Board Game Arena

I think "trending" should be popular over a recent time period, or perhaps currently surging in popularity. Maybe it is, but we don't know the time frame being used.

Ticket to Ride is popular here, but not "trending" as it's been popular for years. I wouldn't say Ark Nova is trending either. Is it "hot"? The OP can define that word however they want.

That's what "trending" means all across the internet. It doesn't refer to sheer popularity but rather how much of a recent surge a thing had.

tbhp wrote: ↑11 April 2026, 00:34 That's what "trending" means all across the internet. It doesn't refer to sheer popularity but rather how much of a recent surge a thing had.

Do you think games like Tranquility the Ascend, Fluxx, Trailblazers, Ultimate Railroads and Dinogenics (top 5 on the trending list) have been played more often recently? I highly doubt it.

cigma wrote: ↑12 April 2026, 10:50

tbhp wrote: ↑11 April 2026, 00:34 That's what "trending" means all across the internet. It doesn't refer to sheer popularity but rather how much of a recent surge a thing had.

Do you think games like Tranquility the Ascend, Fluxx, Trailblazers, Ultimate Railroads and Dinogenics (top 5 on the trending list) have been played more often recently? I highly doubt it.

Those games don't appear to have many players, so it suggests the reason they are considered "trending" is because they've had a recent surge.

We often don't know why certain things are trending. The term just means that they've been growing at their relative level, for whatever reason.

Arjuna92 wrote: ↑10 April 2026, 15:36

cigma wrote: ↑10 April 2026, 13:19

RazorOz wrote: ↑10 April 2026, 12:09

I think popular is linked to # of games played, don't know over what time period, but look at the list of popular games, it's basically the most played games on the site.

Sorry, I meant "trending games".

Trending games are not all premium. I doubt financial reasons determine the "trending" game selection. I think it's just a way of not always showing the same games at the top but to show people games that have recently become more active and that they might not have heard of. Getting your players hooked on more different games is also beneficial for the site. Not only does it give players more of an incentive to return but it could also be an argument for publishers who might be concerned about their game wilting in the shadow of Ark Nova and Terraforming Mars.

so could you please recommend some good games to me?

bruce307014493 wrote: ↑14 April 2026, 01:18 so could you please recommend some good games to me?

This is way too broad a question, because everyone has their own taste that determines what's "good" to them. It would help to know what kinds of games you like. The only thing you've played on here is Puerto Rico, but we don't know what aspects of Puerto Rico you like.

Also, I'm going to hazard a guess that Puerto Rico isn't the only game you've ever played. What else have you played? What do you like and dislike about those other games?

bruce307014493 wrote: ↑14 April 2026, 01:18 so could you please recommend some good games to me?

We would need a lot more information about what sorts of games you like. Do you like quick games? Do you like long games? Do you like games that are high on the luck-o-meter? Do you like games with 0 luck (like chess or go)? Are there themes you are partial to, like trains or space or abstract games (like Go)? Do you like games about conquering territory? Or winning a race?

Unfortunately the sorting and filtering and searching mechanisms here aren’t all that great, but there is a list on BGG of all the digital implementations here and they are much more sortable and filterable (by theme, mechanic, difficulty, etc), so maybe you can find something there. (Or ask for a more specific recommendation.)

bruce307014493 wrote: ↑14 April 2026, 01:18 so could you please recommend some good games to me?

Beyond what BarnardsStar and Meeplelowda have written, I'd add that if you figure out that another player has a similar taste in games to yours, you can look at their profile to see what else they regularly play.