High Score Leaderboards: Only Your Best Counts

The High Score leaderboard tracks each player's personal best. Unlike Classic where every submission adds up, a High Score board only keeps the highest value a player has ever achieved. Think arcade cabinets, speedrun PBs (for score-based games), and "beat your own record" challenges.

How It Works

When a new score is submitted for a player, the bot compares it against their current record. If the new score is higher, it replaces the old one. If it's lower, nothing changes — the personal best stands. The leaderboard always shows each player's all-time best performance.

This eliminates the "grind advantage" of Classic boards. A player who plays once and nails a perfect run can sit at #1 above someone who has played hundreds of times. It's purely about peak skill.

Setting It Up

1. Use the /create command and select High Score as the type.
2. Name your scoreboard — e.g., "Tetris High Scores".
3. Sort order defaults to descending (highest on top). For most high-score scenarios this is what you want.
4. Optionally set visible ranks to control how many entries are displayed on the board.

Submit scores via /score just like any other board. The bot handles the comparison automatically — no need to check whether it's a new PB yourself.

What It's Good For

• Arcade-style competitions — Classic games (Tetris, Pac-Man, shoot-em-ups) where the culture is all about chasing the highest score.
• Challenge of the week — Post a weekly challenge (e.g., "highest kill count in one match") and let players submit their best attempts throughout the week.
• Skill benchmarks — Use it as a "hall of fame" that records the best anyone has ever done in a specific game or activity.
• Fitness and real-world records — Track personal bests for bench press, fastest mile, highest vertical jump — anything where only the peak matters.

Tips and Best Practices

• Set clear submission rules. Since only the best counts, players may be tempted to exaggerate. Consider requiring screenshot proof or using a validation channel.
• Pair with a validation channel. When creating the scoreboard, you can set a validation channel where submissions are reviewed before being accepted. This is especially useful for competitive boards.
• Announce new records. When someone beats the #1 spot, make it an event! This drives engagement and motivates others to challenge the record.
• Don't reset too often. Part of the appeal is the permanence — a High Score board works best when records have time to become legendary. Resetting frequently removes that motivation.

When to Choose Something Else

If you want every attempt to matter (not just the best), go with a Classic board. If you're tracking time-based records, Fastest Times is purpose-built for that with proper time formatting.