TheOwlBay
What board game to play
What board game to play is the shelf version of what to watch: you paste the boxes you actually own, optionally filter by player count and max minutes, and get one pick. Tag a line as Title | 4 | 45 so filters can read players and time. Load a short starter list of well-known titles if you have not typed yet. Eliminate tonight’s pick for the session. This is not BoardGameGeek, not a shop, and not a rules search. crypto.getRandomValues does the draw; the shelf stays in localStorage.
Why a what board game to play tool is not a shop
Game night dies in the hallway between the shelf and the table: too many boxes, mismatched player counts, and one person who always vetoes. A review site wants rankings. A marketplace wants a cart. This page wants the list you type. What board game to play on TheOwlBay exists so a house can paste the shelf, drop titles that need six players when only three showed up, and pick once. The starter list is names only — no BGG scrape, no photos, no prices. Filters are player count and max minutes, not complexity scores we do not have. If nobody brought a box, charades can fill an acting night. If the group would rather look at a screen, what to watch is the twin. The generic picker remains for any list that is not a shelf.
How to pick from the shelf
Paste one title per line. Add optional players and minutes after pipes, for example Catan | 4 | 90. Type a number in players if you want to keep games that can seat that many, and max minutes if the evening is short. Check remove pick from list this session so a second spin is a different box. Press load starter list only if you want sample titles to edit. Press pick something to play. Press reset session to restore eliminated titles. The textarea is saved in localStorage. Share the pick if the group is in a chat. If filters empty the pool, widen them or reset rather than expecting the page to recommend a purchase.
How the shelf pick is filtered
Each line is parsed into a title plus optional player count and minutes. The players field keeps rows that can include that count when you tagged them; untagged rows stay eligible so a messy paste still works. Max minutes drops tagged games that run longer than your window. Session eliminate removes tonight’s winners from the next draw until reset. The remaining titles are a uniform pick via crypto.getRandomValues. We do not claim BoardGameGeek weight, nor do we download your collection. localStorage is on this device only. Clearing site data clears the shelf.
Who this shelf picker is for
Families with a cupboard of boxes, clubs that meet in a library, and friends who always bring the same three games can paste an honest shelf. It is for nights with a hard stop (max minutes) or a known headcount (players). It is not a rules teacher, not a shop, and not a ranking of the “best” games. If you need acting prompts instead of cardboard, use the charades generator. If you need a film, use what to watch. Party karaoke is a different URL: paste songs, not boxes. TheOwlBay will not scrape your BGG account. Type the titles you can actually reach tonight.
FAQ
How do I tag player count and time?
Write Title | 4 | 45 on a line. Players and max minutes then filter tagged rows. Untagged rows stay in the pool.
Is this BoardGameGeek?
No. You paste your shelf or load a short starter list of names. There is no scrape, shop, or ranking.
Can I skip a game we just played?
Check remove pick from list this session. Reset session brings those titles back.
We have no board games in the house.
Try charades for acting, what to watch for a screen, or the random picker for any other list.
Where is the shelf stored?
In localStorage on this device. Picks use crypto.getRandomValues. No TheOwlBay account.