Your first week with Boardssey
Three milestones for your first week. A real game with a cover, a tool you actually used, and a teammate on board.
Last reviewed October 11, 2026
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. Some designers do all three in an evening; others take the week. Both are fine.
What this page helps you do
- Turn an idea into a game record with real details and a cover image.
- Do one piece of design work inside Boardssey instead of in another app.
- Bring one person in, to the whole team or to a single game.
- Decide what to dig into next.
You'll start from Games in the sidebar.
Milestone 1: create your first game (days 1 to 2)
About 15 minutes. By the end you have a real game stored in Boardssey instead of an idea in your head.
- In the sidebar, open Games and click New game.
- Pick a Game development status (Idea is the default) and type a Game name. Click Create Game.
- In the "Add game details?" dialog, click Edit now.
- Fill in a few fields: Short description (one sentence), Mechanisms (one or two from the list), Minimum players / Maximum players, Minimum duration (minutes) / Maximum duration (minutes).
- Upload a Game cover: a box render, a photo of your prototype, even a sketch.
- Click Save game.
Helpful details
- Key areas: the cover shows in your games library and on your catalog. The short description is the line publishers read first on a sell sheet.
- What you can do: open the Media tab and click Upload Media to add more photos and videos (JPG, PNG, GIF, MP4, up to 5 MB each).
- Good to know: you can change every field later with Edit game. Nothing is locked in. See Create a game.
Milestone 2: use a tool (days 2 to 3)
About 10 to 15 minutes. Use one built-in tool for something you would otherwise leave the app for.
| If you want to... | Use this tool |
|---|---|
| Print cards for playtesting | P&P Cards Layout |
| Check your colors for color-blind players | Color Blindness Simulator |
| Playtest online in Tabletop Simulator | TTS Deck Editor |
| Split a list of values into groups for your cards | Variables Distribution |
| Get a cutting template for a box, board or card | Dieline Templates |
| Specify meeples or tokens for a manufacturer | Component Spec Sheet |
Helpful details
- Key areas: in the sidebar, open Tools, then All Tools, or pick a category: Pre-production, Playtesting, Prototyping or Designing. There is also a Search tools.. box.
- What you can do: give the tool its inputs (an image, a number, a list), get a result, leave. Tools that make a file give you a download button; P&P Cards Layout can also save its PDF to the game's Media tab.
- Good to know: every tool is on every plan, and you do not need to use them all. Most designers use four to six regularly. See Trying out the tools.
Milestone 3: bring someone in (days 4 to 5)
About 5 minutes. Invite one person to your team, or share one game with them.
Option A: invite someone to the team (Admins and the Primary Owner)
- From the profile menu at the bottom of the sidebar, open Settings, then the Team Roles tab.
- Click Invite Team.
- Type their email and pick a role: Admin, Member or Collaborator. Click Add another one for more people.
- Click Send Invites. They get an email with a link; invitations last 7 days.
Option B: share one game with a Collaborator
- Open the game and click the Permissions tab.
- Tick the Collaborator who should see this game. If they are not on the team yet, use Invite Collaborator.
- Click Save Permissions.
Helpful details
- Key areas: Members see every game in the team. Collaborators see only the games shared with them, plus those games' playtests and projects, and never Contacts.
- What you can do: share a game with an artist or freelance developer without showing them the rest of your portfolio. Sharing a game lets them edit it; there is no view-only option.
- Good to know: every plan includes unlimited users. Inviting your whole team, your artist and your trusted playtester does not change your bill. See Inviting and managing team members.
What to do next (pick what your game needs)
- Want feedback from players? Open Playtests and click Create Playtest. Share the feedback form link; playtesters need no account. See Log a playtest.
- Want to write proper rules? Open the game's Rules tab and choose Start from a template or Start from scratch. See Drafting rules.
- Want to share your game publicly? Open Catalog, click Enable Catalog Sharing in the page header, then add the game on the Shared Games tab. See Catalog overview.
- Ready to pitch a publisher? Open the game's Sell Sheets tab and build a one-page pitch (Pathfinder and Oracle plans). See Sell sheets.
- Need a task board? Open Projects, click New project, link it to the game and start adding tasks. See Create a project.
- Want to sketch? Open Whiteboard; the Whiteboard button on the game page opens the page named after the game (Pathfinder and Oracle plans). See Whiteboard overview.
Tips & common questions
Do I have to do the milestones in order? No. They are three entry points, not a sequence. Start with playtests or rules if that is where your head is.
Can I change things later? Everything. Rename the game, swap the cover, rewrite the rules, change who has access.
Do I have to pay right now? Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial. After that you keep the plan you picked or change it. See Plans and pricing.
I am a Member. Why can't I see the Team Roles tab? Only Admins and the Primary Owner manage the team. Ask an Admin to send the invitation.
What if I get stuck? Click the chat bubble in the bottom-right corner of the app, or open Help Center from the profile menu at the bottom of the sidebar.