Board Game Arena

Hi new-ish user here with a basic question.

Searching for games is a little bit of a pain. You have to be very fast to join a table before it fills up. What makes this more annoying is that despite adjusting my settings to indicate I don't want to play at tables with inane rulesets (no draft, colonies), these games still show up. I would prefer if I didn't see those tables at all. Is there a way to do this?

Hi,

I am also not premium so I also have to click fast or not play. I feel you friend.

I don't know how to set the settings so those maps or modes you do not like show up. Hope someone who knows can tell us.

You can't set your settings so those games don't show up, but games with settings different from yours have red text under them saying that something is different

Not that you have to or anything, but if you enjoy the occasional 2p then the current Arena ruleset is also solid, if you like the 4 maps.

The preference settings are for automatic match. Choose automatic and you should get into a table as soon as possible. Manual mode is for... manual selection. There could be some filtering, but the fact is there isn't. If you want to cherry-pick your tables, you have to be quick.

Are non-premium members not allowed to start their own tables of Terraforming Mars?

I thought that only premium members were allowed to start games ?

danielvictor wrote: ↑10 February 2026, 23:01 I thought that only premium members were allowed to start games ?

That's what I was asking - I only just realized yesterday (while accidentally landing on the page illustrating the differences between premium and regular memberships) that non-premium members cannot start their own tables.

I assume TFM is a premium game.

I was wondering why players weren't just starting their own tables with their preferred settings, btu that would explain why.

There has to be a reason to be a premium member !

Imagine if Premium subscription was also required to join premium games.