This is a documentation for Board Game Arena: play board games online !
Club Board Game Arena
Why can't you just have a standard donation system where I can choose any money amount ?
With this "club" system, we try to highlight players who have supported this website recently or do so on a regular basis. Depending on the amount of your donation, you are a member of the club for a given period of time.
Many websites are using a more classic approach with a simple "donation box". By experience, we know that these websites rely on just a few generous users. Board Game Arena has chosen to set 3 fixed amounts for donations, in order to rely on a bigger number of small donors.
Is it mandatory to join the club ?
Of course not.
You can play for free without any limitation even if you are not a member of the club: Board Game Arena is a free service. Statistics are just an extra! You don't need statistics to play and have fun, do you? As a matter of fact, most players are not club members.
What is a beginner account ?
When you join Board Game Arena, you get a "beginner account" () for 30 days. This beginner account allows you to view your own ELO ranking () for each game. After 30 days, your account becomes a standard non-member account ().
What becomes of the money ?
Board Game Arena's service is managed by a semi-professional team who needs money to make it run (in particular: hosting cost).
Player donations are used to develop this website (new features, new games), to make it run (hosting, maintenance), to build the player community (events)...
A big "thank you" to all members of the Board Game Arena Club whose contributions allow this website to exist for the enjoyment of everyone !