A recent post about trying to get the top-ranked game on BGG to a gaming group table reminded me of this dilemma. Many of the games on BGG have an unusual number of high ratings, and specifically ratings that are concentrated at one or two high numbers.

BGG tries to compensate for this using a "BGG Rating", which is called "bayesaverage" in the CSV export of the rankings (you must be logged in to download). Rumor has it An unsigned Wiki article says that this is done by adding a bunch of a variable and unknown number, but at least 500 neutral (mid-number) votes to balance out any unusual number of high or low votes. (See pic 3 - I put this last because it duplicates the rankings on BGG already.)

This seems kind of lacking to me. To figure out the effect of the BGG ranking, I re-factored the rankings using the raw average rating. (See pic 2.) Most games didn't move too much, but Frosthaven and Clank! Legacy moved up a lot. I think this is because these games had an unusual number of bad reviews in the 1-3 range. After reading through some of those bad reviews, some of that was because of Kickstarter fulfillment problems. Some was because of bad fit for the gamers. So maybe the BGG rankings do achieve some kind of normalization.

Another potential way to improve the ratings is by looking at the "Standard Deviation" of each game's ratings. BGG helpfully tracks this on the Stats page for each game, but unfortunately it is not included in the CSV download. Stats experts will know more than me about how this is calculated, but it basically evaluates the "curve" of numerical ratings against a "standard" curve. An unusual ratings curve gets a higher SD. A "normal" ratings curve gets a lower SD.

So, in an attempt to balance out the BGG rankings "for normies", I took the raw average rating and divided it by the SD. I only did this for the top 30 games because I had to type in the SDs manually and regenerate rankings, so I didn't want to spend excessive time on it. (See pic 1 - this is the lead pic to match the title.)

In this re-factored ranking scheme, games like LOTR: Duel, 7 Wonders Duel, Concordia, and Lost Ruins of Arnak shoot up the rankings. Games like Brass: Birmingham, Gloomhaven, Pandemic: Legacy and Twilight Imperium drop significantly.

What do you think of the re-factored rankings? I think it helps balance the rankings toward more crowd-pleasing games. I'm sure it's not perfect. All the data is still from within the realm of BGG users, which is a limitation. Any suggestions for improvement?

Hello! I have recently purchased some of the famous Ruben mini poker chips and I'm in love. We recently played wits and wagers vegas edition and magical athlete with great success. I'm looking for more light games I can use my chips and several Las Vegas Game stand out to me:

• Lords of Vegas: Seems very popular, would have to pay premium to buy from ebay since they don't ship where I live.
• Las Vegas Royale
• Vegas Strip
• Las Vegas (new edition I think?)
• Vegas Showdown
• Welcome to Las Vegas

Bonus game: Acquire seems pretty fun with poker chips (and a good gateway to 18xx).

Would love to hear your comments if you have played any of these games.

Thought I bought 5 packs with 50 Cards for Final Girl.

Bought 5 packs with 200 cards instead.

Now I have 800 sleeves left.

Hit me with your best 2 player game (Does not have to be 2 player only, but we mostly play as 2)

I already have Ark Nova which happens to have a fitting card format.

We're having a backyard 40pax wedding with our nearest and dearest.

My partner and I are pretty into games and it may be over complicated but Ive been playing with the idea of having some kind of secret game during the wedding. Something like "Don't Get Got" but not quite that but something in that meta game relm.

I don't like the usual clique wedding games. I want to do something that's a unique experience. A bit more challenging and a bit more us.

Instead of physical invites we've made a website instead, thought it might be a way to organise this behind the scenes and keep things a little secret.

Currently these are my ideas:

- Something along the lines of people get 3 secret missions that they can complete, first to complete all three wins a trophy.

- A discrete clue is provided to guests, that could lead them on a quest/treasure hunt/escape room kind of vibe. This beginning clue wouldn't just be handed out to people, was thinking we could hide it somewhere on the wedding website or have it discreetly put in a framed picture with photos we are planning on displaying. I like this idea but this is a lot.

Id love to go full Drop Out and have like a secret puzzle on the website that leads you to another website that you then have to solve something else but that is out of my depth.

I know not everyone likes games and can't imagine very many guest would be interested in playing along. In all honesty this is probably more for me than anyone else.

Any way I'm looking for ideas to help flesh this out! All contributions welcome!

I came across a cheap copy of By Order of the Queen, which when looking into it there seems to be some major flaws, but it has great components and artwork. I'm curious if anyone intentionally buys a 'bad game' that they like the looks of with the plan of house ruling it enough to make it something enjoyable. If so, what games have you done this with and what rules worked for it?

