About Board Game Verdict
About us
Hey, welcome to Board Game Verdict!
We're board game fans and we've built this site to showcase games and help you find your next favourite one. We also wanted to highlight all the great reviewers out there who provide valuable insights into board games. For newcomers into the hobby, it can be a bit daunting to navigate the board game ecosystem, so we wanted to provide a tool that aggregates reviews from various sources to help give a sense of which games might be a good fit for you or your gaming group.
We do this by aggregating critic scores and assigning a score to games. We also offer various tools to help you search for games, such as game style, player count, length, complexity, mechanisms, categories, minimum age, designers, artists and publishers. We also curate top lists to help you find a game that fits your needs.
What makes us different?
Other discovery tools exist, but we felt our design background could help us build something simpler and more welcoming to new board game fans and families. The board game world is continuously expanding and we think a multiplicity of tools is warranted on such a rapidly growing hobby.
Furthermore, unlike other sites that aggregate user reviews, we only aggregate scores from dedicated review outlets. We feel like this reduces known biases that user reviews can bring:
- Self-selection bias: People only rate games they chose to buy (or crowdfund) and play, leading to skewed reviews since you're more likely to rate highly a game you chose.
- Bandwagoning: If a game already has a high aggregated user review, it might influence future perception positively and vice-versa.
- Cult of the new: New releases might get a rush of excited early-adopter ratings, inflating scores. Older games might slowly fade or get re-evaluated more harshly.
- Rating bombing: Users might bomb a game with 1/10 without playing because of publisher controversy, theme objections, or to “correct” perceived overrating.
- Sample size distortion: A niche 2-player game with 200 ratings sitting at 8.2 isn't comparable to a mass-market game with 50,000 ratings at 7.8, but they appear side by side.
- Designer/Publisher loyalty: Fans of a designer pre-rate new releases highly based on reputation, not the game itself.
Professional critics play games they wouldn't choose personally, apply consistent frameworks, and aren't financially invested in the outcome. We feel that basing our verdicts on these reviews can give a clearer picture on the quality of any given game.
Methodology
How scores work
Every game on Board Game Verdict receives a score we call The Verdict — a weighted average of critic reviews, normalized to a 0–100 scale. This single number represents the critical consensus on a game's quality.
Score normalization
Critics use different scoring systems — some rate out of 10, others use a 5-star scale, and some use descriptive categories like “love it” or “skip it.” We normalize all of these to a common 0–100 scale so they can be compared fairly.
For star-based scales, we use a non-linear conversion that respects the intent behind each rating. A 4 out of 5 stars means “really great” — not just 80%. Our curve reflects how reviewers and readers actually interpret star ratings, rather than applying a simple mathematical conversion.
Weighted averaging
Not all reviews carry equal weight. Each source is assigned a weight that takes into account its reach and audience size, its credibility, and its experience covering the hobby — a widely followed YouTube channel or a long-running publication with a large readership will naturally carry more influence than a smaller or newer outlet. The Verdict is calculated as a weighted average across all included reviews.
Awards
Major industry awards — such as the Spiel des Jahres, Kennerspiel des Jahres, As d'Or, and the Golden Geek — are factored into The Verdict. Award wins and nominations are treated as strong positive signals, boosting a game's score to reflect the recognition it has received from industry experts.
Consensus
The Verdict badge is colour-coded, so you can read the critical consensus on a game at a glance:
- Excellent (85+): Near-universal praise — critics agree this is a standout.
- Good (75–84): Critics broadly recommend it.
- Fair (65–74): A solid game, but with reservations.
- Weak (55–64): Critics point to notable issues.
- Poor (below 55): Critics found real problems with this game.
Ethics
Editorial independence
Board Game Verdict has no financial relationship with any board game publisher, designer, or retailer. No one can pay for a higher score, a featured placement in our lists, or the removal of a negative review. Our scores are calculated algorithmically from critic reviews — we don't manually adjust them.
Source selection
We only include reviews from dedicated board game review outlets and critics — not user reviews, forum posts, or unboxing videos. Sources are selected based on the quality and consistency of their reviews. We aim to represent a diverse range of perspectives and reviewer backgrounds.
