Terms of Service

BOARD GAME LAB — TERMS OF SERVICE

These terms govern your subscription to Board Game Lab, and include the licence to use the software (section 3). There is no separate End User Licence Agreement: Board Game Lab runs in your browser, and one agreement covering both the service and the licence is clearer than two documents that would have to agree with each other.

Version 2 — 27 August 2026. Two changes from version 1, which was titled "Early Access End User License Agreement". First, version 1 described an invite-only closed period; Board Game Lab is now on public sale and this version says so. Second, the agreement is now titled Terms of Service and carries the licence grant as a section, replacing the separately-titled EULA. If you accepted version 1, these are the terms that changed.

Who you contract with depends on where you live. If you are resident in the European Union or the European Economic Area, your subscription is with Board Game Lab, a French société par actions simplifiée, R.C.S. Paris 102 663 358, registered office 23 rue d'Anjou, 75008 Paris. Everywhere else, it is with Board Game Lab Corporation, a Delaware corporation.

Both are called "we," "us," and "our" below, and "you" means the individual who subscribes to Board Game Lab. Where a clause below refers to "BGL Corp.," it means whichever of those two companies is your counterparty under the paragraph above — so an EU or EEA subscriber should read every such reference as Board Game Lab, the French company.

Effective Date: This Agreement is effective as of the date you first accept it by creating your BGL account or clicking "I agree."

Plain-English Summary

Read this first. This summary is not legally binding, but it tells you what the deal is in plain language.

What you're getting. You've subscribed to Board Game Lab ("BGL") during its Early Access period. For $36 or €36/year, you get access to all current BGL features, including card templates, the Card Builder, the Deck Composer, printing tools, and digital playtesting — plus every update we ship during your subscription. BGL runs in your browser — no download required!

You need to be 18. BGL subscriptions are for adults only — see section 3.1.

What you create is yours. Your game designs, prototypes, card layouts, rules, artwork, and every creative thing you produce on BGL belong to you. We only need a limited license to host and display your content on the platform so the software works. We will never sell, sublicense, or commercially exploit your creations without a separate agreement — and that would only happen by invitation, with your explicit consent.

Sharing and withdrawal. Your private workspace is sacred — nobody touches it but you. If you choose to share a creation with other BGL users, they get to keep their copy for personal use, even if you later decide to pull the original. Think of it like handing someone a book: once they have it, you can stop distributing new copies, but you can't take back the ones already out there.

What you can do with others' shared creations. You can tweak rules, create visual mods, build expansions, and make derivative games — all for personal, non-commercial use. One generation deep (no derivatives of derivatives), always with attribution to the original designer.

Early access is early access. Bugs happen. Features arrive weekly. Things might break. Back up your important projects. On the upside: you have a direct voice in what we build next, and you're among the first people in the world to use this tool.

Cancellation and refunds. One-click cancellation. No hoops, no guilt, no retention tactics. If you leave, your content stays safely on our servers for two years in case you decide to come back. Resubscribe and everything is right where you left it — though BGL will have evolved in the meantime, so some older projects may need some adjustments.

That's the deal. The rest of this document is the legally precise version of everything above.

1. Definitions

"Agreement" means these Terms of Service, including the licence granted in section 3.

"BGL" means Board Game Lab, BGL Corp.'s online board game prototyping and playtesting platform, including any successor platforms or services.

"Content" means any game design, prototype, card layout, rule set, artwork, template, text, or other creative work that you create, upload, or store on BGL.

"Early Access Period" means the period beginning on the Effective Date and continuing until BGL Corp. publicly announces the end of Early Access, at which point revised Terms of Service will apply.

"Shared Content" means any Content that you have made available to other BGL users beyond your own private workspace — whether by opening a playtest room to other users, sharing a prototype, or otherwise distributing copies within BGL.

"User Modification" means any house rule tweak, visual mod, expansion, or derivative game created by a BGL user from another user's Shared Content.

2. Early Access Reality Check

BGL is in Early Access. We want to be upfront about what that means for you.

