Prototypes
Prototypes are your own custom games — titles that aren't on BoardGameGeek (BGG), such as work-in-progress designs, print-and-play or homebrew games. Creating a prototype lets you log plays for a game that the normal search can't find.
Creating a prototype
You can create a prototype in two places:
- While logging a play — search for the game and, if it isn't found, tap "Create … as a prototype".
- From your Collection — open the ⋮ menu and choose Prototypes to switch the games list to your prototypes, then use the + button.
In both cases Geek Stats first checks BoardGameGeek for a published game with that name. If matches are found they're shown so you can pick the real game instead; if none is found, you can go ahead and create the prototype.
You can give it a name (required) and, optionally, designer, year, number of players and duration.
Recognising a prototype
Prototypes have no cover image, so wherever they appear (play cards, game picker, game detail) they show a distinctive prototype icon and a "Prototype" badge.
Editing and deleting
Open the prototype's detail page and use the edit button in the top bar to change it. You can delete it from the edit screen, unless it still has plays or campaigns attached (in that case deletion is blocked).
Linking to a published game
If your prototype later gets published on BoardGameGeek, you can link it to the real game from the prototype's detail page (⋮ menu → Link to published game). A "Published as" card then appears on the detail, and tapping it opens the published game.
Linking is non-destructive: it only records the connection — your plays and the prototype itself are kept. You can change the linked game or unlink it at any time from the same menu (or from the card).
Privacy
Prototypes are private to you:
- they don't appear in other users' searches;
- players you tag in a play of a prototype can see the game (name and details) and open its page, but they can't edit or delete it.
Prototypes and statistics
Plays of your prototypes count in your personal statistics, just like any other play. In the community leaderboards they count in the play-based rankings, but they are not counted in the Unique games played leaderboard.