BoardGameGeek
BoardGameGeek 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. 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.
History
BoardGameGeek was founded in January 2000 by Scott Alden and Derk Solko, and marked its 20th anniversary on 20 January 2020.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. 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." The New York Times has called BoardGameGeek "the hub of board gaming on the Internet."
In 2020, BoardGameGeek was inducted into the Origins Award Hall of Fame.
The site has branched out into other fields by using the same system for RPGs and video games.
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.2006–2009
2010–2019
;RPG and Video Game awardsRPG 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 | Mouse Guard | 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 Player's Handbook Dungeons & Dragons | 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 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Game of the Year, Light | MicroMacro: Crime City | Cascadia | Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition | Thunder Road: Vendetta | Castle Combo |
| Game of the Year, Medium | Lost Ruins of Arnak | The Crew: Mission Deep Sea | Heat: Pedal to the Metal | Earth | Harmonies |
| Game of the Year, Heavy | Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion | Ark Nova | Carnegie | Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory | SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence |
| Best Wargame | Imperial Struggle | Undaunted: Reinforcements | Undaunted: Stalingrad | Undaunted: Battle of Britain | Arcs |
| Best 2-Player Board Game | Undaunted: North Africa | Radlands | Splendor Duel | Sky Team | The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth |
| Best Card Game | Dune: Imperium | - | - | - | - |
| Best Board Game Artwork & Presentation | On Mars | Sleeping Gods | Flamecraft | The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition | Unconscious Mind |
| Best Board Game Expansion | Wingspan: Oceania Expansion | Lost Ruins of Arnak: Expedition Leaders | Dune: Imperium – Rise of Ix | Ark Nova: Marine Worlds | Arcs: The Blighted Reach Expansion |
| Best Print & Play Board Game | 7 Wonders Duel: Solo | Gloomholdin' | Aquamarine | Waypoints | 52 Realms: Adventures |
| Most Innovative Board Game | MicroMacro: Crime City | Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile | Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition | Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory | Arcs |
| Best Thematic Board Game | Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion | Sleeping Gods | Heat: Pedal to the Metal | Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory | SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence |
| Best Cooperative Game | Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion | The Crew: Mission Deep Sea | Return to Dark Tower | Sky Team | The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game |
| Best Solo Board Game | Under Falling Skies | Final Girl | Turing Machine | Legacy of Yu | Slay the Spire: The Board Game |
| Best Zoomable Game | Forgotten Waters | - | - | - | - |
| Best Party Game | - | So Clover! | Ready Set Bet | That's Not a Hat | Flip 7 |
| Best Podcast | So Very Wrong About Games | Board Game Barrage | This Game Is Broken | One Stop Co-Op Shop | Beyond Solitaire |
| Best Board Game App | Root | Gloomhaven | Everdell | Unmatched: Digital Edition | Dune: Imperium |