The honest downside:

(a) Bugs happen. We fix them as fast as we can, but they're part of early access.

(b) Features arrive weekly, with priorities shaped by your feedback. Some features aren't finished yet.

(c) Things might break during updates. We'll always warn you when we can, but early access is early access.

(d) Back up your important projects. While we take every reasonable precaution to protect your data, data loss is possible during early access. You can export your uploaded assets and card PDFs at any time. We are not liable for lost Content, though we will always do our best to help recover it.

(e) Uptime is not guaranteed. BGL requires an internet connection, and service interruptions may occur.

The honest upside:

(f) You shape what we build. Your feedback directly influences development priorities. We publish development diaries so you can see your impact.

(g) You're early. Early Access is open to anyone who subscribes, and you are here before the tool is finished. Expect to shape it: the things you report are the things that get fixed.

3. License Grant

3.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to subscribe to BGL, and by accepting this Agreement you confirm that you are. BGL is not intended for children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If we learn that a subscriber is under 18, we will close the account.

3.2 What You Get

Subject to your acceptance of this Agreement and payment of the subscription fee, BGL Corp. grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use BGL during the Early Access Period. This includes:

(a) Access to all current BGL features and all updates shipped during your subscription period.

(b) Use on any device with a supported web browser.

(c) The right to use BGL for your own game prototyping, playtesting, and design work.

3.3 What This License Does Not Include

This license does not transfer ownership of BGL or any part of it. BGL Corp.'s software, platform, tools, templates, AI systems, and digital infrastructure remain the property of BGL Corp. You are licensing the right to use BGL, not purchasing it.

4. What You Create Is Yours

4.1 Your Ownership

Everything you create on BGL belongs to you. Your game designs, prototypes, card layouts, rules, artwork, and all other creative work you produce using BGL are your property. This Agreement does not transfer ownership of any of your intellectual property to BGL Corp.

4.2 The License We Need to Operate

To make BGL work — to host your Content, display it in your workspace, enable playtesting, and provide the services you're paying for — you grant BGL Corp. a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide license to host, store, display, and technically process your Content on the BGL platform. That's it.

This license exists solely so the platform can function. It does not give BGL Corp. the right to sell, sublicense, publicly distribute, or commercially exploit your Content. If we ever want to do something more with your work — such as featuring it as a showcase game or publishing it — that requires a separate agreement, offered by invitation, with your explicit consent and fair compensation. (Those are our BGL Implementation License and Publishing Agreement — entirely separate documents, entirely your choice.)

4.3 What Happens When You Remove Content or Cancel

When you actively remove Content from BGL, our license to host and display that Content terminates, and we will delete it from our active systems within a commercially reasonable timeframe.

When your subscription ends (whether by cancellation or non-renewal), your account enters Dormant status:

(a) Dormant means your Content is preserved but inaccessible. You cannot access BGL features, but your projects, prototypes, and all Content remain stored on our servers. Nothing is deleted.

(b) Resubscribe and pick up where you left off. If you resubscribe at any point during the Dormant period, your full account — including all Content — is restored exactly as you left it. BGL will have evolved in the meantime, so some older projects may require some adjustments to run smoothly in the updated platform.

(c) Dormant accounts are retained for two (2) years. After two years of inactivity with no resubscription, we will notify you and give you reasonable time to either resubscribe or export your Content. If you take no action after that notice, your Content will be permanently deleted from our active systems.

(d) Content you shared with other users before your account went Dormant remains in their personal workspaces, per Section 5.

(e) Backups. Residual copies of deleted Content may persist in routine backups until those backups are overwritten in the normal rotation cycle. These backups are not operationally accessible and are used solely for disaster recovery.

4.4 Privacy by Default

Your Content is private by default. Unpublished prototypes, work-in-progress designs, and anything in your personal workspace are visible only to you unless you deliberately choose to share them. We take this seriously — unpublished work is fragile, whether it's your first game or your fiftieth.

