Board Game Arena

I was in a game of Terraforming Mars the other day with an average player. I'm a fairly weak player -- losing most games -- so I set my preferences to average and below. Half way throug the game another ID popped up and said, oh, this is so and so, he is ranked 5th in this game but likes to create multiple accounts to beat up on newbies. At first I rolled with it and was friendly about it, but the more I think about it the more it bothers me. Cool or not cool?

Multiple competitive accounts (ie. playing anything other than friendly with your second account) are not allowed, so not cool. If the other person has proof, they should be reporting that player. If they don't have proof, how do they know?

nik592 wrote: ↑05 July 2025, 17:55 If the other person has proof, they should be reporting that player. If they don't have proof, how do they know?

This. Its impossible to say for sure but having seen enough of this site to have a reasonable sense of what is likely it is far more likely the bad behaviour is the person who interjected themselves into the chat.

I had an opponent openly admit it to me in the in-game chat. I chatted that I was getting by butt kicked, and he or she responded, "I'm a master-level player on my other account".

nik592 wrote: ↑05 July 2025, 17:55 Multiple competitive accounts (ie. playing anything other than friendly with your second account) are not allowed

Are you sure about that? There's a rule?

Interestingly, the wording is specifically around 'ranking'. I would interpret that as both elo-boosting and farming Arena points.

What is absolutely forbidden?
On Board Game Arena, it is absolutely forbidden to:

• Insult other players in any manner.

• Create multiple accounts and play against oneself to boost one's ranking.

• Trolling, admin-bashing, moderator-bashing, empty critics or defamation.

Breaking these rules can lead to the removal of your account and/or a ban from the website.

https://boardgamearena.com/faq?anchor=f ... _forbidden

If the multiple accounts don't play each other, it sounds like a grey area. Maybe trolling, but it's hard to prove intent.

What about having 2 accounts in the top 5 in Arena for one game? I would think BGA would not want that.

katmk wrote: ↑08 July 2025, 16:33 If the multiple accounts don't play each other, it sounds like a grey area.

The FAQ is poorly worded (not just on this subject), but the policy is not at all gray:

Meeplelowda wrote: ↑06 June 2024, 10:13

xate wrote: ↑05 June 2024, 16:17 To be perfectly clear:

Using more than one account to play in ranked games (Arena or normal games for ELO) is prohibited in our Terms of Use.

I'm sorry, but I think this needs further clarification. Is it only using more than one account to play against each other in ranked games prohibited, or is using more than one account in ranked game prohibited period, even if they don't play against each other. There are some people who continue to believe that it is OK as long as you don't play them against each other to ELO boost.

Meeplelowda wrote: ↑06 June 2024, 12:41

xate wrote: ↑06 June 2024, 10:46 1 player - 1 account.

Playing from multiple accounts for ranking, even if not against themselves, is unfair and prohibited.

A secondary account that ONLY plays in Friendly Mode is permitted (so that players may use these to create tutorials, etc).

Thank you so much. Please let this be the end to this nonsense once and for all (wishful thinking maybe).

xate is the BGA Community Manager.

That said, I imagine it is hard to enforce this policy.

FrankJones wrote: ↑08 July 2025, 16:34 What about having 2 accounts in the top 5 in Arena for one game? I would think BGA would not want that.

Read my post above. It's not allowed, but probably hard to enforce.

Meeplelowda wrote: ↑08 July 2025, 18:52

FrankJones wrote: ↑08 July 2025, 16:34 What about having 2 accounts in the top 5 in Arena for one game? I would think BGA would not want that.

Read my post above. It's not allowed, but probably hard to enforce.

Agreed.