Hello fellow board gamers. Is it just me, or does everybody else who loves board games constantly check the BGG top 100 to see what’s shifting in the gaming world? I’m obsessed with the BGG (Board Game Geek) top 100 because the top games are always highly contested, played, and flip flop frequently. As I write this article today the top slot belongs to Gloomhaven. I remember Twilight Struggle being at #1 for a very long time, after knocking Puerto Rico off the top spot. Now Puerto Rico only hold the #24 spot on the site. It’s true. If you want to have a relevant game in the “Board Game World” you must be on Board Game Geek and you must have a decent score on the site to hold any credibility. In a world where so many are turning to Board Game Geek to see if your game is any good or not, it’s rank or be outranked.

Why is board game geek so popular and so widely used? It’s simple, people want to know what other peoples’ opinions of a game are before they buy it. They want to make sure they’ll get their monies worth out of the game. Truth be told, when I was just starting out, I had never heard of board game geek. So I would frequently buy games without vetting them first. Sometimes I’d get lucky, other times, I would simply buy dumb games, play them once, and then forget they ever existed because they were so terrible. This happened to me with an exceptionally bad game called 8*28. See the picture of this awful game depicted below.

Not only is this a terrible game, but it is basically the game “21” or “Blackjack” but instead of getting to 21 you must get to 8 or 28. If I had known about board game geek at that time, I would have done a search on my phone in the store before buying said terrible game and would have saved myself the money and time.

My point is, you don’t have to waste money on bad games anymore. If somebody makes a bad game most people will rate it accordingly. They do all the vetting for you so you don’t have to waste your money. I personally don’t even look at a game if it gets less than a 6.5/10 star score on BGG. Beyond telling what the game has scored, this website also tells you other vital information like . . .

It can tell you about the game’s playtime, theme, elements within the game, ect . . .

It has forums to help you answer frequently asked questions about the game (this is extremely useful for games with convoluted or complex rule systems).

Board Game Geek tells you how many players are ideal for the best game experience

They have forums to discuss your favorite games

People frequently post lists of their favorite games

You can create an account and add to your personal collection so people know what you own and what you scored a particular game.

I’ve found Board Game Geek to be extremely useful for all these reason. When I do research for the podcast I always go into these forums to get people’s consensus of a game. I have used it to clear up rules in so many games. It has also been the biggest tool in helping me determine whether or not I want to buy that game.

Finally, I know it has been extremely helpful for games which are just starting out. You can list your board game for free and people who have played it can give you a score. It’s a great tool to get the word out on a game you designed.

I encourage everybody to sign up with an account on Board Game Geek. If you are becoming a serious gamer, it really is the biggest, and most helpful tool you can use in the board game community today.

So before you put your index finger on your mouse and click the “Buy Now” button on Amazon, take a few seconds to check it’s Board Game Geek score. You’ll be happy you did! If you vet your games beforehand you’ll be much more likely to play them down the line rather than just having them sit on your shelf as wall decor.

So play safe everybody and we’ll see you next week for another article. Please comment below on the article. Maybe talk about a game you regret buying. Visit Board Game Geek here.