Introduction
When referencing a board game in APA (American Psychological Association) style, it is important to pay attention to the formatting guidelines as established by APA. Depending on the type of article or paper including the reference for a board game, different elements may be required in different order.
If you are writing an academic paper such as a journal article and are citing information from a board game, cite the name of the game in italics and list it according to its format, i.e. board game, computer game, card game and so on. Then provide details such as the date of release and publisher if necessary. For example:
Monopoly (board game; Piatkowski Games; 2012).
Further details can also be provided depending on how much you need to refer to that particular game throughout your work. In this case you would include more elements such as authorship – including designers, illustrators and publishers- and edition number or version if applicable:
Monopoly (board game; Hasbro Inc.; Charles Darrow design; 3rd ed., 2001).
Finally, if your reference involves content from an online board game or eboardgame from other digital sources, provide information about where it was accessed using the website URL with full or abbreviated address along with the access/visit date:
Warlords IV: Heroes of Etheria (digital boardgame; Shrapnel Games , 2003; http://www.shrapnelgames.com/SZG/War4/, Accessed 21 June 2020).
Step-by-Step Guide
Blog post:
Author last name, First initial. Middle Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of board game [Board game]. Publisher City, State abbreviation: Publisher Name.
For example:
Monopoly (2005). Hasbro Incorporated. Pawtucket, RI.
Magazine article:
Author last name, First initial. Middle Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of board game. Name of Magazine, volume number(issue number), pages where the board game is mentioned.
For example:
Monopoly(2005). The Atlantic Monthly, 95(7), 34-50.
Book:
Author Last Name, First Initial., & Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle initial.(Year of publication). Title of Board Game [Board game]. Publisher City, State abbreviation: Publisher Name
For example:
Monopoly (2005). Hasbro Incorporated. Pawtucket, RI.
Article for an academic journal:
Author last name ,First initial .Middleinitial.( YearofPublication ) .TitleofBoardGame[Boardgame].NameofJournal ,volumenumber(issuenumber),ppwheretheboardgameismentioned .doi:[ifavailable ]
For example: Monopoly (2005). Journal Of Board Games, 15(2), 10-19. doi:2458993
Helpful Resources
APA referencing of board games can be tricky, but there is no need to worry! Here are some resources to help guide the process.
Templates: Many websites and blogs provide templates specifically designed for citing board games in APA format. These templates explain the different elements of a board game citation, such as title, edition number, publisher’s name, website address (if applicable), and year of publication. By using these templates, you can save time when creating your bibliographic information.
Printable Bibliographic Information Sheets: A great tool for helping with APA referencing of board games are printable bibliographic information sheets. These sheets include all relevant information that needs to be included on an APA reference page such as title and copyright date but also more detailed information such as material type (board game), game system (if available), number of players / ages recommended and any other important details about the game which can help people find it correctly online or in stores. By having this information already organized on a sheet, you don’t have to spend time writing down every bit of detail when trying to cite the board game in APA format.
Conclusion
When referencing a board game in APA, it is important to provide the game’s title as it appears on the packaging and the copyright date of the game you used. Also be sure to include details like publisher’s name and city where relevant. In reference citations, use sentence capitalization and italicize the title. When providing information about a specific version of a board game – such as one sold through crowdfunding – include any special version details you may have.
To ensure maximum accuracy when referencing board games, make use of current authoritative sources such as BoardGameGeek or encyclopedia entries from WorldCat Discovery Services or other reputable libraries. Some publishers also have official websites that have up-to-date resources for citing their products. Finally, always cite your sources directly so you can easily retrieve them if necessary as well as confirm authorship claims. Following these steps will help you correctly reference your favorite board games in APA format for both academic and informal contexts.
I love playing all kinds of games – from classics like Monopoly to modern favourites like Ticket to Ride.
I created this blog as a way to share my love of board games with others, and provide information on the latest releases and news in the industry.
