[XB] Game Threads: Video Game Database & Gaming Discussion Platform

Xenforo.com resource URL: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/ozzmodz-game-thread-starter.5834/

Compatibile XF2 versions

Create video game threads in XenForo with imported game data, dedicated game forums, ratings, and personal game shelves.

Game Threads turns forum discussions into a browsable video game database. Its native game forum and thread types can import covers, release information, genres, platforms, developers, publishers, and other metadata from IGDB.com and TheGamesDB.net. Members can also add games manually, rate them, and track what they own, play, complete, or want to play. Optional Steam activity and detailed game filters bring more context to each discussion.

Looking for a simple way to discuss games directly in forum threads?

Check out [XB] Game Database

Features:

Game threads and automatic imports:

Video Game Threads: Create structured discussion threads dedicated to individual video games with automatically populated game information.
Automated Thread Creation: Automatically set the thread title to the game's official name and display a dedicated game header with box art and key details.
IGDB & TheGamesDB Integration: Import game information from both IGDB.com and TheGamesDB.net.
Custom Game Support: Create game threads for titles not available through TGDB or IGDB, including obscure and unreleased games.
Game Data Refresh: Refresh individual games from IGDB or rebuild existing TGDB and IGDB game information.
Full Release Dates: Browse IGDB release dates by region and platform, including release status and manually added dates.
Manual Cover Management: Authorized members can upload, replace, or remove a game's box art independently of provider data.

Ratings, game shelves, and Steam activity:

User Ratings & Reviews: Rate games on a 5-star scale and sort game threads by rating to highlight the best-reviewed games.
Game Shelves: Organize games across Favorites, Own, Playing, Completed, and Backlog shelves from dedicated account pages, with Played maintained automatically as cumulative history.
Community Shelf Statistics: See how many members want to play a game, are currently playing it, or have completed it.
Game Backlog: Save game threads to a personal backlog and manage them from the account area.
Steam Activity: Display Steam reviews and current players, retain player history, and render interactive charts.

Game discovery and presentation:

Customizable Game Listings: Display game information such as box art, genre, and platform directly in forum thread lists, with administrator control over which details are shown.
Responsive Game Presentation: Show game information in a responsive layout, with poster sliders that respect configured item counts.
Duplicate Game Prevention: Detect duplicate games and merge new threads into existing threads for the same game.
Advanced Game Search & Filters: Filter video game threads by title, release year or status, multiple genres and platforms, technical metadata, developer, publisher, franchise, ratings, co-op support, and played state.
Optional Lazy-Loaded Trailers: Enable the lightweight YouTube preview by default and create the privacy-enhanced iframe only after playback starts, or switch back to immediate embeds from the add-on options.
Game-Aware Search Results: Show cover art, platforms, genres, and release metadata in standard XenForo thread and tag search results.
VideoGame Structured Data: Publish Schema.org VideoGame JSON-LD with cover, release date, platforms, genres, developer, publisher, and community rating.

Native XenForo forum and thread types:

Game Forum Management: Assign multiple forums as game-specific sections and restrict individual forums to selected genres or platforms.
Dedicated Game Forum Type: Use the native XenForo forum-type and thread-type systems instead of assigning game behavior to an ordinary discussion forum.
Native Forum & Thread Conversion: Convert existing Discussion, Article, Question, or Suggestion content to game content through XenForo's type editor; game-specific records and images are removed when a thread leaves the game type.
Native XenForo Thread Features: Game forums retain thread prefixes, custom thread fields, thread prompts, drafts, attachments, moderation, and the standard posting workflow.
Fine-Grained Permissions: Control game editing, custom game creation, rating, image uploads, shelf actions, shelf pages, and statistics visibility through forum and general permissions.
Game Controls: Use interaction controls styled consistently with Movie Threads.
User Criteria Integration: Use XenForo user criteria to reward members with trophy points for creating game threads.
Smart Game URL Autocomplete: Suggest game URLs by title when creating threads using the IGDB API.

Useful for:

Video Game Forums: Create structured game discussions instead of relying on ordinary forum threads.
Gaming Communities: Give members dedicated threads for discussing, rating, reviewing, and tracking video games.
Video Game Databases: Build a browsable game catalog from dedicated XenForo discussions, with provider imports or manual entries.
Game Review Sites: Combine structured game information with community ratings, reviews, and discussions.
Game Discovery: Help members find games using advanced filters for platforms, genres, developers, publishers, franchises, ratings, and other metadata.
Game Collections: Let members maintain personal Favorites, Own, Playing, Completed, and Backlog shelves while Played provides an automatic history of games they have played.
Steam Communities: Display Steam reviews, current player activity, historical player data, and charts alongside game discussions.

