Source: Apple Inc. Canonical content at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/game-center. This file is a structured index of that content, snapshot 2025-02-02. Apple HIG text and imagery are © Apple Inc.; this repository provides organization and cross-referencing for AI agent consumption only.
Game Center
Discover new games their friends are playing.
Seamlessly invite friends to play.
See the latest activity from their games across the system, in the Apple Games app, the App Store, notifications, and more.
Accessing Game Center
Integrating the access point
Display the access point in menu screens.
Avoid placing controls near the access point.
Consider pausing your game while the Game Overlay or dashboard is present.
Using custom UI
Use the artwork Game Center provides in custom links.
Use the correct terminology in custom links.
Achievements
Integrating achievements into your game
Align with Game Center achievement states.
Determine a display order.
Be succinct when describing achievements.
Give players a sense of progress.
Creating achievement images
Design rich, high-quality images that help players feel rewarded.
Create artwork in the appropriate size and format.
- iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS
- tvOS
Leaderboards
Choose a leaderboard type.
A classic leaderboard tracks a player’s best all-time score. Classic leaderboards are always active with no ending. The following are examples of goals you might include in a classic leaderboard:
Strive for the most perfect score in a rhythm game.
Collect the most coins in a single dungeon run.
Achieve the longest continuous time in an endless runner.
A recurring leaderboard resets based on a time interval you define, such as every week or every day. Recurring leaderboards can increase engagement by giving players more chances to take the lead. The following are examples of features that work well with recurring leaderboards:
Daily rotating puzzles
Seasonal or holiday-themed events
Weekly leaderboards for different battle modes
Take advantage of leaderboard sets for multiple leaderboards.
Difficulty modes (Easy, Standard, Hard)
Activity types (Combat, Crafting, Farming)
Genres and themes (Disco, Pop, Rock)
Add leaderboard images.
- iOS, iPadOS, macOS
- tvOS
Challenges
Create engaging challenges.
Complete the fastest lap in a racing level.
Defeat the most enemies in a single round.
Solve a daily puzzle with the fewest mistakes.
Avoid creating challenges that track overall progress or personal best scores.
Make it easy to jump into your challenge.
Create high-quality artwork that encourages players to engage with your challenges.
Multiplayer activities
Use party codes to invite players to multiplayer activities.
Allow players to join gameplay late, leave early, and return later.
Provide a way for players to view the current party code in your game.
Allow players to enter a party code manually.
Support multiplayer activities through in-game UI.
Provide engaging activity artwork.
Platform considerations
tvOS
Display an optional image at the top of the dashboard.
watchOS
Be aware of Game Center support on watchOS.
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For the complete guidance, including worked examples and illustrations, see the canonical page: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/game-center