Sources appear on the page
Facts on franchise and game pages come from the sources listed there. To check a detail, follow the link.
Editorial policy
Editorial Policy
Here’s how BoardGameMovie.com researches guides, labels news, rates games, and corrects mistakes. It’s for anyone who wants to know how much to trust what they read here.
Every fact on the site should have a source you can check. Here’s how we handle that.
A fan site is useful only if readers can check its work. Below, we explain where facts come from, what we do when we’re unsure, how we grade news, and who’s responsible for each page. If something here doesn’t match a page, please tell us.
Check the source list at the end of each page. Every fact should have a source.
How we research our pages
Every fact comes from one of four source types.
Publisher rulebooks and product pages
For player counts, play time, age ratings, components, and rules, we start with the publisher’s rulebook or official product page.
Reference works
Wikipedia and similar reference works help us check release years, the film or series behind a game, and a design’s history.
General and entertainment press
News outlets covering film, television, and games help us check release dates, announcements, and casting.
Licensing trade press
Trade publications covering licensing deals help confirm who holds the rights to a franchise and which games those rights cover.
Most of the site is made up of franchise and game pages, so these rules matter most there. Each page lists its sources at the end, and we handle uncertain details in a few consistent ways.
What to expect on a game page
Franchise and game pages follow the same basic practices.
Unconfirmed details are labeled or left out
When a detail cannot be confirmed, we say so or leave it out. A missing play time, for example, usually means that no official source states one.
Written in our own words
We write descriptions in our own words. We do not copy publisher text or borrow wording from other sites.
Finding a detail is not the same as confirming it
Community databases and fan sites can help us find a game. Before we publish a detail, we check it against the kinds of sources listed above.
Ratings are estimates, not reviews
These ratings show how hard a game is to learn, not how good it is.
Estimates based on published data
Difficulty, Time to explain, Player experience and Geek Level Required are estimates based on published data and a fixed formula. How we rate explains each rating and identifies the estimates.
We do not claim to have played the games
Our pages never claim that anyone at BoardGameMovie.com played or tested a game. Advice like calling a game a good first pick for families comes from its player count, play time and age rating.
News posts follow stricter rules than evergreen pages because stories can change fast. Each post gets a label for the type of claim it makes, and each source gets a grade showing how much to trust it.
How we label and grade news posts
Post labels tell you what kind of claim you are reading. Source grades show how much trust to place in its source.
Post labels
- CONFIRMED: stated by the publisher, studio or organizer.
- RUMOR: reported, but not confirmed.
- SPOTTED: found in a listing, database or filing.
- DEBUNKED: checked and found to be false.
- UPDATED: changed since the original publication.
Source grades: A to D
- A: an official source, such as a publisher, studio, convention organizer, store page or investor call.
- B: a reporter or outlet with a proven track record.
- C: community sources or listings, such as forums, retailers and databases. We use them as leads.
- D: anonymous insiders or sources with a mixed track record. We use these for rumors only and cite the outlet that reported them.
Every post lists its sources
Each news post lists its sources and grades, separates confirmed details from unknowns, and says when it was last changed.
No one pays to appear on this site, and we don’t write anything to earn a commission. Here’s what that means in practice.
RUMOR means a claim has been reported but not confirmed.
Independence and funding
No paid placements
No one pays to be listed, ranked or rated here. Publishers cannot buy a mention, a higher rating or a better spot on a page.
No affiliate links
BoardGameMovie.com has no affiliate links. Outbound links go to publisher pages, reference works and news articles, with no tracking or commission codes.
No studio or publisher ties
We are not affiliated with any studio, network or game publisher. Trademarks belong to their owners, as the terms of use explain.
Corrections and updates
Spotted a mistake? Let us know.
How to report a mistake
Email us the page address and what’s wrong. Include a source if you have one. The contact page has the address.
What happens next
We check your report against official sources. If the page is wrong, we correct it and note the change.
Where to find changes
Franchise and game pages show an updated date near the title. If a news post changes, a dated line appears in its update log at the top.
Who’s responsible
Mike Peterson
Mike Peterson owns the site and is responsible for what it publishes. His name appears as the author on every franchise, genre, game, and news page. For questions about this policy, use the contact page.