Recommended Extensions:

[XB] Movie Threads adds a similar thread-based format for films.
[XB] TV Threads adds a similar format for TV discussions.
[XB] Music Threads adds album and artist discussions for music communities.
[XB] Toplist Threads: Community Rankings & Voting lets members create and vote on ranked lists, including game recommendations.
[XB] Guide Threads: Structured How-To Guides & Tutorials provides a thread format for gaming guides and tutorials.
[XB] Tierlist Threads: Tier Lists & Community Rankings adds tier-list discussions and community rankings.

Or explore our full collection of New Thread Types.

Requirements:

XenForo 2.2.0+
Provider credentials: Supply your own API credentials for the game data services you choose to use.

Provider API setup:

API keys required for provider imports

This add-on supports both TheGamesDB.net (TGDB) and IGDB.com APIs.

You need to obtain your own API keys for the services you want to use.

TGDB API Key

Create an account Go to TheGamesDB.net and sign up for a free account if you don't already have one.

Request API access Log in to your account and select API Access Request in the footer.

Complete the request Fill in the required information and submit the API access request.

Copy your API key Once approved, your API key will become available.

Enter the API key Paste your API key into the corresponding add-on settings.

IGDB API Key

Create a Twitch Developer account Go to the Twitch Developer Console and log in or create an account.

Register your application Open Applications, select Register Your Application, and enter the required information.

Get your Client ID and Client Secret After registering the application, obtain your Client ID and Client Secret.

Enter the credentials Enter your IGDB Client ID and Client Secret in the corresponding add-on settings.

API limits

The TGDB API enforces a monthly query limit. If your site exceeds this limit, TheGamesDB.net will return errors and imports will fail.

IGDB API usage is subject to Twitch's rate limits and terms of service.

FAQ:

What happens to game threads and their data if I uninstall the add-on?

XenForo threads and posts are not deleted. Current versions write the formatted game information into the first post when a game thread is created or rebuilt, so that readable post content remains after uninstalling the add-on. The add-on's structured database records, shelf entries, ratings, Steam history, and uploaded game images are removed during uninstall, so take a backup before uninstalling if you may need that data later.
Where is a member's own comment stored when a game thread is created?

By default, the generated game information and the member's comment are stored in the first post. Administrators can enable the separate-comments option to keep the generated game information in the first post and publish the member's comment as a separate reply.
Can I convert an existing forum or thread without recreating all discussions?

Yes. Game Threads uses XenForo's native forum-type and thread-type systems. Existing forums can be changed to the Game forum type, and existing Discussion, Article, Question, or Suggestion threads can be converted through the thread-type editor with the required game data supplied during conversion.
What happens if a Game thread is converted back to a normal thread type?

The thread and its posts remain, while the add-on automatically removes the associated structured game record, shelf relationships, ratings, Steam data, release dates, and managed game images.
Do imported games keep working if IGDB or TheGamesDB is temporarily unavailable?

Yes. Imported game metadata and managed images are stored locally. API access is required for new imports, provider refreshes, and rebuild operations, but existing game discussions and their stored information remain available.
Can staff add a game that does not exist on IGDB or TheGamesDB?

Yes. Users with the appropriate forum permission can create a custom game and enter its title, description, release date, genres, companies, trailer, and other supported details manually.
Is Steam integration required?

No. Steam synchronization is optional. When enabled, a valid Steam store link can be added to the game's official website links so the add-on can resolve the Steam application and display reviews and player activity.
Can an imported cover be replaced without changing the provider data?

Yes. Members with the cover-upload permission can upload a replacement box art image, replace it again later, or explicitly delete the current managed cover.
Can different user groups receive different game capabilities?

Yes. Permissions separately control game creation and editing, custom games, ratings, cover, screenshot and fan-art uploads, shelf actions, personal shelf pages, and visibility of community statistics.
Will Game threads appear in normal XenForo search results?

Yes. They remain regular searchable XenForo threads, with additional cover art, platform, genre, and release information shown in thread and tag search results.

Happy With This Add-On?

Please consider sharing your experience with a short review. Every bit of feedback matters.

Screenshots:

Game forums and discussions:


Game forum with structured game listings.


Search for a game when creating a thread.


Game discussion with imported game information.

Admin panel:


Configure a game forum in the admin panel.

Save More with Paid Membership

[XB] Game Threads: Video Game Database & Gaming Discussion Platform 2.3.0

Looking for a simple way to discuss games directly in forum threads?