Read The StandardWhat 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.
Looks Like This
One line to submit a score. Pick your stack.
Godot
CheddaBoards.submit_score(1500, 5)
Unity (C#)
CheddaBoards.Instance.SubmitScore(1500, 5);
REST (any engine)
POST /scores { "score": 1500, "streak": 5 }
Drop-in SDKs for Godot and Unity. Plain HTTP for everything else. Full examples below.
See It In Action
THE CHEESE GAME
A retro arcade chase built with CheddaBoards. Streak milestones, leaderboards, achievements, and server-validated scores — every feature of the SDK exercised in a real game you can play right now.
▶ play now (free)Real leaderboards · Built with CheddaBoards
🧀 What's Included
Everything in CheddaBoards. No asterisks.
Free
- ✓ Leaderboards with timed resets
- ✓ Achievements
- ✓ Authentication (all platforms)
- ✓ Cheat-resistant score validation
- ✓ REST API access
- ✓ Open source
🧮 Predictable Pricing. No Surprise Bills.
CheddaBoards runs on the Internet Computer — a global distributed compute network where costs are transparent and predictable. No per-player fees. No usage spikes that blow up your bill.
Your game goes viral? Great. Your bill doesn't go with it.
Predictable costs you can plan around.
💸 Traditional Backend Services
- • Monthly costs scale with players
- • Free tiers have strict limits
- • Server maintenance required
- • Complex pricing, surprise bills
🧀 CheddaBoards
- ✓ Predictable pricing — no per-player costs
- ✓ Free tier with real features
- ✓ Zero server maintenance
- ✓ No surprise costs, ever
🛠️ 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.
Server-Side Validation
Play sessions verify game duration. Per-game score caps reject impossible scores. All validation happens server-side.
Tamper-Resistant Leaderboards
Server-validated scores with configurable limits. Set max score, max streak, and absolute caps per game.
Cross-Platform Auth
Sign in with Google or Apple. Works on web, desktop, and mobile via device code authentication — players authorise on their phone, the game just polls.
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.
REST API First
Simple HTTP endpoints work with any engine. Plus drop-in scripts for Godot and Unity.
Play Session Tokens
Start a session when the game begins, validate duration on submit. Catches impossible speedruns automatically.
No DevOps Required
No servers to manage, no databases to maintain. Serverless infrastructure handles everything.
Achievements
Define and unlock achievements per player across sessions. Persistent and cross-game.
Event Tracking
Track in-game events and view daily summaries from the developer console. Useful for spotting what players actually do.
Open Source (MIT)
Full source code on GitHub under MIT license. 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 timer when gameplay begins. Server validates minimum duration before accepting scores. 60-second game? Must play at least 60 seconds.
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 single-use session tokens.
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
Content-Type: application/json
// Body
{
"playerId": "player_001",
"score": 1500,
"streak": 5
}
Get Leaderboard (Any Platform)
GET https://api.cheddaboards.com/leaderboard
// Headers
X-API-Key: your_api_key
// Response
{
"entries": [
{ "rank": 1, "player": "..." },
{ "rank": 2, "player": "..." }
]
}
Works with any language or engine that can make HTTP requests! 🚀
🎮 Want even faster integration? Use our drop-in scripts for popular engines:
Perfect For
From jam games to production titles.
Indie Developers
Build competitive online features without backend complexity or ongoing costs.
Game Jams & Prototypes
Add leaderboards to your jam game in minutes. Free tier available.
Student Projects
Learn online game features without credit cards or infrastructure setup.
MVP Testing
Validate your game concept with real player data before scaling infrastructure.
❓ FAQ
🆓 Is the Free tier really free?
Yes. Leaderboards, achievements, authentication, and the REST API are all in the free tier — no usage caps, no per-player fees, no expiring trial. Open source on GitHub if you want to host your own.
🛟 What happens if CheddaBoards shuts down?
The entire backend is open source (MIT) on GitHub, so you can deploy your own instance on the Internet Computer at any time. Player data can be exported. CheddaBoards is built so that depending on it doesn't lock you in — even if I disappear, the code you built against keeps working.
🌐 How is this different from Firebase or PlayFab?
CheddaBoards has a real free tier with no gotchas, predictable pricing with no per-player costs, and is fully open source. Plus our cross-game profiles create network effects — something Firebase doesn't offer.
💻 Can I self-host?
Yes! The entire backend is open source. Deploy your own instance on ICP for full control.
🎮 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 leaderboard includes daily, weekly, and monthly views with automatic resets. 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 session tokens verify minimum game duration and score-per-second rate, (3) Server-authoritative validation — limits are enforced on our infrastructure, not in your client. Configure all limits in your dashboard.
⏱️ What are play sessions?
Call startPlaySession() when gameplay begins. When submitting a score, the server checks elapsed time. A 60-second game can't submit after 5 seconds. Simple but effective.
🎮 Platform Support
REST API works with everything. Drop-in scripts for Godot and Unity.
REST API
✅ ANY PLATFORM
HTTP requests
Full game template with leaderboards, achievements, and authentication ready to go
› view on asset libraryAlso Works With
👤 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 · 🧀 Free tier available
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.
☕ buy me a coffee100% goes to development. No shareholders here. 🙏