File Submission Guidelines

Submission procedure

To submit a file for a game, go the the game page, find the Files section, and click on "+Upload". Click on the Browse button and find the file on your local hard drive. Enter a brief description with version, and, click on the submit button to upload the file to the database. If you do not see the "+Upload" link, then it is likely that the game is published by a publisher who has requested that we remove all their files. As a result, it is not possible to add files to that particular game.

To upload a file related to a previously submitted file (update, similar or related file), go to the game page, find the file you are updating, click its link so you go to the file's page, and from that page (not the game page), use the "Upload File" link to upload the new file. The old file will not be deleted (although you can delete it if you want). By doing this, you will keep all of the thumbs and comments which correspond to your file(s).

General Guidelines

Approvals of file submissions can be greatly sped up and will ease the load on your friendly local administrator if you follow the following guidelines (and might get you extra geekgold!).

• Give a BRIEF Description : Your brief description should include version information.

• Note to Admin : You may put a note to the admin in the admin message field (NOT the description anymore). Note that these are not displayed, so keep the permissions in the description.

Files not appropriate for upload

• Scans: Unless you have the express written consent of the copyright holder, scans of rulebooks, components, or other copyrighted material are not allowed. If you have the permission, explicitly name it in the Note to Admin section.

• Files downloaded from other websites: Unless you have the express written consent of the copyright holder or content creator, you may not upload a file you have downloaded from a different site on the Internet (such as rules or variants from a game publisher's site), even if you made small changes. A better option here is to make a link in the Web Links section of the game entry. If you have the permission, explicitly name it in the Note to Admin section.

• AARs or Session Reports: these are not appropriate for file uploads. Please place your AARs/Session reports in the forums, under the Sessions sub-forum.

• Pictures: Do Not submit images as files: The files section is not the place to upload images. See <Add Picture> in the Picture section. There are possible exceptions when the image is specifically a player aid or a board.

• Redesigns of games currently in print: Unless you have express consent of the copyright holder or content creator, you may not upload a file with a redesign of a game currently in print.

• Links: Use the weblink sections instead.

File Characteristics

The goal is to make files usable by a majority of users.

More information

Since every file needs to be downloaded, tested, and evaluated, there can be a significant delay for approval of files. While the delay may be as short as a few days, it is more typically 2-3 weeks, and can stretch to 4 weeks during conventions or vacations.

If approved, original file submissions receive a 1 GeekGold Reward by default, though more can be awarded - this decision is at the discretion of the admins and is mainly based upon the overall quality of submission. Additional consideration will be given if multiple files are uploaded in a single archive.

BGG Admins reviewing files for approval include Dale Yu (yudp) and Luis Olcese (lolcese). If you have questions about a submission, you can ask them.

Please pay close attention to these guidelines. Failure to follow these guidelines could result in the suspension of your uploading privileges.