boardgamers.ca is an information-only guide to board games — the rules, how to play, the strategy behind them and the classics everyone grows up with. This page explains how we research and fact-check what we publish, where our information comes from, and the lines we will not cross: no paid reviews, no rankings for hire and no affiliate links. Think of it as the accuracy-and-transparency anchor for the whole site, so you can judge for yourself how far to trust a page before you sit down to play.
What this editorial policy covers
This policy applies to every page and post on boardgamers.ca, from quick rules explainers to longer strategy guides. Wherever we state a rule, a player count, an age recommendation or a play time, it has been checked against a source we can point to. The policy also sets out what we deliberately leave out — opinion-led reviews, buy-now links and sponsored placements — and how we correct mistakes when a reader or a later rulebook edition shows we got something wrong. You can see the full scope of the site on the boardgamers.ca homepage, which links to each of our main topic areas.
Key Points
- Primary sources first: rules come from official rulebooks and publishers, not forums or videos.
- Official vs house rules: the official rule always comes first; popular variations are clearly labelled as optional.
- No reviews, rankings or affiliate links: the site informs rather than sells, and earns no commission on game purchases.
- Everything is fact-checked: rules, player counts, ages and play times are verified before publishing.
- Corrections are made openly: reader reports and new rulebook editions prompt prompt, documented updates.
- Independent and reader-first: no publisher or advertiser funds or influences our coverage.
How we research board game rules
We research rules from primary sources first — the official rulebook and the game’s publisher — before anything else. When we write up how a game is played, our starting point is the printed rulebook that ships in the box or the publisher’s own online copy, not a forum summary or a video. Publishers regularly revise and re-typeset their rules, so a current official edition settles disputes that older third-party write-ups keep alive.
Where a game has a recognised governing body, that body’s published laws take priority. The laws of chess, for example, are maintained by the international chess federation (FIDE), and we treat that text as authoritative rather than any single club’s interpretation. For mass-market titles we use the publisher’s own instruction libraries — Hasbro’s product-instructions portal and Catan Studio’s free rulebook downloads are two examples — which give us the exact wording the maker intends. You can see how we apply this in practice across our classic board game rules explainers.
What counts as a source we trust
A trusted source is one with authority over the game itself or a documented, checkable record. In order of preference, that means: the official rulebook or publisher page; the game’s governing body or tournament organisation; and reputable rules references that cite those same primary documents. We avoid sources that cannot be traced back to the publisher, and we never present a crowd-sourced edit or an AI summary as if it were the official rule.
How we fact-check before publishing
Every rule, number, date, name and claim is verified against a source before a page goes live — we do not rely on memory or on “common knowledge”. In practice that means re-reading the relevant section of the rulebook, confirming player counts and recommended ages against the box or publisher page, and cross-checking anything that has changed between editions. If a fact cannot be verified, we either leave it out or clearly label it as uncertain rather than guess.
This mirrors the principle behind search engines’ guidance on helpful, people-first content: information should be accurate, created for readers rather than for rankings, and trustworthy enough that someone can act on it. We write for people who actually want to play the game in front of them, and trust is the quality we optimise for first.
Official rules versus house rules
We always separate the official rules from house rules, and we label which is which. The official rules are what the publisher or governing body prints; house rules are the popular variations families and groups add at the table — “free parking jackpots” in Monopoly being the classic example. Both are useful, but mixing them up causes arguments, so on our pages the official rule comes first and any common house rule is clearly marked as optional and non-standard.
When we describe a variant, we say where it comes from — whether it is an official alternative mode included in the rulebook, a widely used regional convention, or simply a popular tweak. That way you can choose to play strictly by the book or adopt the variations you enjoy, without being misled about which is which. Our how to play board games guide explains this distinction in more general terms for newcomers.
