The Academy: learn to play
Plain-language how-to-play guides for board games and tabletop RPGs — rules, strategy, and tips.
EveryoneUpdated June 18, 2026
The Academyis Waypoint's learn-to-play library. Each guide explains a game in plain language so you can sit down and play with confidence — whether it's your first board game or a new tabletop RPG.
What's in a guide
- Overview — what the game is and what makes it fun.
- How to play — setup and the core turn, step by step.
- Strategy — how to actually do well.
- Tips — quick pointers and common beginner mistakes.
- Extra sections like player count, expansions, and variants.
Finding a guide
Browse the Academyand filter by board games or tabletop RPGs, or search by name. When a game has a guide, you'll also see a Learn to play link on its catalog page and on sessions playing it.
New to the hobby?
Skim a guide before a session so you arrive ready — most are a 5-minute read, and they link straight to “find a session” for that game.
Original, not the rulebook
Guides are original summaries to get you playing — they're not a replacement for the official rulebook, which has every edge case.
Still stuck? Browse all help or report a problem from the relevant profile or session.