I feel like I'm signing up to a promise with D&D Sigil. It's like a movie set; it looks great head on, but go around the back and you'll be met with MDF and dreams propping the whole thing up.
If you're just joining us, the new Dungeons & Dragons virtual tabletop (which recreates locations, monsters, and items in sumptuous 3D on your PC or laptop) is live and totally free to download. Honestly, this news shocked me. The all-singing home of digital D&D has been teased for almost three years, and there's been no indication that we were close to launch. Yet here we are with multiple themes, a miniature creator, and permission to make whatever the hell we damn well please. Sigil is a go, and you can check it out for yourself at D&D Beyond.
Well, sort of. Although this boat's been pushed out into the river to see if it floats, Sigil isn't fully cooked yet. In more ways than one; aside from being a 'soft' launch playtest with fewer options than the final product will provide, it doesn't feel… ready. OK, that's probably harsh. I don't mean to imply that it's a write-off, because there's something special here. After all, the functionality in what may as well be an alpha version of the software is impressive (if we're at that level already, imagine what it'll be like a couple of years from now). It's downright beautiful as well, and has a suite of content no other virtual tabletop has tried to combine. But after giving it a go myself, some niggles are raining on my parade. Sigil is so, so close to being amazing – but falls at the first hurdle.
DnDerailed?
I say this as someone who has been eagerly awaiting Sigil from the moment it was unveiled. I'm a (happy) forever-Dungeon Master when it comes to the best tabletop RPGs; I adore creating worlds, scenarios, and characters for my players to muck about with. In fact, I'm a chronic over-prepper. Rather than breaking out some graph paper and calling it a day, I'll craft props, bespoke maps, or tabletop terrain for fully-painted miniatures. With that in mind, I'm always on the hunt for ways to make my sessions more immersive – and when it was unveiled, Sigil ticked those boxes with permanent ink. According to promos, it'd act like Baldur's Gate 3 for your home campaigns with fully-realized environments and miniatures. It'd also allow Dungeon Masters to read sourcebook info, break out spell effects, and refer to stat-blocks in-game rather than having a million tabs open on their browser. Frankly? It'd make other virtual tabletops look half-assed.
That's why I was buzzing to boot up Sigil after all this time. I could finally get my grubby mitts on its editor and forge maps for the best D&D books. The trouble is, that ambition doesn't necessarily survive impact. Combat and player interactions seem pretty solid from what I can tell (and I adore how attacks, spells, and actions are laid out), but Sigil's creative side has some kinks to work out. There's not an option to lay down ground types quickly, for example; you have to place textures like grass or dirt in individual blobs that don't sit nicely next to one another unless you get them lined up just right. I'm surprised there isn't something more intuitive in a program all about making environments. While you can admittedly set a premade backdrop for one of the current themes (graveyard, forest, etc), it doesn't explain why you can't create your own as easily. Particularly because you can drag and drop floor tiles for wooden boards or stone across large areas.
A tantalizing tease
There are a couple of weird usability faux-pas, too. Why can't I scroll through text using the scroll wheel? Why isn't there a ctrl + Z function to undo mistakes? They're the kind of questions I'm surprised to be asking. This feels like a behind-closed-doors first look where the sticky tape is still visible. And if it was an advanced prototype, that'd be one thing – but it's being treated as if this is the real deal on the official D&D Beyond site.
Because that's the thing; it clearly isn't finished, and this is just the first pass. As a case in the point, the available themes are somewhat limited, and we don't have premade modules to hand at the time of writing. Even the Sigil community manager noted that "things are not where you want them to be but this is not a full release."
I know this will all change eventually, and I'm sure things will be very different six months or a year from now. But I would have preferred a bit more to play with at 'launch' rather than this tantalizing tease. There's only so much you can do when most of the game's monsters, not to mention biomes, aren't included as miniatures yet. Playing in Icewind Dale? Sorry, there's no snow here. Running through Curse of Strahd? Nope, vampires aren't included either. I'm sure they'll be on their way before long, and we've seen foes in promo footage that aren't available yet. However, that makes this version feel like a trailer.
To be frank, I'm gutted to be saying any of this. I was so pumped to get going with Sigil from the moment it was unveiled, and it has endless potential. The team working on it have made a visually stunning world brimming with possibility, too. Nevertheless, I feel like I've arrived too early - like I've peeked at my Christmas presents before the big day.
With that in mind, perhaps I'll stick with Dungeon Alchemist for the time being – it's like the Sims for Dungeon Masters, which is what I want Sigil to be. Maybe it'll get there eventually? Until then, D&D's virtual tabletop better roll a Constitution saving throw and level up.
Want something you can play in person? Don't miss the best board games, or the best card games. You can also check in on what the Dungeon Alchemist team think about Sigil via our interview.
