This guide walks you through three milestones in your first week with Boardssey. Each one shows you a core part of the app and why it matters.

You don't have to do these in order. If you want to jump straight into the tools, do that. If you want to start with rules, that's fine too. This is a suggested path, not a checklist.

You also don't have to do everything in one day. Some designers move through this in an evening. Others take a week. Both are fine.

What you'll accomplish: Create a real game in Boardssey with basic info and an image. About 15 minutes. By the end you'll have a real game stored in Boardssey instead of just an idea in your head.

In the left sidebar, click Games. You'll land on your games library. If this is your first game, the page shows an empty state.

Click the New game button (top right). A small dialog asks for a name and a development status.

Type a name, anything will do; you can change it later. Pick a status (Idea is the default). Click Start Designing.

You're now on the game page.

You don't need to fill in every field. Start with these four:

Click Save game.

Open the Media tab and upload a cover image. It can be a box render, a photo of your prototype, a quick sketch, anything visual that represents the game. Boardssey shows the cover in your games library and in your public catalog if you turn it on.

Click back to the game header. Your game now has a name, a description, key info, and a cover image. It's starting to feel real.

That's milestone 1. Instead of just having an idea, you have an organized entry for your game. Everything about this game can now live in this one place.

What you'll accomplish: Use one of Boardssey's built-in tools for something you'd otherwise leave the app for. About 10–15 minutes.

You don't need to use all 15 tools. Pick the one that matches what you're working on right now:

Click Tools in the sidebar. Use the category filter at the top (Pre-production / Playtesting / Prototyping / Designing) or the search field.

Each tool is a self-contained mini-app. Open it, give it your inputs (an image, a number, a card list), get a result, leave. No setup, no saved state to manage. If a tool produces a file, there's a download button. If it produces a preview, you adjust and re-render until it looks right.

That's milestone 2. You just did something in Boardssey that you thought needed a different app. You didn't open Canva or Excel or InDesign, you stayed in Boardssey and got it done. Boardssey isn't only where you store information; it's where you work.

What you'll accomplish: Invite one collaborator to your team or to a specific game. About 5 minutes.

Open team settings (/home/settings#general), find Members, and click Invite member. Enter their email and pick a role (Member or Collaborator). Send.

They get an email, click the link, and they're in.

If you only want to share one game (not your whole portfolio), open that game's page, go to the Permissions section, and grant a Collaborator access to just that game.

This is useful for artists, freelancers, or external playtesters who shouldn't see everything else you're working on.

Every plan in Boardssey includes unlimited seats, there's no per-seat fee. You can invite your whole team, your artist, your editor, and your trusted playtester without your bill changing. Compare that to most project management tools where every new person costs more.

That's milestone 3. Your game now has a collaborator. The hardest part of using Boardssey on a team, getting people in, is done.

You've now seen:

These three experiences cover most of what makes Boardssey useful in the first week.

Want feedback from players? Open Playtests. Set up a playtest, build a feedback form, and share the link. Playtesters don't need a Boardssey account. See Setting up your first playtest.

Want to write proper rules? On your game page, open Rules. Draft your how-to-play guide directly there. See Drafting rules.

Want to share your game publicly? Open team settings and turn on the Public catalog, then add this game to it. You'll get a public URL anyone can browse. See Showing your games on your public catalog.

Ready to pitch a publisher? Open the game's Sell sheet section and build a one-page pitch. See Building a sell sheet. (The Sell Sheet Designer is on the Pathfinder and Oracle plans.)

Need a project board for the game? Open Boards in the sidebar and create a project. Link it to this game, add tasks, and start moving cards across columns. See Setting up a project board.

Not sure what's next? Don't worry about it. You've already hit the three milestones. Whatever's most pressing for your game right now, do that. Boardssey is built to grow with the work.

Do I have to do these three milestones in order? No, they're three entry points, not a sequence. If you want to start with playtests or rules, go ahead.

Can I change things later? Everything. Rename the game, swap covers, rewrite rules, change collaborators, nothing is locked in. Boardssey is built for iteration.

Do I have to pay right now? Boardssey offers a 14-day free trial on any plan with no commitment. After that you choose a plan to keep going. See Plans and pricing for the full breakdown.

What if I want to invite more than one person? Invite as many as you want. Every plan includes unlimited seats.

What if I get stuck? Click the chat bubble in the bottom-right of the app to reach the Boardssey team. Or search this help center for the specific feature.

You don't have to master Boardssey before you start using it. You don't have to use all the features. You don't have to move fast.

Just create a game. Add some info. Invite a collaborator. Use a tool. See what's possible. That's the whole point, Boardssey is designed for you to learn as you go.