BoardGameNite User Guide

How BoardGameNite works

BoardGameNite helps players discover events, register for specific tables, use QR codes at the table, create quick play sessions, invite friends, submit and verify scores, and build a trusted play history.

This guide explains the core flow for standard user accounts: find games, register for tables, connect with friends, create simple play opportunities, submit scores, and understand your private reliability/community scorecard. This guide reflects the current end-user features, including alert-area discovery, saved locations, compact My Registrations cards, Player History, friend groups, late player score access, and completed-action acknowledgements after scoring steps are done.

User journey at a glance

1DiscoverBrowse events or use your saved alert area to find nearby games.
2RegisterChoose a table, join a waitlist, or accept an invite.
3Check inUse Quick Check-in QR, Join QR, and Score QR from My Registrations.
4ScoreConfirm end game, submit scores, and verify results when needed.
5Build historyTrack Player History, leaderboards, friend groups, and reliability signals.
Current step-by-step UI guide

How-To Guide: common user tasks

Use these steps when helping a new player. Each section follows the current menu names and keeps the action focused on what the user needs to do next.

Maintenance rule: update this guide whenever navigation labels, page names, buttons, or mobile card layouts change. Keep the screenshot slots current after UI changes.
Create an Instant Event Sign up for an event Score an event Add a friend Create a Friend Group Update your Profile Set Location and radius Set notifications Use QR join/score links Create private password/code event Invite friends or groups

Create an Instant Event / Instant Table

  1. Sign in and open Account / Dashboard.
  2. Open Event and Game Setup.
  3. Open Quick Play Setup, then choose Instant Table.
  4. Choose a preset if shown, then select the game source: archive game, your profile game, or custom/private game if allowed.
  5. Search for the game and select it from the result list. If it is not listed, use the custom/private game option and enter the title.
  6. Confirm the player limit, table name, location, and any timing fields shown by the form.
  7. Add friends during setup if the invite selector is shown.
  8. Submit the form. The system returns you to Events or the created event/table so you can share QR actions and score after play.
Screenshot target: Dashboard → Event and Game Setup → Quick Play Setup → Instant Table.

Sign up for an event

  1. Open Events.
  2. Use filters such as date, game, open seats, friend activity, or location/radius to narrow the list.
  3. Select the event card to open the event detail page.
  4. Review the date, venue, schedule blocks, tables, game names, seat counts, cost, and any private-code requirement.
  5. Choose the table you want and select Register, Join, or Join Waitlist depending on availability.
  6. If payment is required, complete the payment step. If the event is free, confirm registration directly.
  7. Open My Registrations to confirm your status, table, time, receipt/payment state, and QR actions.
Screenshot target: Events list → event detail → table registration action → My Registrations confirmation.

How to Score an Event

Use this flow after the game is played. The scoring page is built around My Actions first, then the Shared Score Sheet. On mobile, do only the next action shown: end game, submit score, approve/flag another score, or correct your own score.

1

Open the score page

  1. Go to My Registrations.
  2. Find the event/table card for the game you just played.
  3. Select Score or open Join / Score QR and use Score QR.
  4. Confirm the page shows the correct event, game, table name, and played date before entering anything.
2

Confirm the game ended

  1. If the page shows End game confirmation required, select End Game or Confirm End Game.
  2. Other players may also need to confirm depending on the table rules.
  3. Score entry stays locked until the required end-game confirmations are complete.
  4. After you confirm, no more end-game input is needed from you unless the table is reopened.
3

Submit your score

  1. In My Actions, enter the score exactly as the table agreed.
  2. Choose the score type shown by the form, such as points, win/loss, cooperative result, or another supported result type.
  3. Enter duration and optional game data only when known. Optional ratings and notes should not block the score.
  4. Select Submit My Score. If you already submitted and scoring is still open, use Update My Score.
  5. If you did not play or should not be scored, use Opt Out of Scoring instead of entering a false score.
4

Wait for all required scorecards

  1. After your score is submitted, the page may show Score Submitted or Pending others.
  2. Check the Still needed box to see who still needs to submit a score, correct a score, or review another score.
  3. Do not keep resubmitting unless your own score is wrong.
  4. Use the Score QR only for players who still need access to submit or verify their result.
5

Verify other players' scores

  1. Open the Shared Score Sheet.
  2. On mobile, look for the highlighted Score to verify callout. The score is the main item to check.
  3. If the score is correct, select Approve.
  4. If the score is wrong, select Flag and write a short correction note explaining what needs to change.
  5. Do not flag for discussion only; flag only when the submitted score or result needs correction.
6

Fix corrections if flagged

  1. If your score is marked Correction Required or Flagged, read the correction note.
  2. Update your score/result in My Actions.
  3. Select Submit Corrected Result.
  4. The corrected score returns to review until the required approvals are completed.
7

Completed / validated score

  1. When the table is validated, the page shows Score Finalized or Validated.
  2. The heavier Game Session Summary appears only after validation so the active scoring screen stays simple.
  3. Validated scores can update Player History and eligible leaderboard views based on profile privacy and leaderboard eligibility.
  4. No further action is needed unless an organizer/admin reopens the result for correction.
Screenshot target: My Registrations → Score QR / Score button → Played Game Results → My Actions → Shared Score Sheet → Score Finalized.

