye on post-launch updates before diving in at full price. In the meantime, check out their Steam page, there’s a demo!