Keeping a board game ranking among friends (without it being unfair)

In every gaming group, the question eventually comes up: “So who is actually the best?” Keeping a ranking makes game nights more fun, as long as it is not unfair. Because depending on what you count, “the best” changes completely.

1. Total wins

The simplest ranking: who has won the most games.

Its bias: it mostly rewards the people who play most often. A friend who comes to every game night will end up on top, even if they only win one game in four.

2. Win rate

Divide wins by games played. A much better measure of skill.

Its bias: it favours people who have barely played. One game, won: 100%. The classic fix is to require a minimum number of games (say 5 or 10) before appearing in this ranking.

3. Show both together

The fairest approach is to show both numbers side by side: “12 wins, 40%”. You see who plays a lot and who wins often. And ties are broken by win rate.

4. Per-game rankings say more

An overall ranking mixes everything: two-player and six-player games, luck-heavy and strategy games, expert evenings and games with the kids. A per-game ranking is often more meaningful: “Mary dominates at Azul, Theo at Ticket to Ride”. Everyone has their game, and everyone has a chance to lead somewhere.

5. Player count matters

Winning a two-player game means beating one person; winning a six-player game means beating five. A simple ranking treats both wins the same. To correct this without complicated formulas, look at win rate per game, where tables are usually comparable.

6. Elo, for the most motivated

Devised by Arpad Elo for chess, this system gives each player a rating that rises with wins and falls with losses. Its strength: beating a higher-rated opponent earns a lot, beating a lower-rated one earns little. It measures real skill regardless of how many games you play. It needs a bit of maths, so a spreadsheet or an app.

7. What to leave out of the ranking

• Cooperative plays: everyone wins or loses together. Counting them hands the whole table a win at once (see our guide to cooperative games).
• Teaching games with a newcomer, if your group prefers.
• Ties count as a win for each tied player (see how to break a tie).

Keeping the ranking alive

A ranking only means something if it is up to date, which means every play gets logged, quickly. In MeepleThèque, the overall ranking shows wins and win rate, the per-game ranking shows who dominates each title, and cooperative plays stay separate, with a team record. Everything is calculated from plays logged in three taps. To choose your tracking method, see our notebook, spreadsheet or app comparison.