Add a Friend

  1. Sign in and open Friends from your account area.
  2. Use the player search box to search by visible profile information.
  3. Open the result and select Add Friend or Send Friend Request.
  4. Wait for the other player to accept. Pending requests remain separate from accepted friends.
  5. To respond to a request, open the incoming request area and choose Accept or decline/remove as needed.
  6. Accepted friends can then be used for social discovery, friend activity, and event invites where enabled.
Screenshot target: Friends page search, pending request, accepted friends list.

Create a Friend Group

  1. Open Friends.
  2. Make sure the people you want are already accepted friends.
  3. Open the Friend Groups or group management section.
  4. Choose Create Group, enter a clear group name such as Family, Monday Night, or Store League.
  5. Add accepted friends to the group and save.
  6. Use the group later for friend-group event visibility or group invites. Group visibility alone does not consume seats; group invite holds are created only when you explicitly send group invites.
Screenshot target: Friends → Friend Groups → Create Group → member selection.

Update your Profile and options

  1. Open Profile Settings.
  2. Update public identity options such as display name/nickname, avatar/profile image, and public profile visibility where available.
  3. Review friend and attendance visibility options, including whether accepted friends may see that you are attending an event.
  4. Update profile preferences such as language/locale, saved profile details, and public game list/gallery options when enabled.
  5. Use block or privacy controls if you need to limit unwanted interaction.
  6. Select Save and reload the profile page to confirm the new values are displayed correctly.
Screenshot target: Profile Settings cards for profile preferences, privacy, visibility, and image options.

Set your Location and search within a radius

  1. Open Profile Settings or the location/alert-area section.
  2. Enter your city, postal code, or preferred starting address.
  3. Set your search radius to the distance you are willing to travel.
  4. Save the location settings.
  5. Open Events and enable the location/radius or My Alert Area filter.
  6. Review Event Discovery Diagnostics if shown. It explains visible events, candidate events, missing coordinates, and events outside your radius.
Screenshot target: Profile location settings plus Events filter with Event Discovery Diagnostics.

Set up notifications

  1. Open Notifications or Profile Settings, depending on where the notification card is shown.
  2. Review available notification types: event invites, event updates, reminders, friend requests, announcements, and location alerts where enabled.
  3. Choose the notifications you want to receive.
  4. Confirm your email address is verified if email notifications require verification.
  5. Save your choices.
  6. Use the notification list to review recent messages and clear/read them as needed.
Screenshot target: Notifications page and notification preference controls.

Provide a QR code to join, check in, or score

  1. Open My Registrations.
  2. Find the event/table card you are playing.
  3. Open the QR actions on the card. Depending on state, you may see Quick Check-in QR, Join QR, Score QR, registration QR pass, or replay QR.
  4. Show the QR code on your phone to the player who needs to join, check in, or score.
  5. For friends who played at your table, use the Score QR after the game so they can submit or verify scores.
  6. Do not post private invite or scoring QR links publicly unless the event is meant to be open to everyone.
Screenshot target: My Registrations card with QR actions and the QR display page.

Create a private password/code event

  1. Create or edit an event from the Dashboard or event management area.
  2. In the event form, find Visibility.
  3. Choose Unlisted link, Friends only, Friend groups, or Invite only depending on how private the event should be.
  4. If using a private listed event, enable List private event in Events directory only when you want it visible but still protected.
  5. Save the event. The system displays the Private registration code when the event uses private registration protection.
  6. Share the code only with intended players. Use Reset code if the code was shared with the wrong person.
Screenshot target: Edit Event → Visibility, private listing checkbox, private registration code, reset code.

Invite friends or Friend Groups to an event

  1. Create or open the event you manage.
  2. To invite one person by email, use Send Registration Invites or Private Event Invites and enter/select the player.
  3. To invite accepted friends, use Invite Friends from the event, attendee, or dashboard invite entry point where shown.
  4. To invite a group, edit the event and use the Friend groups selector.
  5. Open Group invite preview to check eligible accepted, unblocked members before sending.
  6. Send the invite. Group visibility controls who can access the event; group invites are the action that can create organizer-controlled seat holds.
  7. Review invite/registration status after sending so you know who accepted, declined, registered, or still needs follow-up.
Screenshot target: Edit Event → Friend groups selector, Group invite preview, invite status list.

Find and register for an event

  1. Open Events and use search, date, game, open-seat, friend-activity, and location filters.
  2. Use My Alert Area to search by your saved radius. The Event Discovery Diagnostics panel explains candidate events, visible events, missing coordinates, and outside-radius results when the filter is active.
  3. Open an event, review schedule blocks, then register for the exact table you want. Tables show game, time, seat capacity, availability, and registration action.
  4. Use My Registrations to see compact event cards with status, payment, seat/table/time details, receipt actions, waitlist/unregister actions, and QR access.