Transparency
Every game page shows exactly which reviews contribute to its Verdict, with links to the original reviews. We believe you should be able to see how a score was reached and form your own opinion.
Advertising
Board Game Verdict displays ads to help cover the costs of running the site. Advertisers have no say in our scores, rankings, editorial choices, or which games are featured. Ad placements are separate from our content and never influence The Verdict.
Affiliate links
We may include affiliate links to retailers. These links also help support the site but have absolutely no influence on scores, rankings, or which games are featured. A game with affiliate links is scored identically to one without. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How we use AI
We're a small team, so we use some AI tools to help with gathering reviews and game details. Here's exactly where AI is and isn't involved.
We don't use AI for…
- Artwork and design: The site and all of its illustrations are designed in-house by our designer. None of our artwork is AI-generated.
- Our writing: Top list introductions, short descriptions for new releases, and other curated copy are written by us. The ideas and opinions are ours.
- Curation: Which games we add, which lists we create, and which features we build. That's 100% us.
- Weighing critics: Which sources count, and how much each one counts toward the Verdict, is our editorial call.
- Stated scores: When a critic gives a score, we simply convert it to our 0–100 scale. No AI judgement involved.
- The Verdict: It's calculated by a formula, not by AI, and we don't adjust it by hand. AI never decides rankings or overrules a critic.
We use AI for…
- Finding reviews: Tracking down reviews across hundreds of outlets, and pulling out quotes, summaries, and each game's pros and cons.
- Checking reviews: Confirming a review is genuine and really about the game in question before it's published.
- Unscored reviews: Many reviews, especially videos and podcasts, don't give a score, so AI infers one from what the critic actually says. Every review on a game page is labelled Stated or Inferred, and you can report an inferred score that looks off.
- Game details: Drafting game descriptions and factual details like styles, categories, and mechanisms, plus the short descriptions on designer, artist, mechanism, and other browse pages.
- Proofreading: We're French Canadians, so English isn't our first language. AI catches our typos and tightens clumsy sentences; the words and ideas are ours.
FAQ
How often are scores updated?
Scores are recalculated every time a new review is added. We regularly check our sources for new reviews, so scores stay current as new opinions come in.
Why isn't a specific game on the site?
We're continuously adding games. If a game isn't listed yet, it's likely because we haven't had the chance to catalogue it or there aren't enough critic reviews available for it. We prioritize games that have received coverage from multiple review outlets.
How do you choose which critics to include?
We look for outlets and reviewers who publish in-depth, consistent board game reviews. We aim for diversity in perspectives — different play styles, group sizes, and experience levels. We don't include user reviews, promotional content, or paid reviews.
Can I submit my site as a review source?
Yes! If you run a board game review outlet and would like to be included, reach out to us at hello@boardgameverdict.com. We evaluate each source based on review quality, consistency, and editorial independence.
What's the minimum number of reviews for a Verdict?
We display a Verdict once a game has at least five critic reviews. This ensures the score reflects a meaningful consensus rather than a single opinion. Games with fewer reviews are still listed but won't appear in our ranked lists.
A score seems wrong. What can I do?
Scores are calculated algorithmically, but mistakes can happen — a review might be matched to the wrong game, or a score might be extracted incorrectly. If something looks off, use the report link on the game page (see below) or email us at hello@boardgameverdict.com, and we'll investigate.
I found an issue on a game page. How do I report it?
Every game page has report links marked with a small flag icon, so you can flag a problem exactly where you spotted it:
- Report an error next to the game details — for wrong facts, a bad description, the wrong cover, or wrong tags.
- Report an error at the bottom of The Verdict box — for a score that looks off, a missing review, or an inaccurate summary.
- A flag on each individual review — for a misquote, a broken link, the wrong score, or the wrong source. On desktop it appears when you hover over the review.
Click the flag, pick what's wrong from the list, and add any detail you like. It comes straight to us and we read every report. For anything that isn't tied to a specific game, email us at hello@boardgameverdict.com.
How can I get in touch?
You can reach us at hello@boardgameverdict.com. We welcome feedback, source suggestions, and bug reports.