Sample CodeiOS, iPadOS, Mac CatalystReviewed 2026-07-21View on Apple Developer

Adding Recurring Leaderboards to Your Game

At a glance

Item Summary
Purpose Encourage competition in your games by adding leaderboards that have a duration and repeat.
App architecture A Swift sample with the source-visible chain AppDelegateGameViewControllerGameKit APIs.
Main patterns View-controller organization, Protocol-oriented abstraction, Delegate or data-source callbacks
Project style 8 scanned source file(s) across Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries.

Project structure

Source bundle/
├── SampleGame/
│   ├── TitleScreenViewController.swift
│   ├── AppDelegate.swift
│   ├── GameScene.swift
│   ├── GameViewController.swift
│   ├── SceneDelegate.swift
│   ├── GameMenuNode.swift
│   ├── LeaderboardNode.swift
│   ├── CountdownNode.swift
│   └── Base.lproj/
│       └── LaunchScreen.storyboard
├── Configuration/
│   └── SampleCode.xcconfig
└── SampleGame.xcodeproj/
    ├── .xcodesamplecode.plist
    └── project.pbxproj

Structure observations

  • Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
  • Primary languages: Swift.
  • The verified tree contains 7 project/configuration file(s) and 14 source declaration(s).

Overall architecture

Reference code

SampleGame/AppDelegate.swift:10 — architecture anchor

@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
    // ...
}

Interpretation

The arrows summarize the source-visible entry, role-named types or folders, and framework direction; when nodes come from structural folders, the sequence is a high-level interpretation rather than proof that every adjacent node calls the next. Ownership is claimed only where the next section cites a stored property or assignment. The diagram is intentionally limited to the dominant path into GameKit.

Ownership and state

Ownership evidence

SampleGame/TitleScreenViewController.swift:17 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor

    @IBOutlet var backgroundImage: UIImageView!
    @IBOutlet var playButton: UIButton!
    @IBOutlet var titleStackView: UIStackView!
    @IBOutlet var titleStackViewCenterX: NSLayoutConstraint!
    @IBOutlet var titleStackViewCenterY: NSLayoutConstraint!
    @IBOutlet var titleStackViewWidth: NSLayoutConstraint!
Owner Object or state Relationship Mutation authority
TitleScreenViewController UIImageView (backgroundImage) stores or receives App/module collaborators
TitleScreenViewController UIButton (playButton) stores or receives App/module collaborators
TitleScreenViewController UIStackView (titleStackView) stores or receives App/module collaborators
TitleScreenViewController NSLayoutConstraint (titleStackViewCenterX) stores or receives App/module collaborators

Composition arrows indicate a source-visible construction expression or locally owned value state; aggregation means the owner stores or receives a dependency without proving exclusive lifetime ownership.

Class and protocol design

SampleGame/TitleScreenViewController.swift:11 — representative type boundary

protocol TitleScreenControllerDelegate: AnyObject {
    func dismissGame()
}
Type Responsibility Depends on or conforms to
AppDelegate Receives callback-driven events UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate
TitleScreenControllerDelegate Defines a capability or collaboration contract AnyObject
GameMenuDelegate Defines a capability or collaboration contract AnyObject
CountdownDelegate Defines a capability or collaboration contract AnyObject
GameControllerDelegate Defines a capability or collaboration contract AnyObject
TitleScreenViewController View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination UIViewController, GKLocalPlayerListener, GKGameCenterControllerDelegate, TitleScreenControllerDelegate
GameScene Scene lifecycle or scene-level composition SKScene, CountdownDelegate, GameMenuDelegate
GameViewController View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination UIViewController, GameControllerDelegate
SceneDelegate Receives callback-driven events UIResponder, UIWindowSceneDelegate
GameMenuNode Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle SKNode

The source explicitly defines local protocol relationships: GameSceneCountdownDelegate, GameSceneGameMenuDelegate, GameViewControllerGameControllerDelegate, TitleScreenViewControllerTitleScreenControllerDelegate.

Access control

Symbol Access Verified effect Likely rationale
backgroundNode (SampleGame/LeaderboardNode.swift:21) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
rankNode (SampleGame/LeaderboardNode.swift:23) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
rankPosX (SampleGame/LeaderboardNode.swift:34) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
rankPosY (SampleGame/LeaderboardNode.swift:35) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.

Reference code

SampleGame/LeaderboardNode.swift:21 — representative boundary

class EntryNode: SKNode {
    private let backgroundNode: SKShapeNode
    // ...
}

Swift declarations without a modifier are internal; explicit private, fileprivate, private(set), public, or open entries above are interpreted by language semantics. Objective-C/C samples instead rely on header and implementation boundaries, which are not equivalent to Swift lexical privacy.

Logic ownership and placement

Logic Owning type or file Placement rationale
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination GameViewController, TitleScreenViewController The source’s Controller suffix makes this role explicit.
Receives callback-driven events AppDelegate, CountdownDelegate, GameControllerDelegate, GameMenuDelegate The source’s Delegate suffix makes this role explicit.
Scene lifecycle or scene-level composition GameScene The source’s Scene suffix makes this role explicit.

Design patterns

Pattern Source evidence Purpose or tradeoff
View-controller organization SampleGame/GameViewController.swift:15 A controller is the verified coordination boundary; this is MVC-style only where a separate model is present.
Protocol-oriented abstraction SampleGame/GameScene.swift:21 A local protocol and concrete conformance create an explicit capability boundary.
Delegate or data-source callbacks SampleGame/AppDelegate.swift:11 Callback protocols invert event delivery back into the sample’s owner.

Naming conventions

  • Types: Controller: GameViewController, TitleScreenViewController; Delegate: AppDelegate, CountdownDelegate, GameControllerDelegate, GameMenuDelegate, SceneDelegate; Scene: GameScene.
  • Protocols: TitleScreenControllerDelegate, GameMenuDelegate, CountdownDelegate, GameControllerDelegate.
  • Methods: dismissGame, viewDidLoad, updateBackground, viewWillTransition, showGameVC, authenticateLocalPlayer, gameCenterViewControllerDidFinish, application.
  • Files: SampleGame/TitleScreenViewController.swift, SampleGame/AppDelegate.swift, SampleGame/GameScene.swift, SampleGame/GameViewController.swift, SampleGame/SceneDelegate.swift, SampleGame/GameMenuNode.swift.

Architecture takeaways

  • AppDelegate is the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.
  • Framework work reaches SpriteKit, UIKit, GameKit through a deliberately small high-level chain; the detailed API graph remains inside the cited implementation files.
  • Stored-property evidence identifies lifecycle collaboration; it does not by itself prove exclusive object ownership.
  • Access-control conclusions separate verified language visibility from the likely design rationale.
  • Local protocol relationships provide an explicit substitution boundary.

Source map

Source file Relevant symbols
SampleGame/TitleScreenViewController.swift TitleScreenControllerDelegate, TitleScreenViewController
SampleGame/AppDelegate.swift AppDelegate
SampleGame/GameScene.swift GameMenuDelegate, CountdownDelegate, GameScene
SampleGame/GameViewController.swift GameControllerDelegate, GameViewController
SampleGame/SceneDelegate.swift SceneDelegate
SampleGame/GameMenuNode.swift GameMenuNode, func, func
SampleGame/LeaderboardNode.swift LeaderboardEntry, EntryNode, LeaderboardNode
SampleGame/CountdownNode.swift CountdownNode