4.5 Co-Authored Projects

A project may have multiple co-authors, each with equal rights under this Agreement with respect to that project. Native co-author support is not yet available in BGL; until it is, co-authors should coordinate externally. Each co-author's account, subscription, and personal data remain governed by this Agreement individually.

5. Sharing, Withdrawal, and the Rights of Others

This section governs what happens when you choose to share your creations with other BGL users — and what happens if you later change your mind.

5.1 Your Private Workspace Is Sacred

Everything you create on BGL lives in your private workspace by default. You can modify, delete, or remove anything from your own workspace at any time, for any reason, with no notice required. Nobody else has any claim to what's in your private space.

5.2 Sharing Is a Deliberate Choice

If you choose to share Content beyond your own private workspace — by opening a playtest room to other users, making a prototype available to the BGL community, or otherwise distributing copies within BGL — you are granting those users the right to:

(a) Use that Content within the scope of permitted uses described in Section 6 of this Agreement; and

(b) If you share your project with them beyond the confine of your own private playtest room, keep their personal copy for their own personal, non-commercial use, even if you later withdraw the original.

5.3 Withdrawal Does Not Reach Backward

You may withdraw your Content from shared spaces at any time. Upon withdrawal:

(a) Your Content will no longer be available to new users.

(b) Existing copies in other users' personal workspaces will remain accessible to those users for their personal, non-commercial use. Those users may not further redistribute the Content.

(c) Any User Modifications that other users created from your Shared Content before your withdrawal will also survive, under the same personal, non-commercial use conditions.

6. What You Can Do

6.1 With Your Own Content

You may:

(a) Design, prototype, and iterate on board games using all BGL tools, templates, and features.

(b) Playtest your games in private playtest rooms with invited guests. You can invite these Playtesters for free — they do not need a BGL subscription.

(c) Share your creations with other BGL users, subject to Section 5.

(d) Export your work in supported formats at any time.

(e) Print copies of your own original creations through BGL's print-on-demand service for your own use — prototyping, playtesting, review copies for publishers or playtesters, and limited personal distribution. BGL's POD service is not a commercial manufacturing or fulfillment service: copies produced through it may not be resold through commercial channels.

(f) Withdraw your creations from shared spaces at any time, subject to Section 5.

(g) Use your own creations commercially outside of BGL however you wish. Your game is your game.

6.2 With Shared Content from Other Users

When another user shares Content with you on BGL, or when you access a showcase game made available under a BGL Implementation License, you may do the following for personal, non-commercial use only:

(a) House rules. Tweak individual rules (e.g., open vs. secret stock, hand size adjustments, alternate scoring).

(b) Visual mods. Create alternate art, themes, or visual treatments.

(c) Expansions. Create new content — maps, cards, scenarios — that extends the original game.

(d) Derivatives. Build new games based on the original's mechanical system.

6.3 Conditions on User Modifications

All User Modifications are subject to the following:

(a) Personal, non-commercial use only. You may not sell, commercially distribute, or monetize User Modifications.

(b) One generation deep. You may create a User Modification from the original Shared Content. But your User Modification may not itself serve as the basis for further modification by another user. No derivatives of derivatives.

(c) Attribution required. All User Modifications and copies must credit the original designer. Label your work: "Based on [Game] by [Author] — Created on BGL."

(d) No trademark use. You may not use the original game's official name, logo, or trademark on any User Modification.

(e) Print-on-demand limits. If you use BGL's print-on-demand service to produce physical copies of User Modifications, printing is limited to 5 copies per user per game per year, for personal, non-commercial use only. Printed materials carry a provenance watermark noting "For private, non-commercial use" and the requesting user's account name.

6.4 Digital Playtesting

You may use BGL prototypes in private playtest rooms for personal, non-commercial digital playtesting. Each user receives their own personal copy on BGL. No sharing or redistribution of personal copies is permitted outside of the sharing mechanisms described in Section 5.

Playtest room limits:

(a) AI-automated tables: Unlimited. AI-only automated playtest runs for balance analysis and statistical testing have no cap. This is a core BGL feature.

(b) Human-playable tables: Up to 2 concurrent tables at the game's standard player count per user. A human-playable table is one in which at least one human participant is playing.

