'Uncertainty in Games' by Greg Costikyan is a really good book that goes deep into this topic. It discusses pretty much every way you can insert uncertainty into a game and argues that the core of what makes most games engaging is the uncertainty present within them.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uncertainty-Games-Playful-Thinking-Costikyan/dp/0262527537
In terms of tabletop games dice are the simplest and most obvious ways to insert uncertainty into the experience. Other examples of uncertainty just don't work as well in tabletop. For example there's 'algorithmic uncertainty', i.e games that are so deeply complicated on a back end level that it becomes hard to exactly predict the consequences of your actions. Good examples of these in the video game world are the likes of say Civilisation or Crusader Kings. Whilst they are not totally unpredictable there's a hidden layer which when done right makes them engaging. This is however hard to replicate in a tabletop game, some games have tried such as complex wargames of yore with the most infamous example being the Campaign for North Africa but they are usually too complicated for people to do on a table.
Another example is 'skill uncertainty'. A competitive game such as Quake, Starcraft or Tennis has this, the uncertainty is how good you are at the game compared to the other players. This is hard again to replicate in a tabletop roleplaying game where 'skill' is hard to translate. You can argue there's skill in the tactical combat systems of games but they often use dice as well. The 'OSR' movement has been encouraging more 'pure skill' elements in a tabletop rpg like having to specifically describe how you find a secret door or disable a trap or persuade a guard of something. However this is hard to get right as it requires the GM and player to be on the same page and for the challenges to be fair and for lots of information and clues to be given out. At worst it can feel like 'mother may I' or one of those adventure games where you have to for some reason use the spade item in your inventory to unlock the door. Even when a GM does this right a lot of players prefer to leave it to their character's skill and the dice.
It's a really good book and well worth a read!