BoardGameGeek (BGG) is an online forum for board gaming hobbyists and a game database that holds reviews, images and videos for over 125,600 different tabletop games, including European-style board games, wargames, and card games.[1][2] In addition to the game database, the site allows users to rate games on a 1–10 scale and publishes a ranked list of board games.[3][4][5]
 | |
| Owner | Scott Alden |
|---|---|
| URL | boardgamegeek |
| Launched | January 2000 |
History
BoardGameGeek was founded in January 2000 by Scott Alden and Derk Solko,[6] and marked its 20th anniversary on 20 January 2020.[7]
Since 2005, BoardGameGeek hosts an annual board game convention, BGG.CON, that has a focus on playing games, and where winners of the Golden Geek Awards are announced. New games are showcased and convention staff is provided to teach rules.[8] There is also an annual Spring BGG.CON which is family friendly, and an annual BGG@Sea which is held on a cruise.
In 2010, BoardGameGeek received the Diana Jones Award, which recognized it as "a resource without peer for board and card gamers, the recognized authority of this online community."[9] The New York Times has called BoardGameGeek "the hub of board gaming on the Internet."[10]
In 2020, BoardGameGeek was inducted into the Origins Award Hall of Fame.[11]
The site has branched out into other fields by using the same system for RPGs and video games (rpggeek.com and videogamegeek.com).[12]
Golden Geek Award
Since 2006, the site annually awards the best new board games of the year with the Golden Geek Award. Winners are selected based on a vote by registered users.[13]
2006–2009
| Category | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year[14] | Caylus | Shogun | Agricola | Dominion |
| Best Strategy Game[15][16][17] | Caylus | Shogun | Agricola | Le Havre |
| Best Wargame[18] | Twilight Struggle | Combat Commander: Europe | Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage | Combat Commander: Pacific |
| Best Children's Board Game[19] | Nacht Der Magier | Zooloretto | Chateau Roquefort | Sorry! Sliders |
| Best 2-Player Board Game[20] | Twilight Struggle | BattleLore oraz Commands & Colors: Ancients | Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage | Space Hulk (third edition) |
| Best Family Board Game[21] | Ingenious | Zooloretto | Thebes | Pandemic |
| Best Party Board Game[22] | Diamant | Wits and Wagers | Say Anything | Time's Up! Deluxe |
| Best Card Game[23] | - | Caylus Magna Carta | Race for the Galaxy | Dominion |
| Best Board Game Artwork/Presentation[24] | - | BattleLore | Jamaica | Space Hulk (third edition) |
| Best Board Game Expansion[25] | - | - | - | Pandemic: On The Brink |
| Best Print & Play Board Game[26] | - | - | - | Dune Express |
| Best Innovative Board Game[27] | - | - | - | Space Alert |
2010–2019
| Category | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year[14] | Hansa Teutonica | Dominant Species | Eclipse | Terra Mystica | Splendor | Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 | Scythe | Gloomhaven | Root | Wingspan |
| Best Strategy Game[15] | Hansa Teutonica | Dominant Species | Eclipse | Terra Mystica | Five Tribes | Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 | Scythe | Gloomhaven | Brass: Birmingham | Wingspan |
| Best Wargame[18] | Washington's War | A Few Acres of Snow | Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan | 1775: Rebellion | Fire in the Lake | Churchill | Falling Sky: The Gallic Revolt Against Caesar | 878 Vikings: Invasions of England | Hannibal & Hamilcar | Undaunted: Normandy |
| Best Children's Board Game[19] | Forbidden Island | Animal Upon Animal: Balancing Bridge | King of Tokyo | Forbidden Desert | Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise | - | - | - | - | - |
| Best 2-Player Board Game[20] | Washington's War | A Few Acres of Snow | Android: Netrunner | Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game | Star Realms | 7 Wonders Duel | Star Wars: Rebellion | Codenames: Duet | KeyForge: Call of the Archons | Watergate |
| Best Family Board Game[21] | Tobago | 7 Wonders | King of Tokyo | Love Letter | Splendor | Codenames | Codenames: Pictures | Azul | The Quacks of Quedlinburg | Wingspan |
| Best Party Board Game[22] | Telestrations | Dixit Odyssey | King of Tokyo | Love Letter | Cash n' Guns 2nd Ed. | Codenames | Codenames: Pictures | Warewords | The Mind | Wavelength |
| Best Card Game[23] | Innovation | 7 Cudów Świata | Android: Netrunner | Love Letter | Star Realms | 7 Wonders Duel | Arkham Horror: The Card Game | Century: Spice Road | The Mind | Wingspan |
| Best Board Game Artwork/Presentation[24] | - | Merchants & Marauders | Takenoko | Mice and Mystics | Abyss | Mysterium | Scythe | Photosynthesis | Root | Wingspan |
