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]
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]
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]
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.
Player's Handbook (D&D 5e) Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
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".