Does this tile give 5 coins per star level or 1? I argued that it gives 5 because thats how many coins are on the image and everything else that gives coins has the exact amount of coins on the image, but everyone else agreed its 1

Started having a regular group for boardgames. Out of Spirit Island, Scythe, or Root which would you say is a must have and why?

Do you have a must have recommendation outside of this list?

Im not sure what you'd call the genre, or style of these games, but does anyone know any games similar to these that are actually released?

Realms at war

Intelliwar, acession to the throne

Im new to the BG community, so don't really know the genre i should be looking for.

Asking because I want to get the expansions and maybe the premium tokens someday, my local boardgame store can only get me the base game.

I just got my copy of Cascadia: Alpine Lakes delivered from the kickstarter and am so excited to give it a try! For anyone who's had the chance to play it yet, what are your thoughts and how does it compare to the original?

Sort of cool. Unplayable as it depends on answering 1930s questions like "Who is Mussolini's press secretary?" or how the government handled a labor strike in 1937 - they sent in the Army, but interesting.

I have two questions. I really liked the game—especially the theme—but do you think it's worth waiting for a sale? Do you think the game itself is worth it? I'm worried it might go out of stock and the price could go up. Also, between *Deep Regrets* and *Endeavor*, which one would you recommend more? if you have another game in mind you can tell , i am looking for a new game 😄

Just wondering if anyone else took a long break between games. have any tips for restarting?

Been in the hobby for a couple years, but got more serious a couple months ago. Main pride is that almost every game here I got for a discount or bought used. My favorite game in my collection is Lost Cities as it is the only one I manage to beat my Fiancé at as well as one of the first modern board games I bought! Let me know your thoughts or any questions, recommendations, or changes you have or would make!

Vivo en México y un amigo irá de visita a Chile. Sé que hay buenas editoriales allá y quisiera encargarle un juego de mesa. ¿Cuáles dirían que son sus juegos originales de Chile predilectos o que consideren más populares ó mejor calificados?

Hello! Regarding *Schotten Totten*, the rules state that you can claim a marker even if your opponent hasn't yet played their three cards. Also, in the event of a tie between combinations, the player who played their third card first wins. So, if I play a Green 7-8-9 first—knowing it is the strongest combination—can I claim the marker even if my opponent hasn't played any cards yet?

(Sorry for my Bad english)

Have a friend whose brother is into One Piece. I like One Piece. I like Smash Up. So it this was a fun project to put together. The faction is a bit on the strong side because it's pretty self sufficient (no real weaknesses, got some card draw and extra minions/actions), but it was pretty flavorful and not meant to be competitively balanced. You could say it's OP 😂

We've played with most of the Smash Up factions and it feels like it might be in like A or S tier, like around how powerful the Frozen faction feels.

Anyways this was a short and small project for a friend. Hopefully I have a few more cool projects to share by the end of the year!

You can check out my other re-themes here:

[One Piece Legendary](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/10p0q0j/i\\_made\\_a\\_one\\_piece\\_version\\_of\\_marvel\\_legendary/)

[Pax Westeros \(Game of Thrones Pax Pamir 2nd Edition\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1fmseex/i\\_made\\_pax\\_westeros\\_game\\_of\\_thrones\\_retheme\\_of/)

[Runeterra Reforged \(League of Legends Tyrants of the Underdark\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1eew974/i\\_made\\_a\\_league\\_of\\_legends\\_themed\\_tyrants\\_of\\_the/)

[Pokemon Ark Nova](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1hdby4p/i\\_made\\_a\\_pokemon\\_retheme\\_of\\_ark\\_nova/)

[Pokemon Splendor & Pokemon Splendor Duel](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1mn9h3i/i\\_made\\_pokemon\\_splendor\\_again\\_updated\\_the\\_cards/)

[NBA Innovation](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1nua3z1/with\\_the\\_nba\\_preseason\\_coming\\_in\\_a\\_few\\_days\\_i/)

[Zelda Forbidden Island/Forbidden Desert/Forbidden Jungle](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1nnjeaa/i\\_made\\_a\\_legend\\_of\\_zelda\\_retheme\\_of\\_forbidden/)

[Spy x Family Agent Avenue](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1qh1sfq/i\\_made\\_a\\_spy\\_x\\_family\\_retheme\\_of\\_agent\\_avenue/)

[Lord of the Rings Clank Catacombs](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1qndolc/i\\_rethemed\\_clank\\_catacombs\\_into\\_lord\\_of\\_the\\_rings/)

[Disney Legends of the Void](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1r02rba/i_rethemed_legends_of_void_into_a_disney_themed/)

[Genshin Impact Knarr]
https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1s7n8ey/i_made_a_genshin_impact_retheme_of_knarr/

[Pokemon Harmonies]https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1s8kib9/i_made_a_pokemon_retheme_of_harmonies/

[Avatar the Last Airbender Duel for Cardia]https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1sdvycf/i_made_an_avatar_the_last_airbender_retheme_of/

We previously had the ikea kallax, but I couldn’t resist when I found this shelf on marketplace

How long have you been involved in the hobby?