| Best Board Game Expansion[25] | Dominion: Prosperity | Twilight Imperium: Shards of the Throne | Alien Frontiers: Factions | Lords of Waterdeep: Scoundrels of Skullport | 7 Wonders: Babel | Ticket to Ride Map Collection: Volume 5 United Kingdom & Pennsylvania | 7 Wonders Duel: Pantheon | Scythe: The Wind Gambit | Scythe: The Rise of Fenris | Wingspan: European Expansion |
| Best Print & Play Board Game[26] | Zombie in My Pocket | The Thing | D-Day Dice: Free Trial Version | Tiny Epic Kingdoms & Coin Age | ...and then we held hands... | Dune: The dice game | Star Trek: The Dice Game | My Little Scythe | Orchard: A 9 card solitaire game | TINYforming Mars |
| Best Innovative Board Game[27] | Catacombs | A Few Acres of Snow | Risk: Legacy | Love Letter | Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game | Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 | Captain Sonar | Gloomhaven | Root | Wingspan |
| Best Thematic Board Game[28] | War of the Ring Collector's Edition | Mansions of Madness | Mage Knight Board Game | Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island | Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game | Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 | Scythe | Gloomhaven | Root | Dune |
| Best Abstract Board Game[29] | FITS | Paris Connection | Kingdom Builder | Tash-Kalar: Arena of Legends | Patchwork | - | - | - | - | - |
| Best Cooperative Game[30] | - | - | - | - | - | - | Mechs vs. Minions | Gloomhaven | The Mind | The Crew: The Quest For Planet Nine |
| Best Solo Game[31] | - | - | - | - | Imperial Settlers | Tiny Epic Galaxies | Scythe | Gloomhaven | That's Pretty Clever | Wingspan |
- RPG and Video Game awards
RPG and Video game awards were introduced in 2014 and awarded through 2017. Only 1 category was awarded in 2018, and none in following years.
| Category | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best RPG Artwork/Presentation | Player's Handbook (D&D 5e) | Mouse Guard (2nd Edition) | Volo's Guide to Monsters | Xanathar's Guide to Everything | - |
| Best RPG Supplement Winner | Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set | The Dracula Dossier: Director's Handbook | Volo's Guide to Monsters | Xanathar's Guide to Everything | - |
| RPG of the Year | Dungeon Master's Guide (D&D 5e) Player's Handbook (D&D 5e) | Blades in the Dark | 7th Sea | Tales from the Loop | - |
| Best Indie Video Game Winner | Star Realms | Rocket League | Stardew Valley | Cuphead | - |
| Best Mobile/Handheld Video Game | Star Realms | Fallout Shelter | Twilight Struggle | Through the Ages | - |
| Best Video Game Visuals/Artwork | The Banner Saga | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Overwatch | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | - |
| Most Innovative Video Game | Galaxy Trucker | - | Pokémon GO | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | - |
| Video Game of the Year Winner | Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft | Multiple Winners | Multiple Winners | Multiple Winners | - |
| Best Board Game App Winner | - | - | Twilight Struggle | Through the Ages | Ganz Schön Clever |
2020–present
2020 saw many awards replaced with new categories, such as "Board Game of the Year" replaced with "Game of the Year, Light", "Medium" and "Heavy".
| Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year, Light[32] | MicroMacro: Crime City | Cascadia | Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition |
| Game of the Year, Medium[33] | Lost Ruins of Arnak | The Crew: Mission Deep Sea | Heat: Pedal to the Metal |
| Game of the Year, Heavy[34] | Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion | Ark Nova | Carnegie |
| Best Wargame[18] | Imperial Struggle | Undaunted: Reinforcements | Undaunted: Stalingrad |
| Best 2-Player Board Game[20] | Undaunted: North Africa | Radlands | Splendor Duel |
| Best Card Game[23] | Dune: Imperium | - | - |
| Best Board Game Artwork & Presentation[24] | On Mars | Sleeping Gods | Flamecraft |
| Best Board Game Expansion[25] | Wingspan: Oceania Expansion | Lost Ruins of Arnak: Expedition Leaders | Dune: Imperium – Rise of Ix |
| Best Print & Play Board Game[26] | 7 Wonders Duel: Solo | Gloomholdin' | Aquamarine |
| Most Innovative Board Game[27] | MicroMacro: Crime City | Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile | Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition |
| Best Thematic Board Game[28] | Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion | Sleeping Gods | Heat: Pedal to the Metal |
| Best Cooperative Game[30] | Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion | The Crew: Mission Deep Sea | Return to Dark Tower |
| Best Solo Board Game[31] | Under Falling Skies | Final Girl | Turing Machine |
| Best Zoomable Game[35] | Forgotten Waters | - | - |
| Best Party Game[22] | - | So Clover! | Ready Set Bet |
| Best Podcast | So Very Wrong About Games | Board Game Barrage | This Game Is Broken |
| Best Board Game App | Root (2020) | Gloomhaven | Everdell |
See also
- Amerigame
- Eurogame
- Going Cardboard (documentary)