6.5 AI-Assisted Features and Your Content

BGL may include AI-powered features — such as an AI assistant, game balancing tools, or automated playtesting — that need to access your Content in order to function. When you use an AI feature on one of your projects, that feature accesses your project data solely to perform the task you requested.

We may use your Content to improve BGL's AI features — such as Rules Genie, game-balancing tools, and playtest AIs — so they serve you and other BGL users better. We will not use your Content for any other AI training — in particular, we will never use your artwork to train generative AI models — and we only work with AI providers whose terms align with these commitments.

7. What You Cannot Do

We keep this list short — we'd rather tell you what you can do. But certain things are off-limits:

(a) Don't redistribute BGL. You may not copy, resell, sublicense, or commercially distribute the BGL platform itself. (Your own game creations are yours to commercialize however you wish, outside BGL.) You also may not give or proxy BGL access to others.

(b) Don't reverse engineer. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or scrape BGL's software, unless applicable law expressly permits it and cannot be waived by contract.

(c) Don't share your credentials. Your account is personal. Don't share your login or let others access BGL through your account.

(d) Don't upload what isn't yours. Only upload Content you have the right to use. Respect other creators' intellectual property.

(e) Don't commercialize others' creations. User Modifications, expansions, and derivatives of other creators' Shared Content are for personal, non-commercial use only. If you want to publish something commercially, you will need the original designer's permission — we can help connect you.

(f) Don't circumvent platform controls. Don't bypass access restrictions, usage limits, invitation controls, or other platform mechanisms.

(g) Don't be a jerk. Don't use BGL to harass, threaten, spam, or harm anyone.

(h) Don't share others' unpublished work. If you're invited into someone else's private playtest room, what you see there stays there. Unpublished prototypes are confidential. This is sacred in the board game design community, and it's sacred on BGL: Your reputation is your currency. Don't abuse or neglect it.

8. Access to the Platform

8.1 Early Access

Early Access is open to anyone who subscribes. Access is issued to your account when your subscription starts. Early Access builds change every week, so what you see at any moment may not represent the finished product — please bear that in mind before sharing screenshots or recorded sessions publicly.

8.2 Your Account Is Personal

Your subscription and account are non-transferable. You may not sell your account or allow others to access BGL using your credentials.

8.3 Expanding Access

New subscribers may join at any time, and existing subscribers have no approval rights over who else subscribes. That said, once playtesting with others becomes available, we intend to give you great sway — and eventually sole discretion — over whom you invite to playtest your creations.

8.4 Revocation

BGL Corp. may revoke your access if you violate this Agreement. We will always tell you why, and we'll give you a reasonable opportunity to export your Content before access is terminated, except in cases of serious misconduct.

9. Subscription, Payment, and Cancellation

9.1 Price

$36 or €36 per year. Simple, honest pricing. Billed annually via Stripe.

9.2 Auto-Renewal

Your subscription renews automatically each year. We'll give you reasonable advance notice before renewal, so there are no surprises.

9.3 Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time. One click. No hoops, no guilt, no "are you sure?" screens, no retention department, no phone calls required. We are the antithesis of those practices, and proud of it.

If you cancel, your subscription remains active until the end of your current paid period. You won't be charged again.

9.4 After Cancellation

When your subscription ends, your access to BGL's features stops. But your Content doesn't disappear — your account goes Dormant. See Section 4.3 for full details. The short version: we keep everything for two years, and if you come back, it's all still there.

9.5 Refunds

If BGL isn't for you, just let us know and we'll sort it out. Email us at support@boardgamelab.com.

10. Privacy and Data

Please refer to our Privacy Policy to read how we handle your private data.

11. Community Guidelines

BGL includes playtest rooms and other social features. We keep the rules simple:

(a) Be respectful. We're all here to design and play great games.

(b) Give constructive feedback. Help other designers improve their work.

(c) Respect others' privacy. Don't share other users' game designs or prototypes without their explicit permission. Unpublished prototypes are confidential — treat them that way.