Create a simple event with Quick Setup

Standard users can create simple free play opportunities within role limits. Paid ticketing and advanced organizer controls are reserved for configured planner, organizer, or administrator roles.

AOpen Quick Play SetupStart an Instant Table or scheduled Instant Session.
BChoose the gameSearch the archive or create a private profile-archive game when it is not listed.
CChoose locationEnter a venue manually or reuse a saved address from your event address book.
DPublish and manageInvite players, check in, share QR actions, and complete scoring after play.

Public and private games

BoardGameNite supports public and private games, email registration invite workflows, friend event invites, and accepted friends list coordination.

Public events

Public events are visible in the events directory. In-progress visibility may remain available briefly so players can still find active games, while lockout and close rules continue to apply.

Private games

Private games are not listed publicly. Hosts can invite selected players by email registration invite, direct invite, or accepted friends list where allowed.

Invite paths

  • Email registration invites: Use Send Registration Invites to send an email registration invite to a specific player for a public or private table.
  • Friend-list invites: Use Invite Friends to invite accepted friends from the accepted friends list. After play is scored and the verification step is complete, eligible results can appear on leaderboards if the table is eligible for leaderboard posting.

Friend groups

  • Create friend groups such as family or regular game night groups, then use group visibility or group invites for targeted social play.
  • Friend-group visibility: Group event visibility lets organizers create friend groups and Organize accepted friends into groups for private play circles.
  • Group invites: Group invites can create organizer-controlled seat holds when the organizer explicitly sends group invites.
  • Group invite holds: Group visibility alone does not consume capacity; organizer-controlled seat holds are created only when group invites are sent.

Late player score access

If someone played but missed registration, authorized event creators can send a late score-access invite after registration closes. Paid-event policy states such as payment required, comped, paid offline, or score-only are tracked for audit.

QR actions and saved locations

  • QR actions: Registered users can access Quick Check-in QR, Join QR, and Score QR directly from My Registrations so table access and scoring links are easy to share at the table.
  • Saved locations: Save commonly used venues and reuse them when creating events, Instant Tables, or Instant Sessions.

Friends lists and social play

1Find playersSearch by visible profile details. Email addresses are not shown in search results.
2Send or accept requestsAccepted friends can be used for social discovery and invites.
3Organize groupsCreate friend groups for family, regular tables, leagues, or private game circles.
4Control privacyUse friend visibility, blocks, and invite settings where available.
5Invite friendsSend friend event invites when planning a public or private game.
6Review activityUse friend activity signals where enabled to coordinate future games.

Accepted friends

Accepted friends can support invitations, friend activity filters, and social planning where those features are enabled.

Blocked users

Blocking limits friend requests, invitations, and unwanted interactions, while administrators can still review records needed for safety and support.

Friend privacy

Friend attendance visibility depends on your settings and feature rules. Review account settings when available.

Invite control

Friend and event invites should be used for legitimate play coordination, not spam or harassment.

How scoring works

End game confirmation

Players confirm the game has ended before scoring opens. Once you confirm, the page shows an acknowledgement instead of continuing to show an input button.

Submit or opt out

Submit your score, win/loss, placement, cooperative result, or opt out where appropriate. Once submitted, the page shows Score Submitted instead of asking again.

Verification and correction

Some results need peer verification or correction. Verification controls disappear for you after submission, and Correction / Audit Status appears only when there is actionable review work.

Game Session Summary

Played Game Results summarizes players, scores, score type, duration, status, and review state in one compact session record.

Player History

Your Player History shows your recent games compactly, with older games available in a collapsible section.

Leaderboards

Eligible and validated results can appear on recent solo and game-specific leaderboards. Private or ineligible results remain restricted according to platform rules.

Community and reliability scoring

Your private scorecard

Your private scorecard summarizes recent participation patterns. Displayed to you in My Registrations, it is Not a ranking and is separate from game leaderboards.

Reliability signals

Attendance, check-ins, cancellations, score participation, and verified play can support reliability/community signals used for platform integrity.

Private by design

Reliability and community signals are intended to help your own planning and event integrity; they are not public player rankings.

Payments and policy states

Payment Policy Summary views help staff distinguish payment processor records from registration policy states.

Most standard user-created events are free. If a planner or organizer event uses paid registration, payment state is separate from scoring and attendance state.

Pending payment

Registration may require payment before it is fully confirmed.

Paid offline

Staff may mark payment as handled outside the processor when allowed.

Comped / waived

Authorized staff may waive payment for a permitted reason.

Score-only

Some late players may be added for scoring/audit purposes without normal paid registration privileges.

Privacy, safety, and account controls

BoardGameNite uses account roles, CSRF protection, session controls, security headers, diagnostics, audit logs, and moderation tools to protect the platform.

You can use account tools to manage profile details, friend settings, blocks, registrations, and participation choices. Use reports or support if you see abuse, scoring issues, payment issues, or safety concerns.