What this site does not do: no reviews, rankings or affiliate links
boardgamers.ca carries no reviews, no paid rankings and no affiliate links — that is a deliberate, permanent editorial decision. We do not score or rate games, we do not publish “top 10 games to buy” lists designed to sell products, and we earn no commission when you buy a game. Nothing on the site is sponsored content dressed up as information, and no publisher pays to be covered or to be covered more favourably.
The reason is simple: the moment a page is built to sell something, its job quietly shifts from informing you to converting you. By removing reviews, rankings-for-hire and affiliate links entirely, we keep every page’s only job the one you came for — explaining how the game works.
How we handle “best” and “most popular”
When we use words like “popular” or “classic”, we tie them to measurable facts rather than our own taste. That might mean how long a game has been in print, how many copies or editions exist, whether it has an active tournament scene, or how commonly it turns up on shelves — stated plainly, with the source. We will describe what makes a game widely played; we will not tell you it is the “best” game or that you should buy it.
Our Standards at a Glance
| Standard | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Source of rules | Official rulebook or publisher; governing-body laws where they exist |
| House rules | Allowed and useful, but always labelled as optional and non-standard |
| Reviews & ratings | None — we do not score, rate or rank games |
| Affiliate links | None — no commission on any purchase |
| Sponsored content | None — publishers cannot pay for or influence coverage |
| “Popular” / “classic” | Tied to measurable facts (time in print, usage, tournament play) |
| Corrections | Verified against a primary source and updated promptly; substantive fixes noted |
| Privacy | Minimal data collection, explained in a dedicated privacy policy |
Our corrections policy
If we get something wrong, we fix the page and we do not quietly pretend it was always right. Rulebooks are reissued, publishers clarify ambiguous wording, and sometimes we simply make a mistake. When any of that happens, we update the affected page as soon as we can confirm the correct information against a primary source.
Readers are a big part of how errors reach us. If you spot a rule that looks wrong, a player count that does not match your copy, or a figure that is out of date, please tell us and point us to the edition or rulebook you are using — that lets us verify and correct it quickly. Substantive corrections to a rule are noted on the page so returning readers know what changed; small fixes such as typos are made without ceremony.
Who writes and funds this site
boardgamers.ca is an independent, information-first project, and its running costs are not covered by publishers, advertisers or affiliate commissions. Because we take no money from the makers of the games we cover, there is no commercial pressure to favour one title over another or to soften how we describe a clunky rule. Our editorial standards — primary-source research, clear separation of official and house rules, and honest corrections — are set here and applied the same way to every game, big-name or obscure.
Privacy and your data
We keep data collection minimal and explain it in a dedicated privacy policy. As a reader you can browse the site without creating an account, and we do not sell personal information. The formal details — what is stored, for how long, and how to make a request about your data — live in our privacy policy, which every visitor can read. For the full picture of the site’s mission and the people behind it, the homepage and our about and contact pages are the right starting points.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are the board game rules on boardgamers.ca official?
Yes. We base our rules on the official rulebook or the game’s publisher, and where a game has a governing body we follow its published laws. Any popular variation is clearly marked as a house rule, separate from the official rules, so you always know which you are reading.
Does boardgamers.ca review or rank games?
No. We publish no reviews, scores or paid rankings. When we describe a game as popular or classic we tie that to measurable facts such as time in print or tournament play, not to our own opinion, and we never tell you which game to buy.
Do you use affiliate links or sponsored content?
No. The site carries no affiliate links and no sponsored placements, and we earn no commission on game purchases. No publisher pays to be covered or to be covered more favourably, which keeps every page focused on explaining the game rather than selling it.
How do I report a mistake or outdated rule?
Contact us and tell us which page is affected and which rulebook or edition you are using. That lets us check your note against a primary source and correct the page quickly. Substantive rule corrections are noted on the page so returning readers can see what changed.
What is the difference between official rules and house rules?
Official rules are what the publisher or governing body prints and are the same for everyone. House rules are optional variations that groups add at the table, such as bonus jackpots in Monopoly. We always lead with the official rule and label house rules as optional so the two are never confused.