Report updated Jun 24, 2026
Board Game Buddy
For board game enthusiasts and rule experts who require automated scoring for complex tabletop games.
Board Game Buddy is a well-regarded games app that is completely free. With a 4.6/5 rating from 58 reviews, it maintains solid user satisfaction. Users particularly appreciate digital scoresheets replace paper logs and simplify tracking for various board games, though permission errors prevent data saving and app functionality on newer android devices remains a common concern.
What is Board Game Buddy?
Board Game Buddy is a tabletop scoring utility app for board game enthusiasts on iOS and Android.
Users hire the app to automate complex victory point calculations and eliminate the physical friction of paper scorepads during game nights.
Current Momentum
v3.2 · 3w ago
Maintenance- Shipped archive filter and search functionality.
- Added customizable font settings for scoresheets.
- Improved landscape mode layout for tablets.
Active Nemesis
Farkle Scorekeeper
By NieStudio Creative
Other Rivals
7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸
GamesNo ranking data
Rating Pulse 🇺🇸
Recent User Mood
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
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What Are The Key Features?
User-defined templates for tracking game-specific tokens, victory points, and bonus calculations
Uploads completed game results to external board game websites
UI orientation support for tablet and desktop-like viewing
How much does it cost?
- Free access to all scoring features and community templates
The app operates as a free utility with no IAP or ad-supported gates, focusing on user acquisition within the board game hobbyist segment.
Who Built It?
Enrichment in progress
Publisher profile available very soon
What other apps does Andrew Morrison make?
What do users think recently?
Low confidence · 18 reviews analyzed
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a excited sentiment. Users appreciate digital scoresheets replace paper logs and simplify tracking for various board games, but report permission errors prevent data saving and app functionality on newer android devices.
Limited review volume (18 reviews). Sentiment analysis will deepen as more data lands.
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for Board Game Buddy?
Where is it available?
Localized markets (1)
How's The Games Market?
How does it evolve in the Games market?
Board Game Buddy holds a niche position in the board game utility category, currently ranking #117 Free in Belgium and #146 in Myanmar. The low review count of 58 suggests the app is in an early growth phase compared to category incumbents.
Rank progression
11 active rankings tracked — 30-day window
Which niche is Board Game Buddy in?
to track scores for tabletop board games
Explore the full Board Games Calculators niche
Every app in this space — 3 tracked, the niche's live rankings, and Marlvel's editorial take on the job-to-be-done.
The rivals identified
Nemeses(1)
This app directly competes for the utility-focused board gamer by providing specialized scoring tools that eliminate manual calculation, mirroring Board Game Buddy's core value proposition.
Differentiators
- Offers a dedicated player directory for recurring groups, which Board Game Buddy currently lacks entirely.
- Supports wireless keyboard input for rapid score entry, significantly reducing friction during fast-paced game sessions.
- Maintains a massive user base and review volume that creates a strong social proof barrier to entry.
Head to head
The target should pivot toward community-driven features and flexible template sharing to differentiate from this rigid, high-scale incumbent.
Contenders(1)
This app competes by offering guided scoring workflows and expansion support, targeting the same enthusiast demographic that requires complex game management.
Differentiators
- Provides specialized guided scoring workflows that walk users through complex game-specific rules and expansion variants.
- Focuses on deep integration with specific game ecosystems, offering a more tailored experience than generic scoring tools.
Same space(6)
This app competes for the social gaming market share by providing a suite of party-focused board game tools and social features.
Differentiators
- Includes an integrated social hub that allows players to communicate and organize games within the app.
- Offers a broader suite of party games, catering to casual social gatherings rather than just scoring utility.
This is a direct functional competitor for physical board game sessions, specifically targeting the 'companion app' utility space.
Differentiators
- Provides specialized private hand management tools that prevent cheating during complex physical board game sessions.
- Offers official branding and deep integration with a major board game title, providing high user recognition.
This app targets the casual card and board game player, overlapping with the target's audience through shared interest in organized game sessions.
Differentiators
- Features built-in friend management systems that facilitate easier organization of recurring game nights and social play.
- Includes a dedicated single-player mode that keeps users engaged even when they lack a physical gaming group.
This platform serves the same board gaming audience but focuses on digital play and cross-platform multiplayer rather than just physical scoring.
Differentiators
- Integrates full digital game engines, allowing users to play games directly within the app interface.
- Supports robust cross-platform multiplayer, enabling remote play that extends beyond simple physical game scorekeeping.
While focused on a specific title, it serves the same tabletop enthusiast demographic by providing digital utility for complex board game management.
This app occupies the same casual gaming utility space, focusing on hardware-specific accessibility for classic tabletop titles.
Compare Board Game Buddy against every rival
All rivals in one side-by-side table — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel — plus a head-to-head page for each.
The outtake for Board Game Buddy
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Custom scoresheet templates drive user-generated content
- External hobbyist platform integrations act as acquisition channels
Critical Frictions
- Android permission errors block core saving functionality
- Total review count below 60 limits social proof
- Lacks a formal player directory for recurring groups
Growth Levers
- Expand template database to include high-demand titles
- Introduce formal player-management system to increase stickiness
Market Threats
- Android OS updates break core functionality
- Specialized incumbents siphon potential power users
What are the next best moves?
Rebuild Android permission prompt mechanism because current failures block data saving → restore core functionality
High-frequency complaint theme in user reviews regarding data loss on current Android versions.
Trade-off: Pause the template database expansion sprint — stability is a prerequisite for user retention.
Ship a native player directory because Farkle Scorekeeper uses this to lock in recurring groups → increase session frequency
Competitive gap identified against the primary nemesis, Farkle Scorekeeper.
Trade-off: Deprioritize the external website integration update — player retention is the higher-leverage growth lever.
A counter-intuitive read
The app's low review count is a strategic advantage, as it allows for rapid, unconstrained iteration on scoresheet templates without the legacy baggage of a massive, vocal user base.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Dedicated player directory (available in Farkle Scorekeeper but absent here)
- Wireless keyboard input for rapid score entry (available in Farkle Scorekeeper but absent here)
Key Takeaways
Board Game Buddy succeeds as a niche utility by replacing manual scorekeeping, but the persistent Android permission failures threaten to alienate the core enthusiast base, so the team must prioritize stability fixes to prevent churn to more reliable incumbents.
Where Is It Heading?
Mixed Signals
The board game utility market is consolidating around stable, high-trust scoring tools, leaving Board Game Buddy exposed to churn if technical friction persists. Addressing the Android permission issues is critical to maintaining the current positive sentiment and preventing a permanent loss of the enthusiast user base.
Android permission errors prevent data saving, which erodes trust among power users and drives negative sentiment on the platform.
Recent feature additions like archive search and font customization indicate active development, suggesting the app is not in maintenance mode.