# BoardGameGeek MCP > BoardGameGeek MCP connects your AI agent to the world's largest board game database. Search 150,000+ titles instantly, pull deep metadata like player count and complexity, track personal collections, analyze play logs, and read community discussions—all without manual browsing. ## Overview - **Category:** knowledge-management - **Price:** Free - **Tags:** board-games, database-search, user-collections, game-ratings, community-forums, play-tracking ## Description Need data from a massive source but don't have time to click through dozens of pages? This MCP lets your AI agent talk directly to the BoardGameGeek database. You can search for any game by name and pull detailed information on everything it needs, including its publication year, player range, play time, and global rating. If you're tracking a user's gaming habits, you can analyze their full collection or review specific play sessions over months of history. Need to know what people are arguing about? Access the game forums and read discussion threads right from your agent. By connecting through Vinkius, you get access to all this rich data—from trending titles to deep-cut guild details—all in one place for your AI client. ## Tools ### get_forum_list Lists the different discussion areas (like Rules, Reviews, etc.) available for a given board game ID. ### get_game_plays Retrieves recent records of who played a specific game and when they did it. ### get_guild Fetches details about community groups or 'guilds' centered around shared board game interests. ### get_hot_items Shows what is currently popular across different categories of games and hobby items on the site. ### get_thing Retrieves detailed stats, ratings, and descriptions for one or more specific board game IDs. ### get_thread Reads the actual content of a single discussion thread or review about a game. ### get_user_collection Returns all games a user owns, noting their personal rating and whether they want to play it. ### get_user_info Gathers basic profile information about a specific user on the platform. ### get_user_plays Gets a detailed list of dates and locations where a user played games, optionally filtered by date range. ### search_games Searches the database for matching game titles and returns their unique IDs for further inspection. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` Search for Catan and show me its full details. ``` **Response:** ``` Found Catan (ID: 13, 1995) — 3-4 players, 60-120 min, complexity 2.29/5, rating 7.0/10, ranked #402 globally. "In Catan, players try to be the dominant force on the island by building settlements, cities, and roads..." ``` **Prompt:** ``` What board games are trending on BGG right now? ``` **Response:** ``` The top 5 hot board games right now are: 1. Ark Nova: Marine Worlds (ID: 416584), 2. Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition (ID: 328871), 3. Dune: Imperium — Uprising (ID: 397598), 4. Cascadia: Landmarks (ID: 414920), 5. Great Western Trail (ID: 341169). Want full details on any of these? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Show me tomvasel's board game collection and his top-rated games. ``` **Response:** ``` tomvasel's collection contains 500+ board games. Top-rated titles: Gloomhaven (10/10), Terraforming Mars (9/10), Wingspan (9/10), Scythe (9/10), Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 (9/10). Full collection with personal ratings and play counts available. ``` ## Capabilities ### Search Game Details Find any board game by name and retrieve its core stats, ratings, and IDs. ### Analyze User Activity Review a user's complete collection or analyze detailed play logs, including dates and comments. ### Research Community Trends See what games are currently popular, read specific discussion threads, or explore community guilds. ### Fetch Core Game Metadata Get deep-dive stats for a game like complexity weight and Bayesian rating using its ID. ## Use Cases ### Building a Game Review Article A content creator needs an article on 'best cooperative games.' They start by using `search_games` to find potential titles, then use `get_thing` for all the stats (player count, play time). Finally, they pull specific user feedback using `get_thread` to back up their review points. ### Tracking a Collector's Habits A researcher needs to understand if a player has shifted interests. They use `get_user_plays` over the last three years, then compare that timeline against the games listed in their permanent collection using `get_user_collection`. ### Planning an Event Night An event organizer needs a game lineup for 8 people with a max play time of two hours. They use `search_games` and then filter results based on the player count/duration metadata provided by `get_thing`. ### Investigating Community Interest A game designer wants to know which niche topics are hot. They check out trending items with `get_hot_items`, then dive into specific community groups using `get_guild` details and reading forum discussions via `get_forum_list`. ## Benefits - Stop digging through pages for stats. Use `get_thing` to pull deep metadata like complexity weight or global rank instantly. - Understand community buzz immediately. Check `get_hot_items` to see what's trending across board games, RPGs, and video games right now. - Track complex user data efficiently. Combine `get_user_info` with `get_user_collection` to build a complete profile of a player’s tastes. - Analyze historical play patterns. Use `get_user_plays` to see when and where a person played games over time, which is perfect for memoir writing or research. - Tame the discussion threads. Instead of reading dozens of reviews manually, use `get_thread` to pull specific discussions or rules clarifications. ## How It Works The bottom line is you get clean, structured access to massive amounts of gaming data without ever touching a browser page. 1. Subscribe to this MCP on Vinkius, granting your AI client access to the board game database. 2. Ask your agent to perform a specific task, like 'What are the top 5 trending RPGs?' or 'Show me John's collection and his play history.' 3. The MCP executes multiple calls in the background (like searching for games and then fetching user data) and returns structured results directly to your agent. ## Frequently Asked Questions **How do I search for games using the `search_games` tool?** Use the `search_games` tool and provide the primary name or keyword. It will return a list of matching titles, each with its unique BGG ID. You'll need this ID to get full stats later. **Can I see what games are currently popular using `get_hot_items`?** Yes, calling `get_hot_items` shows the current trending items across board games, RPGs, and other hobby categories. This is useful for spotting market interest. **What's the difference between `get_user_collection` and `get_user_plays`?** `get_user_collection` shows what games a user owns, along with their personal rating. `get_user_plays`, however, tracks specific instances of play—the date, location, and sometimes comments. **How do I find out about community discussions using `get_forum_list`?** First, use a game's ID to call `get_forum_list`. This returns IDs for the various forums (Reviews, Rules, etc.). You then feed those specific forum IDs into `get_thread` to read the actual discussion content. **What specific data points can I retrieve for a game using `get_thing`?** The tool returns comprehensive metadata, including year published, min/max players, playing time, complexity weight, and both Bayesian and user ratings. This is the best way to get detailed stats on multiple games at once. **How does `get_guild` help me understand community interests?** It provides details about BGG guilds, which are dedicated community groups. You can use this information to discover people who share specific tabletop interests or organize around shared hobbies. **Can I track recent engagement with a game using `get_game_plays`?** Yes, this tool returns play logs showing who played the game and when. You can also access any comments left during those recorded sessions, which helps gauge current activity. **What kind of general information does `get_user_info` provide?** This function pulls core data about a user's profile and social connection points on the platform. It lets you understand their overall preferences or relationship to the board gaming community. **How do I find a game's BGG ID to get full details?** Use the `search_games` tool with the game's name. The results include the BGG ID for each match. Then pass that ID to `get_thing` for complete metadata including ratings, player count, complexity weight and description. **Can I see what board games are currently trending?** Absolutely! Use the `get_hot_items` tool. By default it returns the 50 hottest board games, but you can also check trending RPGs, video games, or even industry people by specifying the type parameter. **Does this integration allow modifying data on BoardGameGeek?** No. All tools are strictly read-only queries. You can search, explore collections, read forums and analyze play history, but no data on BoardGameGeek will be created, modified or deleted through this integration.