> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/basics/scenarios/gaming.md). # Gaming with a drawing tablet My hobby around drawing tablets centers largely on creatives — people who draw, sketch, and paint. Despite using tablets for well over a decade, I only discovered in 2022 that people also use drawing tablets for games. Some of these games are very popular. ## osu! ![](/files/ET55VYn6FPOsMrNnt6d9) **osu!** is a popular rhythm game and many of its players use drawing tablets instead of a mouse. [**Example of someone playing osu! with a tablet**](https://youtu.be/j3wIf_kWmPM) — this video is relatively well known in the osu! community. ### osu! is very popular osu! has about 1.7 million monthly active users. You can get the live stats from here:
## How osu! players use drawing tablets While creatives tend to use their drawing tablets in standard ways, osu! players do a number of quite surprising things: ### Active area size * Players use tablets of various sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. Small is the most popular based on the videos I've seen. * Players often customize the active area to be surprisingly small - **much smaller** than even the default active area. In the video above, notice how the player moved the pen only in a tiny region of that tablet. ### Drivers * Players often do not use manufacturer **drivers**. Instead, they use [OpenTabletDriver](/drawtab/guides/drivers/opentabletdriver.md) because: * OTD has less lag than manufacturer drivers * OTD is highly customizable through its plug-in system * OTD works across many tablet models * OTD works on Windows, macOS, and Linux ### **Drag vs hover** * Drag players play with the pen touching the surface of the tablet. * Hover players don't let the pen touch the tablet surface. ### Clicking There are various **clicking** styles used by osu! players. * click by tapping the pen on the tablet * click by using the keyboard * click by alternating between the pen tapping and keyboard presses ### Tablet expertise Some osu! players - at least the ones I communicate with regularly - are **remarkably knowledgeable** about drawing tablets. They know a tremendous amount about the hardware, drivers, etc. Some conduct original research and testing of tablets. Some write code for OpenTabletDriver. I would consider them **absolute experts** — far beyond any drawing tablet reviewer, including me. They are also **incredibly sensitive** to microscopic behaviors, latencies, etc. in drawing tablets - far more than someone who has typically has used tablets only for creative tasks. ### **Advanced customization** Players do **advanced customization** of osu! through OpenTabletDriver plug-ins. Some examples: * Circular/Elliptical tablet areas * Rotated tablet areas * Live active area randomization ### Picking a drawing tablet for osu! More here: [Osu! recommendations](/drawtab/recs/scenario-recs/osu-recs.md) ## **FPS games** Players using drawing tablets for FPS games is less common than for Rhythm games, but this is the preferred input device for some people. * Example: [video](https://youtu.be/9yVK859vZRs) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/basics/scenarios/gaming.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.