[Animats]

There's a whole genre of these things.[1]

There's a true virtual tabletop: Jeri Ellsworth's Tilt Five, where the players wear AR goggles and see a 3D tabletop game world. Players look at a tabletop mat which provides an alignment target and neutral background. One of the more workable AR systems.

[1] https://www.laptopmag.com/best-picks/best-virtual-tabletop-s...