(d) No harassment, spam, or inappropriate content. This should go without saying.

Violations may result in a warning, suspension, or termination of access, depending on severity. We'll always explain what you did and why we're taking action.

12. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

What this section means in plain English: Because BGL is in Early Access, we can't promise everything will work perfectly all the time. These clauses protect us from legal claims over bugs, downtime, or other early access realities. They don't mean we don't care — they mean we're being honest about the stage we're at. We will always work hard to fix issues quickly and to treat you fairly.

12.1 As-Is

BGL is provided "as is" and "as available" during the Early Access Period. BGL Corp. makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding BGL's availability, reliability, accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

12.2 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, BGL Corp.'s total liability to you for any and all claims arising out of or relating to this Agreement or your use of BGL shall not exceed the total amount you have paid to BGL Corp. for your BGL subscription in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

12.3 Consequential Damages

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, BGL Corp. shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising out of or relating to this Agreement or your use of BGL, even if BGL Corp. has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

12.4 Exceptions

Nothing in this section limits BGL Corp.'s liability for fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, or any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

12.5 Note for Users located in the EEA (European Economic Area)

If you are located in the European Union or the European Economic Area, certain consumer protection laws may apply to you that cannot be waived or limited by contract. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to limit any rights you have under those laws.

13. Governing Law and Disputes

13.0 If you are a consumer in the EU or the EEA, read this first

Nothing in this section takes away rights you have where you live. Specifically:

(a) You keep the protection of the mandatory consumer-law rules of the country you habitually live in, whatever 13.1 says about Delaware law.

(b) You may bring proceedings in the courts of the country you live in, and we will bring any proceedings against you only there.

(c) The arbitration step in 13.4 does not apply to you. It is available if you want it, and never required.

The rest of this section applies to subscribers outside the EU and EEA, and to EU/EEA subscribers only so far as it does not conflict with (a) to (c).

13.1 Governing Law

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to its conflict of laws provisions, subject always to 13.0.

13.2 Good-Faith Resolution First

If a dispute arises, the parties will first attempt to resolve it through good-faith discussion. Most problems can be solved with an honest conversation.

13.3 Mediation

If good-faith discussion doesn't resolve the dispute within 30 days, the parties will attempt mediation before proceeding further.

13.4 Arbitration

If mediation does not resolve the dispute within 60 days, either party may submit the dispute to binding arbitration administered by AAA or JAMS, conducted virtually. The arbitrator's decision will be final and binding.

13.5 Small Claims

For claims under $10,000, either party may instead pursue resolution in small claims court.

14. Changes to This Agreement

We may update this Agreement from time to time. If we make significant changes, we will give you reasonable advance notice before the changes take effect and clearly explain what's changing and why. Your continued use of BGL after such changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Agreement. If you don't agree with a change, you may cancel your subscription before the change takes effect.

We will never use an update to this Agreement to retroactively claim rights over Content you've already created on BGL.

15. General Provisions

15.1 Entire Agreement

This Agreement, together with the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service available on our website, constitutes the entire agreement between you and BGL Corp. regarding your use of BGL during Early Access. It replaces any prior discussions, understandings, or agreements on this subject.

15.2 Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is found unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions remain in full effect.

15.3 Assignment

You may not assign this Agreement or your account without BGL Corp.'s written consent. BGL Corp. may assign this Agreement in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all of its assets, provided the acquiring entity assumes all obligations under this Agreement.

15.4 Notices

All notices under this Agreement may be delivered by email. For notices to BGL Corp., use: support@boardgamelab.com. For notices to you, we'll use the email address associated with your account.

15.5 No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision of this Agreement at any time does not waive our right to enforce it later.

Acceptance

By creating your BGL account or accessing BGL, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Agreement.

If you have any questions about this Agreement, please contact us at support@boardgamelab.com. We wrote this in plain English on purpose — and we'll answer your questions the same way.

Board Game Lab Corporation

Board Game Lab — Terms of Service

Document Date: 27 August 2026 (Version 2). Version 1 was dated April 17, 2026.