Board Game Arena

Echoing the sentiment of many on here about the list of each game and how many tables are being played in turn-based and real-time modes. Please, bring it back.

Would love to have that feature back!

This was my favorite thing about the site. It made me so happy. Please bring it back.

What is the reasoning behind this change? Is there anyone know, why we lost this feature?

Dr Strangegame wrote: ↑23 February 2024, 07:07 Please Please bring back the list of all the games on this website and how many players are playing each game in turn-based mode and how many are in real time mode.

I started a topic regarding this in the 'suggestions' section for anyone who liked this page and wants to add some weight to the suggestion with a post there.

it seems like the answer is no, but is there not any way to view player ratings/experience from the "games in progress" page anymore?

I like watching games between high-level players, it's a pain to have to click on everyone's profile just to check and see what their rating is.

Found this bug report which of course will do nothing:

https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=113998

BGA is a fantastic website, it really is, for so many reasons.

It also has flaws. One of the flaws is the incredibly high bar for entry. These are experienced players you're playing against and thus, you get hammered and have to very quickly magically learn the rules, the interface, whilst under pressure. One way around this is being able to watch active games. If you can't watch, how on Earth do new players learn the games without dying from stress?

Further, the way the game packs are put together is not good for players on slow connections. You download the game pack when joining a game for the first time and some of them are very large files. If you have a lost packet, that's it, start again.

I often get kicked whilst trying to load a game for the first time.

One way around this would be to allow players to download the game packs without having to join a game. That feature does not exist. The ONLY way I could play complex games was to first spectate.

So now I am very unlikely to join games I have not played before. I just can't do it.

WhiteAlien wrote: ↑12 December 2025, 05:15 These are experienced players you're playing against and thus, you get hammered and have to very quickly magically learn the rules, the interface, whilst under pressure.

There are filters you can use so that (mostly) you can avoid the strongest players. Occasionally you will run into someone who has played a lot outside of BGA, but is new to playing on BGA.

WhiteAlien wrote: ↑12 December 2025, 05:15 If you can't watch, how on Earth do new players learn the games

1) Many games, especially the most popular ones, have tutorials whose purpose is not just to teach the rules, but also get you familiar with the interface.
2) You have a Premium membership, so you can play games in hotseat mode if you need further practice manipulating the interface.
3) You CAN watch games. First, if you feel like you have to watch a live game, many games have a "Watch a game in progress" panel on that game's lobby page. Second, previously played games are archived and accessible from player's game history in their profile. If you're learning that's actually better than watching live because you are able to see hidden information that you wouldn't be able to see watching live.

WhiteAlien wrote: ↑12 December 2025, 05:15 without dying from stress?

Wow. So dramatic.

WhiteAlien wrote: ↑12 December 2025, 05:15 Further, the way the game packs are put together is not good for players on slow connections. You download the game pack when joining a game for the first time and some of them are very large files. If you have a lost packet, that's it, start again.

I often get kicked whilst trying to load a game for the first time.

One way around this would be to allow players to download the game packs without having to join a game. That feature does not exist. The ONLY way I could play complex games was to first spectate.

So now I am very unlikely to join games I have not played before. I just can't do it.

Are you on dial-up? Even if so, turn-based games are still available, so it's not like you can't play at all.

When is it going back to how it was.
I play gam3s to play i don't like stuck to looking at all the moves screen people done . How. Can I delete it while playing please it ta,especially half my screen up