How the Pub Meeple Top Nine Generator Works

Updated

The Pub Meeple Top Nine Generator turns a list of games you already know you love into a single shareable image. It is meant for people who already know their top games and want a Top 9 picture without running a full ranking first. According to Pub Meeple, you import your games from BGG, click a button, and the tool lays them out and gives you an image you can share wherever you like.

What you need before you start

  • A BGG (BoardGameGeek) account with the games you want in your collection or list.
  • Knowledge of which nine games you want in the image. The Top Nine Tool does not decide your favorites for you — that is what the Ranking Engine is for.
  • A way to save or share an image once it is generated.

The basic flow

  1. Import from BGG. The generator pulls your games in from BoardGameGeek rather than making you type each title by hand.
  2. Pick your nine games. Because you already know your top games, you select them directly instead of ranking a whole collection.
  3. Generate the image. One click lays the nine games out in a grid and produces a shareable image.
  4. Share it. The resulting image can be posted wherever you want.

The key difference from the Ranking Engine: the Ranking Engine walks you through comparisons to produce a ranking, while the Top Nine Generator assumes the ranking is already settled in your head and just handles the presentation.

Top Nine Generator vs. Ranking Engine

Top Nine Generator Ranking Engine
Input Games imported from BGG Games imported from BGG
What you do Choose your known top 9 Compare games to build a ranking
Output A laid-out Top 9 image A ranking (and resulting Rankings)
Best for Sharing favorites you already know Discovering or formalizing your order

Pub Meeple notes that the Ranking Engine, the resulting Rankings, and the Top Nine Tool are the features that will get the most ongoing work, so both are actively maintained parts of the site.

Common snags

  • Not knowing your nine. If you are unsure of your top games, the Top Nine Generator will not help you decide — use the Ranking Engine first, then come back.
  • BGG import issues. The import depends on your BGG data being available and correctly set up, so check your collection there if games are missing.
  • Expecting a ranking. The tool produces an image, not an ordered list with reasoning. It is a presentation tool, not an analysis tool.

When to use it

Use the Top Nine Generator when your favorites are already clear and your goal is a clean, shareable image for social media, a profile, or a group chat. If your goal is to figure out your order in the first place, start with the Ranking Engine instead.