> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kallax.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Communities

> Find, follow and run board game communities on Kallax.io: cafés, clubs, stores, bars, libraries and local communities.

Communities are public places and organisations for board gamers: a local community, a club, or a café with a game library you can browse before you visit.

<Card title="Playing with friends?" icon="people-group" href="/guides/groups">
  A private gaming group for you and your friends works differently. See Gaming groups.
</Card>

## Find communities

Open **Communities** from the main menu to browse communities on a map or a list. Filter by **Community Types** and **Location**. See [Explore](/guides/explore).

Communities you are part of are listed under **Social** in the main menu for quick access.

## Community types

| Type | What it is |
| - | - |
| **Local Community** | A public group for meeting new players and organizing local games. |
| **Board Game Café** | A public venue with a game library that sells food and drinks. |
| **Gaming Club** | A club for regular players, leagues and a shared calendar of game nights. |
| **Board Game Store** | A shop selling board games, often with tables to try them out on. |
| **Library** | A library that lends out board games or keeps a shelf to play from. |
| **Bar** | A bar or pub with board games on the shelf and room to play them. |
| **Other** | Any other place where people meet up to play board games. |

## Join a community

Open a community page and use the button under its image. What it says depends on the community's membership policy:

* **Follow**: you follow the community to get updates.
* **Join**: you become a member straight away.
* **Request Membership**: the owner or a moderator must approve you. The button shows **Request Pending** until they do.

Once you are in, the button shows **Joined**.

If someone shares a link to a community with you, just open it.

## Inside a community

A community page has tabs. Which tabs you see depends on the community's settings and your role.

* **Overview**: the community's own front page. See [Customize your community](/enthusiast/community-page).
* **Library**: the games you can play there. You get all the [Search](/guides/search) filters, so you can find a two-player game under an hour in seconds.
* **Chat**: talk with the other members.
* **Members**: who is in the community.
* **Events**: upcoming events held at the community. See [Events](/guides/events).

<Tip>
  On the Search page, communities you belong to that have a game library appear under **Collections**, so you can search a café's library alongside your friends' shelves.
</Tip>

## Add a place you love

Know a great café or bar that isn't on Kallax.io yet? Put it on the map so others can find it.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start">
    Open **Communities** from the main menu and select **Add**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a type">
    Choose the type that fits best, then **I love this place and would like to share it!**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the details">
    Enter a **Name**, a **Description** of 20 to 256 characters, and pick a **Location** from the suggestions so it can be shown on the map. Add their **Website** if they have one. Select **Add place**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The place is listed on the map straight away. Its page shows that it isn't using Kallax.io yet, and people can follow it to hear if it joins. It has no owner, members, chat or library.

You can add a limited number of places per day.

<Note>
  Run one of these places? Contact us in the **Official** chat, on Discord or at [admin@kallax.io](mailto:admin@kallax.io) to claim the page.
</Note>

## Create and run a community

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start">
    Open **Communities** from the main menu and select **Add**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a type">
    Choose the type that fits best, then **I am the owner or official representative!** You need a complete profile for this. A guest account is not enough.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the details">
    Enter a **Name** of 4 to 64 characters, a **Description** of 20 to 256 characters, a **Location** picked from the suggestions, and an optional **Website**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a library mode">
    * **Library**: use your own collection as the community's library.
    * **None**: no game library.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a membership policy">
    * **Follow**: anyone can follow for updates.
    * **Members**: join requests are approved automatically.
    * **Moderated**: join requests need approval.

    | Type | Policies you can choose |
    | - | - |
    | Local Community, Gaming Club, Other | Follow, Members or Moderated |
    | Board Game Café | Follow or Members |
    | Board Game Store, Library, Bar | Follow |
  </Step>
</Steps>

Select **Create**, and you land on the new community's **Manage** tab.

<Note>
  Hobbyists can own one group or community. Enthusiasts can own more. Places you added for others don't count. See [Account types](/guides/account-types).
</Note>

## Manage a community

### Members and roles

Community members have one of these roles: **Owner**, **Moderator**, **Member** or **Follower**. In tab settings, owners and moderators together are called **Staff**.

In the **Members** tab, owners and moderators can:

* Copy the community's link to invite people.
* **Accept** or **Reject** people who asked to join.
* **Change role** or **Kick user** from a member's menu.
* Tick **Show followers** to include followers in the list. The box only appears when the community has followers.

Moderators can only change people to Member or Follower, and can't change the role of owners or other moderators. Owners can kick moderators and members, and moderators can kick members. Followers can't be kicked.

### Settings

Owners open the **Manage** tab to:

* Change the image, name, description, website, location and membership policy.
* Turn tabs on or off and choose who sees them: **Everyone**, **Members** or **Staff**.
* Choose which tab opens first under **Default Tab**.
* Choose whose events show on the Events tab with **Show events from**.

New communities show **Events** and the **Library** (when there is one) to everyone, and **Chat** to members. The **Overview** tab starts off.

The **Members** tab depends on the type:

| Type | New communities | Options |
| - | - | - |
| Local Community, Board Game Café, Gaming Club, Other | Everyone | Everyone, Members or Staff. Always on. |
| Board Game Store, Library, Bar | Staff | Staff, or turned off. |

### Discoverability

New communities are **Unlisted**: only people with the link can find them. Make the community **Listed** under **Manage** > **Discoverability** to show it on [Explore](/guides/explore) and let search engines find it. To be listed, the community needs:

* An image of its own.
* A description of at least 50 characters.
* A location that can be shown on the map. This can be a city.

### Overview page

The **Overview** tab is the community's front page. Turn it on under **Manage** > **Overview** and choose who sees it, then build it from modules such as links, a map, upcoming events and staff picks. See [Customize your community](/enthusiast/community-page).

### Kiosk mode

Cafés, stores and bars can turn a tablet into a screen where guests browse the game library without being able to change it. See [Kiosk mode](/enthusiast/kiosk-mode).