7 years

Which game in your collection would you say is your favorite?

Carcassonne

What would you change about your collection if you could?

Would love to have more space, this shelf is the only space we have in the house and it has to be hidden away because I have young children.

What makes your collection special to you?

My collection is special to me because of all the memories we have playing these games with our friends and family

Let's appreciate those games that have stuck with us through thick and thin, through accidental spills, sweaty hands and snack covered fingers.

Clue might not even be the best game, even in its own genre, but it most certainly has picked the interest of many a player at my table as if luring them to heavier and more complex waters

Is there any game in your collection that despite its less than ideal state, still gets the love it deserves?

TLDR: I received my stuff today!

5 months after my all-in pledge for Legendary Box Barrage was supposed to arrive, I finally got it in the mail.Here's what I had to do to get it:

I created an account on the Cranio games website and sent in a support ticket with my backer number and my email address I used to back my stuff. I received an email back from Viola the next day. 2 weeks later, my all-in pledge arrived. They said it was because I never paid my tariff fees, but I could not fine any record of a request sent to my inbox. Anyway, they waived it for me, and it was all taken care of. I appreciate them sending the stuff finally!

The first 3 images are to give wide view of how the room is currently set up, and the last 3 are closer images on the specific shelves to see all the games. I still want to re-arrange quite a bit, but that will be another day.

I wanted to share as I am proud of my collection.

1. How long have you been involved in the hobby?

It's been 5 years in this current iteration since I bought my condo.

1. Which game in your collection would you say is your favorite?

My copies of Battlestar Galactica and Pegasus Expansion.

1. What would you change about your collection if you could?

I have a "bootleg" copy of Battlestar Galactic and all expansions in a single box. It was made by a guy in Ukraine, and it gave me an opportunity to have a set that I can play without fear of damaging or putting play wear on the originals. However since I don't have the other two expansions as of yet. I feel guilty owning the bootleg. But once I get those expansions, I will be quite happy.

1. What makes your collection special to you?

Since I bought my condo, I have become the de-facto host for game nights. So I bought a game table, and vastly expanded my game collection. That is pretty special to me to have something that I do with my friend circle on a semi-weekly basis (Depending on adulting requirements)

What would YOU suggest that I pick up next for my collection? Anything that I don't have that is a must get?

Hi Everyone. What’s your thoughts on Parks Europe? Do you need this? Have someone already backed it? It looks beautiful (that’s why I bought the original one :), but do I need another cutie? I’m in Europe, but looking at game and thinking. Am I correct that this one will be in retail later as it is basically? On the fence.

I like playing board games and other strategy games but I am very bad at them, looking from a strategic and tactical angle. I have no trouble learning the rules. After like half a session of a new game, I basically know all the rules and after one full session I can teach others to play it. People in our game club often let me explain rules to new players because I'm quite good at explaining things so others understand. Simply said, I catch on to new games quite fast.

But when it comes to actually playing smart, I fall completely flat. I feel that I for some reason don't possess the correct abilities and thought process to study a playing field and come up with the most optimal play. When I look at the board, I often just end up winging it and hoping for the best. Others seem to be able to actually "read" the board and come to a conclusion. I never really come to any conclusion. I just literally stare at the board and can't come up with anything relevant. Much of what I do is often guessing.

I don't know if I suffer om ADHD/autism or anything but something inhibits me from seeing good plays in basically any game. It's really frustrating because I never seem to understand what I did wrong or right. I just can't read the board and understand what would be a good move.

And I don't seem to become better with time. I've played Hearthstone on and off since it's release and still am pretty bad at it. I can watch countless of streams from pro players but when I try to implement it in my play, I'm back at square one. I just stare at the playing field and don't really know how to evaluate it and end up just doing random stuff mostly.

Not sure what I want with this thread. Perhaps someone has the same experience?

So many versions. Might there have been any one that is an actual improvement.

I’m not on social media anymore, but my wife is, and she’s been seeing this advertisement for a rechargeable game table light.

I found the advertisement quite motivating and convincing, but I’m not dumb enough to believe a thing I’m seeing here without validation, and the website selling these things is the Internet version of high-pressure sales tactics with obviously inflated prices.

Has anyone gotten one of these? Or seen one? Do they work remotely as well as the ad copy suggests?

And does anyone know of a similar option at a more modest price?