What is CheddaBoards?
CheddaBoards is a free, open-source gaming backend that gives you server-validated leaderboards with cheat-resistant score validation, achievements, cross-game player profiles, and authentication across all platforms.
REST API first — works with any platform. Godot, Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, native mobile, web, or custom engines. One API key, simple HTTP calls, instant leaderboards.
Sign-In That Players Actually Finish
Anonymous first. No OAuth SDKs in your game. No credentials on your side to leak.
Play Instantly
No account, no signup screen. Players get a persistent identity from their device and their scores count from the very first run.
Link With a Code
Google or Apple sign-in by typing a short code at cheddaboards.com/link — same flow as signing into a TV app. Works on desktop, mobile, web, and consoles. Your game never touches OAuth credentials.
Keep Everything, Everywhere
Linking merges their anonymous progress — scores, streaks, achievements — into one account that follows them across every device and every CheddaBoards game. Sign in once, stay signed in.
Core Features
Everything you need to ship competitive online features.
Timed Leaderboards
Daily, weekly, and monthly competitions with automatic resets. Run seasons and events without writing backend code.
Anti-Cheat Built In
Play sessions verify real game duration, per-game caps reject impossible scores, and every rule runs server-side. Configure your limits in the dashboard — no code changes.
Cross-Game Profiles
One identity across every CheddaBoards game. Players who built up stats in one game arrive at the next one already invested — achievements, reputation, history all intact. Network effects compound across the ecosystem.
Category Scoreboards
Per-level, per-mode, and per-category boards under a single game. Submit a score to one specific board by ID — a leaderboard for every level, plus an overall run board.
Achievements
Define and unlock achievements per player, persistent across sessions — and they follow players across every CheddaBoards game.
REST API. No Servers.
Simple HTTP endpoints work with any engine, plus drop-in scripts for Godot and Unity. Nothing to host, no databases to maintain.
Score Moderation
Delete junk entries or wipe a player from your boards straight from the dashboard, with a full deletion log. Your leaderboards stay yours.
Event Tracking
Track in-game events alongside scores with simple API calls. Useful for spotting what players actually do.
Open Source (MIT)
Backend canister and SDKs on GitHub under MIT. Self-host on ICP, fork, audit, or contribute. No vendor lock-in.
Score Validation
Server-authoritative validation. Rules enforced on our infrastructure. Configure per game.
Score Caps
Set maximum score per submission. A puzzle game capped at 10,000? Any higher gets rejected automatically.
Play Sessions
Start a session when gameplay begins. On submit, the server checks the score against the elapsed time — runs that would be impossible in the time played are rejected.
Streak Limits
Cap combo multipliers and streak values. Reject submissions that exceed what's actually possible in your game.
Validation runs server-side. Modifying your game binary won't help an attacker fake scores — the rules are enforced on our infrastructure, not in your client. Configure your limits in the developer dashboard — no code changes needed.
What this catches
Client modification, impossible scores, speed-hacking, instant-submit scripts, replay attacks via session-token checks.
What it doesn't
Determined reverse-engineering of the public API, or bots that mimic realistic gameplay pacing. CheddaBoards is built for casual and indie leaderboards — if you're shipping competitive ranked or prize-based PvP, layer additional protections on top.
Quick Start
Three steps to live leaderboards.
Register & Get API Key
Sign in with Google or Apple, register your game, and get your API key in a few minutes.
get api keyMake API Calls
Submit scores and fetch leaderboards with simple HTTP requests from any platform.
› view docsShip It
Deploy your game with persistent leaderboards. Works on web, desktop, and mobile.
› see exampleAPI examples
Submit Score (Any Platform)
POST https://api.cheddaboards.com/scores
// Headers
X-API-Key: your_api_key
X-Game-ID: your_game_id
Content-Type: application/json
// Body
{
"playerId": "player_001",
"gameId": "your_game_id",
"score": 1500,
"streak": 5
}
Get Leaderboard (Any Platform)
GET https://api.cheddaboards.com/leaderboard?sort=score&limit=100
// Headers
X-API-Key: your_api_key
X-Game-ID: your_game_id
// Response
{ "ok": true, "data": {
"leaderboard": [
{ "rank": 1, "nickname": "...", "score": 1500 }
] } }
SDKs & platform support
REST API works with everything, and every platform shares the same boards: Android, iOS and web players on one leaderboard. Official SDKs for Godot (4.3+ & 3.6) and Unity.
| Platform | Status | Package | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| REST API | ANY PLATFORM | Plain HTTP requests, works with any language or engine | › Docs |
| Godot 4.3+ | ADD-ON | addons/cheddaboards · plugin-based setup, wizard included | › Asset Store |
| Godot 4 template | FULL GAME SHELL | Complete game template with CheddaBoards wired in | › Asset Store |
| Godot 3.6 | SDK ON GITHUB | cheddaboards-godot3-addon | › GitHub |
| Unity | SDK ON GITHUB | CheddaBoards.cs | › GitHub |
See It In Action
Two games you can play right now, both running on the same API you'd integrate.
