It’s been a while since our last update, and no, development didn’t stop. We spent the last few months on work you feel more than you see: we rebuilt the foundation Boardssey runs on so the app is faster and more solid, and signing in got easier. Along the way we kept shipping new tools and improvements for the everyday work of designing, producing and pitching a game: templates so new projects don’t start from zero, private projects for sensitive work, and production paperwork (spec sheets, invoices, purchase orders) that now lives next to your games instead of in scattered files.

Here’s everything new from May to early September. Section headings match the sidebar navigation.

App-wide

Less waiting, so you spend your time on the game instead of on the tool.

• A faster foundation: We moved Boardssey to a new version of the framework it’s built on. Pages are now prepared in the background before you click, and each part of a page shows up as soon as it’s ready instead of waiting for everything else, so moving between Games, Projects, Playtests and Tools means less waiting. (September)

• Snappier search: In the command palette (Cmd/Ctrl+K), tools show up instantly as you type, and searches across your content return faster: the search starts sooner and does less work on every keystroke. (September)

Games

Everything about a game, including its production documents, in one place.

• Invoices & POs tab: Game pages have a new Invoices & POs tab that lists every invoice and purchase order linked to the game, with type, number, counterparty, date and total. You can change a document’s status right in the table, and the New invoice / New purchase order buttons open the generator already linked to the game. (September)

• Spec Sheets tab: Under Components on a game page, a new Spec Sheets sub-tab shows every spec sheet saved for that game, with a preview and buttons to start a new sheet or open one in the tool. (September)

• Collaborator permissions: Game access for collaborators was rebuilt. Collaborators now only work with the games shared with them and no longer see the New Game button, so you can bring in outside help without opening up your whole library. (May)

• Cleaner cover images: Game and expansion cards, and the games on the Dashboard, now show covers at a consistent aspect ratio, without stretched or oddly cropped art. (September)

Projects

Set up new projects in seconds and control exactly who sees what.

Templates

• Start from a template: When you create a project, you can now pick a template so it opens with its columns and tasks already in place. (May)

• Save as template: Turn any project into a reusable template, with its own name, description and icon. Worked out a good process for a playtest round or a crowdfunding launch? Save it once and reuse it for every game. (May)

• Templates tab: A new Templates tab on the Projects page lets you browse your templates, edit their columns and tasks, use them, or delete them. (May)

Access

• Private projects: Projects have a new access level, Private (specific people). A private project is visible only to its creator, the team owner, and the people you add to it, which makes it a good fit for unannounced games, publisher negotiations or anything still under wraps. The people you add keep their usual role inside the project, the assignee picker only offers people who can see it, and anyone who leaves the team loses access automatically. (June)

Other improvements

• Duplicating projects fixed: The “Error duplicating project” message is gone. Copies now keep all tasks with their tags, subtasks and assignees. (May)

• Google Calendar: The Google Calendar connection is more secure and more reliable. Large calendars are no longer cut off at 100 events, and disconnecting now fully revokes Boardssey’s access to your Google account. (June)

Sell Sheets

• Refreshed editor: The sell sheet editor runs on a new version of the design engine, with a cleaner interface. Page controls (bleed, page name and dieline toggles) were rebuilt to match. (September)

Tools

The paperwork that comes with making a game, done in minutes instead of spreadsheets and design software.

New

• Component Spec Sheet: Manufacturers need a spec sheet for every component that isn’t printed on paper (meeples, tokens, dice, custom parts), and now you can make one without opening a design program. For each component, set the material, a base shape or custom front and back artwork, dimensions in millimeters, PMS colors and units per game. Group components into sections (base game, expansions) and export a vector PDF with dimension arrows, front/back/side views and color swatches, ready to send. (June)

• Spec sheet library: Spec sheets are now saved in Boardssey, and you can keep several per game. Use the Sheets menu to open, duplicate or delete saved sheets, name each sheet, link it to a game (or to none), and save with Cmd/Ctrl+S. (September)

• Invoice & PO Generator: The Invoice generator was rebuilt and now also makes purchase orders, so you can bill a publisher or place an order with a manufacturer from the same place. It has 8 templates (Classic, Stripe, Ledger and Split are new), a one-click switch between invoice and purchase order, tax IDs, discounts, shipping, payment details, currency presets, a Paid or Void stamp, Letter or A4 paper, multi-page documents and working SVG logos. Documents are saved, so you can reopen and edit past invoices from the Documents menu. The next number is suggested automatically, and your business details carry over to every new document. (September)

Improved

• Dice Roller redesign: Build a pool of mixed dice, add a modifier and roll everything at once, or type an expression like 2d6+1d4+3. You can also create custom dice whose faces are game icons, numbers or text (a combat die with hit / miss / crit, for example), each in its own color, which makes it easy to test the odds of your own dice before you order them. A roll log keeps your recent rolls and highlights max rolls and 1s. (June)

• PnP Cards Layout, auto-match backs: When you upload the same number of backs as fronts, the tool offers to pair them for you: by page number if they came from split PDFs, otherwise by upload order. No more picking a back for every card, one at a time. If you’d rather do it by hand, a “Match backs to fronts” button stays available in the batch controls. (August)

• PnP Cards Layout, bleed: With bleed turned on, dashed cut lines now trace the trim line correctly instead of overshooting at the corners, and the preview shows a trim guide so you can see where the cut will be. (June)

• Dielines, consistent line weight: The back pages of the two-piece box and double-sided game board dielines now use the same thin cut and fold lines as the front. (May)

Settings & Account

• Sign in with a passkey: You can now sign in with your fingerprint, face recognition or a security key instead of typing a password. Add a passkey in your account Settings under Passkeys, then use Sign in with Passkey on the sign-in page, which also reminds you which method you used last time. It’s faster than a password and can’t be phished. (September)

• Admins can save team settings: Admins who aren’t the team owner no longer get “Could not update Team” when saving team settings. (September)

See you all on the next update!