Overview
This node integrates with the BoardGameGeek (BGG) API to retrieve various types of board game-related data. Specifically, the "Get Hotness" operation fetches a list of currently trending or "hot" board games on BGG. This is useful for users who want to discover popular games at the moment, track trends, or curate lists of games gaining attention.
Practical examples include:
- A board game store owner wanting to highlight trending games on their website.
- A content creator generating weekly posts about popular board games.
- An enthusiast tracking which games are currently popular in the community.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Return Raw Response | Whether to return the raw XML response from the BGG API instead of parsed JSON data. |
Output
The output JSON contains an items array where each element represents a hot board game with the following fields:
id: The unique identifier of the game on BoardGameGeek.rank: The current rank of the game in the hotness list (integer).name: The name of the game.yearPublished: The year the game was published (string, may be empty if unknown).thumbnail: URL to a thumbnail image of the game.
If the "Return Raw Response" property is enabled, the output will contain a single field rawResponse with the full raw XML string returned by the BGG API.
Dependencies
- Requires internet access to call the BoardGameGeek public XML API endpoints.
- Uses an XML parsing library to convert XML responses into JSON objects.
- No authentication or API keys are required as the BGG API is publicly accessible.
Troubleshooting
- Empty or missing items in output: This can happen if the BGG API returns no hot games at the time of the request. Verify network connectivity and try again later.
- Error messages related to XML parsing: If the API response format changes or is malformed, parsing might fail. Enabling the raw response output can help diagnose such issues.
- Network errors or timeouts: Ensure that your environment allows outbound HTTPS requests to
boardgamegeek.com. - Unexpected errors: The node attempts to continue on failure if configured; otherwise, it throws an error with the message received.
Links and References
- BoardGameGeek XML API documentation: https://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/BGG_XML_API2
- BoardGameGeek website: https://boardgamegeek.com/