CHEDDA CLICK
A fast-paced cheese-clicker built in Godot 4 with the official CheddaBoards template. Chain combos across 15 levels while every SDK feature — server-validated scores, achievements, cross-platform auth, and anonymous play — runs live in a game you can play right now.
Built in Godot 4 with the CheddaBoards template · Live leaderboards
DODGE THE CREEPS
The Godot tutorial game with a live CheddaBoards leaderboard added. Play it in the browser, then read the one-file integration to see exactly what it takes.
Worked example + tutorial on GitHub
Pricing
It's free. This is the whole pricing page.
Free
- ✓ Leaderboards with timed resets
- ✓ Achievements
- ✓ Authentication (all platforms)
- ✓ Cheat-resistant score validation
- ✓ REST API access
- ✓ Open source
3 games per account — need more? Request extra slots from the developer dashboard
get started freeWhy It Can Stay Free
CheddaBoards runs on the Internet Computer — where storing a score costs a fraction of a fraction of a cent, and leaderboard reads come straight from the chain. Costs that small, we simply absorb. Serving your players costs us so little that it costs you nothing at all.
Your game goes viral? Great. There's no bill to go with it.
That's the promise the platform is built on.
FAQ
Is it really free?
Yes. Leaderboards, achievements, authentication, and the REST API are all included — unlimited players, no per-player fees, no expiring trial. Accounts start with 3 game slots; ask if you need more. Open source on GitHub if you want to host your own.
What happens if CheddaBoards shuts down?
The backend canister and all SDKs are open source (MIT) on GitHub, so you can deploy your own instance on the Internet Computer at any time. Your data lives in a canister on the network, with boards readable straight from the chain — not locked inside our servers. CheddaBoards is built so that depending on it doesn't lock you in — even if I disappear, your integration and your data survive. Uptime is public too: status.cheddatech.com checks the API, the canister and the sites from outside our own infrastructure.
How is this different from Firebase or PlayFab?
CheddaBoards is free with no gotchas — no per-player costs, no usage-based bills — and the backend is open source. Plus cross-game profiles create network effects across every CheddaBoards game, something Firebase doesn't offer.
How is this different from Google Play Games or Game Center?
Those only see players on their own store. If your game is on Android, iOS and web, you end up with three separate leaderboards. CheddaBoards gives you one board for all of them, and players who link with a code keep the same rank and achievements on every device.
Can I self-host?
Yes — the backend canister and SDKs are open source. Deploy your own instance on ICP; you build a thin API layer in front of it — the self-hosting guide covers exactly what it needs.
What engines are supported?
The REST API works with anything that can make HTTP requests — Godot, Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, web, native mobile, custom engines. We also have drop-in scripts for Godot and Unity.
Do you support daily/weekly leaderboards?
Yes! Every game gets all-time, daily, and weekly boards by default with automatic calendar resets — monthly and custom-interval boards take one click to add. Perfect for competitions, seasons, and keeping players coming back.
How does score validation work?
Three layers: (1) Per-game score caps reject impossible values, (2) Play sessions check the score against real elapsed time, (3) Server-authoritative validation — limits are enforced on our infrastructure, not in your client. Configure all limits in your dashboard.
What are play sessions?
Start a play session when gameplay begins. On submit, the server checks the score against the elapsed time and rejects runs that would be impossible in the time played. Simple but effective.
FOR PLAYERS
Already playing a CheddaBoards game? View your cross-game stats, leaderboard rankings, and milestones — all in one place.
READY TO BUILD?
Join indie developers building games on serverless infrastructure. Without the complexity or cost.
NO CREDIT CARD · 10-15 MIN SETUP · COMPLETELY FREE
Support development
No VC. No investors. Built by a solo founder for indie devs. Your support goes directly into keeping CheddaBoards free and shipping new features. 100% goes to development.