BoardGameReviewer started the way most game shelves do: with one purchase too many. After years of buying games on hype and watching half of them gather dust, we started writing down what actually made it back to the table — and why.
Every review on this site is based on real plays with real groups: family game nights, two-player weeknights, and longer strategy sessions with friends who don't pull punches. We don't publish a score until a game has been played multiple times, with different player counts where it matters.
The three scores
Every review carries three verdicts, because no single opinion — including ours — deserves the last word.
Our Score is the editorial rating, out of 10, and we use the whole scale. A 7 is a good game we'd happily play if someone brought it. An 8 is a game we recommend buying. A 9+ is a shelf staple — the games we reach for again and again. Anything below 6 has real problems we'll spell out plainly.
The Critics is our aggregate of the credible reviewer landscape — outlets and reviewers with real track records, from Shut Up & Sit Down and The Dice Tower to Space-Biff! and Meeple Mountain. We classify each published verdict as a recommendation (✓) or a pass (✕) and show the percentage — and unlike anyone else, we show the receipts: every verdict on every review links to its source.
The Mob is you. One vote per person, thumbs up or down, tallied live. Critics don't always get it right, and the Mob keeps everyone honest.
How we make money
This site is supported by display advertising and affiliate links. If you buy a game through one of our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Advertisers and publishers never see reviews before they're published, and no one can buy a score. If that ever changes, close the tab.
Get in touch
Publishers, readers, or fellow reviewers — reach us at hello@boardgamereviewer.com. We're happy to look at review copies, but see above: a free box never buys a good score.