Board games are one of the most appealing ways to spend leisure time, and rightfully so. Playing board games helps develop character, strategic thinking, deduction abilities, a sense of perception, the creative mind and brings an overall good cheer. Whether you're a board game geek, or you want to discover a fresh game to try out, or you are just looking to buy a great gift, then the purchase of a particular game turns out to be a challenging task.

How to buy a board game online

With the vastness of online marketing nowadays, buying a board game from an online store requires a bit of effort to get the best offer and delivery option. So you may find yourself asking these questions when you plan the purchase:

• Where is the best price for my board game?
• Which store has the fastest delivery?
• Is there free shipping? Are there any conditions to be met?
• How do I find out which store has discounts for my board games?
• I am looking for a particular game, expansion or variation? How can I be sure what I'm buying is the right game?

If you have thought of at least three of the above, then you too like to get your money's worth. And good for you for that. Well, luckily for you, those sorts of questions have pondered other minds as well. The answers to these questions translate as the need for a service that makes it easy to do your own research. Such a service is called an aggregator, or in this case, a board games aggregator.

What is a board games aggregator?

A board games aggregator is a website or web app. As its name implies, it aggregates data from across multiple online stores that sell board games. Its purpose is to function as a thematic marketplace if you will, although an aggregator does not sell the products per se. It is useful in that it gathers the information you might need when you are looking to purchase o board game.

A board games aggregator is usually the result of the work carried out by someone who is savvy about board games, or at least passionate about them. As such, an aggregator website or app will be tailored more to the needs of a board games enthusiast than you average online store, the latter being focused on selling products. This kind of service will provide you with the specific details about the games you would need in order to finalize an informed purchase. This is contrast to most online stores that provide basic general information regarding price, availability, shipping conditions, payment options, and maybe a product description.

Advantages of using a board games aggregator

Here are the most important ways a board game aggregator can benefit your life:

Discover the games you like using advanced search filters

As I have said earlier, a board games aggregator provides tools that are specific to this field and facilitate finding the product you need. Such a tool is the search page using board games related criteria. As such, games are first of all organized by category. Here you will find strategy board games, logic games, puzzle games, conversation games, trivia games, role playing games, etc.

Another important search criteria is the theme of the game. Although it might resemble the category, the theme is more in depth and offers a new level of detail about the game. Themes include: adventure, mystery, conquest, deduction, horror story, geography, history, mathematics, medical, memory, science, sports, murder, cooperation, creativity, knowledge, science fiction, etc.

You can look for a game that is tailored for family play. Or you could get one that is good for playing with friends, like a party game. Another important criteria is the number of players. You want to be able to have everybody play the game.

For board game enthusiasts, an important feature is browsing game variations and expansions. A lot of the board games today are part of a series. Some of you are looking for a specific variation of the game, or a particular game expansion. A board games aggregator will provide such information, and the games are most likely linked to one another, in order to be easier to find.

Other search parameters will include game duration, minimum age requirements, the year the game was released, the publisher, and even game components.

Know the game before you buy it

When you are looking for a specific product, you want to be sure you are getting your money's worth. An aggregator provides much more information than an average online store. Each game has its own page with the details I have mentioned in the search criteria. You will also find an accurate description of the game and how to play it.

A very useful information is the game rules. Many of us have at least once in our lifetime had a bit of a quarrel with friends or acquaintances over some rule we couldn't agree about. The solution was to go online and search for the official rule book that would end the debate. A game page will usually include the game rules, or at least a link to such a document. This comes in handy.

You can also read reviews or other people's opinions about the game. This can give a much better idea about the game you were looking for.

Compare offers from several online stores

Maybe the most sought after feature of the website is the price comparison tool. Every game page has multiple offers from different sellers. You can see which one has the lowest price. But that's not all. You can also check shipping costs and conditions. Some stores may show a great price, but there is a chance they will charge for the delivery.

Availability of your desired game and shipping duration can also be verified here. This is important if you are dependent on a schedule. Maybe you want the board game in time for Christmas or the holidays. Or maybe it's a gift for somebody and you want it to arrive in time for their anniversary.

Who doesn't like price reductions? Everybody does. So it's only fair that on board games aggregator with a price comparison tool you may also find a section or page dedicated to discounts.

Create your own wishlist

This is a feature that lets you organize your preferred board games. If you see something you like, even if that's not what you came here for, well you can save it for later. Create your own board games wishlist. There you can revisit what caught your eye some time before and see if it is still worth your attention. Maybe after some time you decide to give it a shot and purchase it.

If you want, you can share your list with others to show them what are your interests. Trade lists with your friends and see what you have in common with each other.

Rate the games you played

In the world of board games, the community is very important. That is why you are encouraged to evaluate the games you tried. First of all, this allows you to express your opinion regarding the game's dynamics, components and its' complexity. It's also a great way to offer your insight to the community. The next person to read that game's page will have a better understanding whether or not that game is worth their attention. You would like to have some reviews to read when you land on a game's page. This is because you know you can trust what others had to say about it.

Read about your favorite games

As mentioned earlier, board games are much more about the community. As such, a board games aggregator will most likely provide news about recent releases, upcoming game announcements, game awards and competitions. In general, a lot of useful information comes from the news. So you will inevitably want to be up to date on what has happened lately in this field.

I hope you have a better understanding about a how a board games aggregator works after reading this piece.