As of May 31, 2023, we have updated our Code of Conduct.
14 votes
Accepted

Is it acceptable to ask for the rules or instructions to an obscure board game?

This is perfectly acceptable as finding the rules for a board game is on topic even if it is an obscure one. The fact that you have done some searching on your own is also good as it shows you are not ...
Joe W's user avatar
  • 13.9k
14 votes
Accepted

Are card recommendation questions on-topic?

I think they should be (& remain) on topic. These questions are generally well-scoped and are about achieving a specific functional purpose within a game. For card games like Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, ...
doppelgreener's user avatar
12 votes

Are well-defined theoretical or custom Magic questions on-topic?

I am generally in favor of questions about custom Magic cards. They're interesting ways of exploring nuances in the rules, and that's valuable especially with rules as complex as Magic's. I think ...
murgatroid99's user avatar
  • 78.3k
12 votes

Are chess questions on-topic here?

It has always been the philosophy of the StackExchange network that determining whether a topic is on topic should be done on a purely per-site basis, without considering whether the topic is on topic ...
murgatroid99's user avatar
  • 78.3k
11 votes

Are legal questions on topic?

I'd strongly prefer that legal questions (of either category) be off-topic. I get that people are interested in such questions, and it'd be cool to get actual answers. But although legal questions ...
Cascabel's user avatar
  • 26.8k
9 votes

Isn't intellectual property (marked off-topic somewhere) part of the game-design process (on-topic in the help center)?

The problem with the questions that you linked is that they are questions about legal issue and the law in general. With questions of that nature the answers will vary based on a lot of factors. ...
Joe W's user avatar
  • 13.9k
9 votes

So I'm working on a Java library for Magic: the Gathering

Where can I get casual help? You can always join Board and Card Games chat or The Whiteboard (Programming chat) to casually discuss pretty much anything. Where can I get help? For more involved ...
Rainbolt's user avatar
  • 13.7k
9 votes

Are Hearthstone Questions allowed here?

They are off-topic because they while it is a card game it is a purely digital one. They are on topic over at Arqade however.
diego's user avatar
  • 20.2k
8 votes
Accepted

Are questions regarding similar game suggestion on-topic?

We do not allow game recommendation questions. Please see the What topics can I ask about here? and the What types of questions should I avoid asking? pages in the help center for more information ...
murgatroid99's user avatar
  • 78.3k
8 votes

Are legal questions on topic?

It is hard enough to avoid questions which ask for specific legal advice on Law Stack Exchange itself, when we have moderators and experienced users that have fine-tuned the skill to tell apart the ...
Nij's user avatar
  • 3,533
8 votes
Accepted

Are 'what cards can I get that do X' questions allowed?

Yes, those questions are allowed. This kind of question is different from "list questions" because the possible answers are drawn from a specific known list, so it is possible to verify that ...
murgatroid99's user avatar
  • 78.3k
7 votes
Accepted

About probability - understanding the scope for a future question

Go ahead and ask, we've got several similar questions already. In general, the advice murgatroid gave is perfect. Ask whatever question you want on the main site. If a question gets closed, and you ...
Pat Ludwig's user avatar
  • 29.9k
6 votes

Card Game Legal Questions are off topic (apparently) can this be added to the of topic FAQ?

I wholeheartedly disagree with Pat's answer, and think that we should be explicit that legal questions are off topic if that is the stance that we are going to take. We do accept questions that are ...
Rainbolt's user avatar
  • 13.7k
6 votes

Is this question about games with varied win/loss states a game recommendation question?

I didn't decline this flag, but I would have if I'd seen it. Although it's not worded well, I don't think this is really a question about listing instances. It's about whether an entire class of board ...
ire_and_curses's user avatar
6 votes

Are questions about Playmation on-topic?

This is not a board or card game as we would define it, and is not on topic here. The video on the site shows that this Playmation system is a set of toys with some software and communications ...
murgatroid99's user avatar
  • 78.3k
6 votes
Accepted

Are pricing and value questions on topic?

Pricing questions should be on topic regardless, and the community should use their votes to push low quality answers to the bottom. I am not a fan of making rules where crowd moderation can work ...
Rainbolt's user avatar
  • 13.7k
6 votes

Are game copyright issues on topic here?

I would say they are not on topic here as the legal issues can be very tricky and users on this site are not expected to have the required legal knowledge to properly answer those questions. I can ...
Joe W's user avatar
  • 13.9k
5 votes

Of-topic: Computer game support

I don't see anything to gain from this change or any new motivation to reconsider our policy, so I think things are fine as-is. Your concerns here don't seem to be borne out by much evidence. We don'...
Cascabel's user avatar
  • 26.8k
4 votes

Is this question about games with varied win/loss states a game recommendation question?

The question isn't asking for a list of games, it's asking if a type of game exists at all. An answer could exist that is clear, concrete, and well-defined. Does the category exist? Here are some ...
Joe's user avatar
  • 3,425
4 votes

Are questions asking whether a category of games exists on-topic?

These questions must be taken on a case-by-case basis. Generally they'll be off-topic, but some may be on-topic. First and foremost, we do not want to allow people to skirt the rules on ...
Cascabel's user avatar
  • 26.8k
4 votes

Can we please reopen this question? 'What do boardgame publishers do?'

Too Broad Your question is vague and doesn't state a specific problem. Questions that ask for general knowledge (could be reframed as "I'd like to know XXX") are often too broad and can be ...
Pat Ludwig's user avatar
  • 29.9k
4 votes
Accepted

Canonical question request: "Is it legal to play a third party's online implementation of a board game?"

We should not make a canonical answer for the simple reason is that the answer to the question of a third party online implementation being legal depends on the game and third party in question. ...
Joe W's user avatar
  • 13.9k
4 votes

Asked a Yes/No question on mechanics, but Closed for Opinion Based?

I disagree that this is a simple yes/no question as it seem pretty clear that it does have a big impact on the balance of the game with the question being what kind of impact it would have (positive/...
Joe W's user avatar
  • 13.9k
3 votes

Are gamebooks on topic?

As a general rule of thumb, if there is no existing variant of a game that involves a board or cards, then it is most likely off topic on the Board and Card Games Q&A site. If I understand ...
murgatroid99's user avatar
  • 78.3k
3 votes

Is an online game that is totally playable as pen and pencil or card game allowed?

Yes, questions about that game would be allowed. Our criteria for whether something counts as a "board or card game" for are purposes are that the game must Be playable on or around a table Have ...
murgatroid99's user avatar
  • 78.3k
3 votes
Accepted

Do questions about Jane's Naval Wargame fall on topic?

Depending on the Jane's Naval Wargame you're playing, it may meet the question guidelines detailed in the help center. I am aware of a "Jane's Naval Wargame" that includes using miniatures, made of ...
Drunk Cynic's user avatar
  • 3,896
3 votes

Do questions about Jane's Naval Wargame fall on topic?

I don't know anything about the game and a brief google search didn't convince me that I'd found that right version of "Jane's Naval Wargame" so I'll drop back to our canned response, in our faq. How ...
Pat Ludwig's user avatar
  • 29.9k
3 votes

Should we 'deal' with card games here?

Let's start with some context. Board and Card Games covers: Board games Card games Including Poker Other non-digital games Including Casino Games If Casino Gaming and Gambling were created, then ...
Rainbolt's user avatar
  • 13.7k
3 votes

Are questions about software simulating card games still on-topic?

For questions 1 and 2 they are both shopping questions, therefore they are off-topic. "Is there X?" questions may not look like a shopping question, but as your answer shows it really is. The problem ...
diego's user avatar
  • 20.2k

Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible