At Home, With Friends, or By Joining Boardgamers’ Communities: Where Are BoardGameGeek Users Playing Board Games?

Board games unite a huge audience because you can chat in friendly company and have lots of fun while playing them. Yet, where do you usually play board games for instance? Probably, you prefer to enjoy your home’s coziness or, maybe, you like to play in a cafe or outdoors? Who are your besties for playing the same MTG or Arc Nova?

We're not the only ones with such questions. We conducted a survey on BoardGameGeek, the largest online platform for board game enthusiasts, where and with whom its users most often play board games. We tried to get answers to these questions by polling BGG's Facebook audience. Let's find out more about where the most dedicated board game fans play their favorite games and who joins them when they play.

Who Do BoardGameGeek Users Typically Play Board Games With?

The results of the survey held on the BGG Facebook page determined that the most common answers to this question are as follows:

• Family (namely, a spouse, a partner, kids, relatives, or parents): 21 respondents took advantage of playing in a family circle.

• Friends – 13 users prefer to play board games in a friendly company, so, this answer gets the second place.

• Playing on their own is the answer given by 2 respondents.

• Specialized board gaming groups or communities are chosen by 6 BGG users.

This means that a family format is the most popular among board gamers. It is not surprising because board games remain the best idea for family communication goals. Players who are family members better know each other, and they can devote more time to a game because they live together. Besides, family board games and playing routines are the best activities to bring the family together and build strong connections. It is a precious time for parents and kids or spouses to spend together.

Friendly companies obtain second place which is also logical. Board games are truly joyful and uncommon ways to spend time with friends.

One more answer the respondents chose was ‘Playing on my own’, although it is not the leader of the rate. This implies that for some players, board games are precious ways to spend their time and they do not need any companion for that.

If talking about the option `Joining board gaming communities`, it is quite understandable that some users choose it. If you have such a community in your neighborhood or your friends and family are not board game fans, it’s a perfect choice. 

Which Places Do BGG Users Choose to Play Board Games?

The next question we asked users was about choosing the best place to play board games. It’s quite interesting that all the respondents unequivocally answered that the best place for playing board games is their homes. Why so, you may ask? Several reasons are equally relevant for that.

1. Home is the most comfortable place for its owner, isn’t it? That’s why board gamers who value their comfort tend to remain in a relaxing atmosphere while playing their fav games. This atmosphere can be easily maintained in their homes.

2. Board game sets often contain numerous parts, details, and settings which you can lose easily if you take your board game outdoors, for example, to play it in a cafe, in the park, or during your trip. When you play it at home, you can find even the tiniest lost parts quickly and easily.

3. Regular board gamers know that they can play without any limit at home. If your board games collection is huge, you probably won’t take it with you to play somewhere outdoors. Instead, you can enjoy the widest choice of games while at home.

Let’s make some intermediate summaries. Board game fans prefer to play with the partners and competitors they know well and for a long time. That is, they play rather with their families or friends than with someone else. Besides, home is the best board gaming location ever.

Which Board Games Are a Perfect Match for Playing at Home and Which Are the Best to Take on Your Trip?

One more answer the respondents of BoardGameGeek answered related to the choice of board games for different occasions. Which board games are the best to play at home, and which you can pick up to play outdoors or during a trip? So, which are the results of their answers?

• Respondents said that the best options for playing at home are big complex games which require spacious surfaces for their settings and contain numerous components. These games are hard to transport somewhere, they are quite heavy, and you can miss some of their details or components if taking them outdoors which can be upsetting. That’s why games like Gloomhaven, Ark Nova, Twilight Imperium or Nemesis are better to play at home.

• Various card games which don’t require any playfield or additional settings are great for trips. These are games like UNO, Tichu, and Saboteur. Users also named compact sets of board games or role settings as a perfect match for outdoor playing. The Crew and Fallout: The Roleplaying Game are examples of such board games. These sets don’t require a lot of space, and you can take them in a casual bag or backpack to pick them up at any place. You can play them anywhere, for example in a cafe or on the bench in a park.

Why Do Most Board Gamers Avoid Playing Board Games in Public Areas?

Most respondents were singular in their opinion that playing board games in public places is not a good idea. Several fears evoke this result including the following:

• The fear of losing some components of the game. Some board games have quite a complex setting including lots of details, figurines, and dice, which are costly. Thus, losing even a single detail from the game set can be sad.

• Inconvenient transportation. When you want to play a board game like the same Ravensburger, taking its full set with extensions is a die-hard task.

• Too noisy an environment. Public places, after all, are quite noisy and there are lots of people who can interfere with the game or distract players from it.

So, let’s make a brief excerpt. From the results of BoardGameGeek's user survey, it is clear that the average image of a board gamer is someone who mainly enjoys playing board games at home, with family or friends. Average board gamers are wary of the prospect of playing in public places due to discomfort and the possibility of losing some components of the game sets. They distinguish between games that are better played at home and those that can be taken on a trip.