25 Years of Board Games: How BoardGameGeek Became the Internet's Definitive Hobby Database

The New York Times called it "the hub of board gaming on the Internet."

That's BoardGameGeek—a database and community that has quietly become the definitive resource for the $15+ billion tabletop gaming industry. With 1.7 million monthly organic visitors, 125,000+ cataloged games, and a community so engaged they crash servers during major releases, BGG has achieved something rare: becoming synonymous with its hobby.

Founded in January 2000 by Scott Alden and Derk Solko, BoardGameGeek started as a simple database. Twenty-five years later, it's an empire: game database, review platform, marketplace, convention host, and the first place anyone goes to learn about board games.

Here's how a hobby project became an institution.

Alden and Solko built BoardGameGeek to scratch their own itch—a database where hobbyists could catalog games, write reviews, and share information. They didn't plan to build a business. They built a tool they wanted to use.

The timing was perfect. Board gaming was about to enter a renaissance. "Eurogames" from Germany—designed for adults, emphasizing strategy over luck—were gaining popularity. A new generation of hobbyists needed somewhere to discuss, rate, and discover games.

BoardGameGeek became that place.

What The Numbers Tell Us

The Rating System Became Industry Standard: BGG's 1-10 rating system is now the default way people discuss board game quality. When someone asks "Is this game good?", the answer is often "It's a 7.8 on BGG." This authority compounds.

Game Name = First Result: When someone searches for a specific board game title—Catan, Wingspan, Gloomhaven—BGG's game page is almost always the top result. This happens because BGG has the most comprehensive page for every game.

The Long Tail of 125,000 Games: BGG has entries for over 125,000 games. Each game page captures searches for that specific title. This long-tail coverage drives massive cumulative traffic.

Why This Model Works

Diversified Without Distraction: BGG earns from ads, marketplace fees, patron support, and a convention. This diversification creates stability—no single revenue stream failure kills the business. But all streams serve the same community.

Community Willingness to Pay: Board gamers are passionate and willing to support a resource they value. Patron support generates meaningful revenue from users who appreciate what BGG provides.

Physical Events Strengthen Digital Community: BGG.CON transforms online relationships into real friendships. Attendees become more loyal to the site, more active in forums, and more likely to support financially.

The Content Flywheel

User-Generated Content Machine: Thousands of reviews, forum discussions, and image uploads create fresh content without editorial effort. Google rewards this activity with better rankings.

Comprehensive Game Pages: Each game entry includes ratings, reviews, images, videos, files (rules PDFs, player aids), forums, and marketplace listings. Users never need to leave BGG for game information.

GeekLists Create Discovery: User-curated lists ("Top 10 Games for 2 Players," "Best Dungeon Crawlers") create discovery mechanisms beyond simple search. This user-generated curation adds value no algorithm could match.

Here's what BoardGameGeek taught me: Sometimes the best business is one you'd build even if no one paid you.

Scott Alden spent six years building BGG on the side before it could support him. That's not hustle culture advice—that's the reality of building something that matters. BGG succeeded because it was built by hobbyists for hobbyists, not by entrepreneurs chasing a market opportunity.

The result is an institution. When someone wants to know if a board game is worth buying, they check BGG. When publishers want to reach serious gamers, they advertise on BGG. When the New York Times writes about board games, they link to BGG.

The core insight: Find a community you already belong to. Build what that community needs. Be patient. Let time compound your advantages.

Twenty-five years later, BoardGameGeek isn't just a website. It's the definitive record of a hobby—cataloging not just games, but the conversations, ratings, and memories of millions of people who love playing them.