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I have been working on this app an irresponsible amount, given that I have no idea if it will ever get traction. So I need to get something out the door.

It took me like 4 tries to get Test Flight working so I could share this app with my friends. Some of them are becoming bored of my obsession.

Have you heard Apple developers complain about App Store Connect?

In order to move to a new beta, I need to:

1. Build an archive.
2. Click “Distribute” on that archive.
3. Log into the app store connect website, dig into my app and find the new build and attest that it has no novel, unexportable encryption technologies.
4. Describe what the users should focus on and “Submit” the build for testing.
5. Notify the users (not optional! so annoying.)
6. Re-assign groups to the build.

I believe these steps must all be done with ticky boxes on the web, and cannot be scripted. It fully defeats my ADHD. These steps might technically only require 3 minutes or less, but they are interruptive enough that it’s taken me ~24 hours to actually catch them all, each time I’ve shipped a build.

And my poor, volunteer users need to get a push notification each time, about an app they will presumably use like once a week.

I loved Board Game Geek the moment I saw it. It’s old-school, Gen X internet, like Craigslist and Wikipedia. It empowers and depends on its users. It’s a vital public service.

But then my avoidant attachment style immediately kicked in. Why doesn’t bgg do exactly what I want, when I want it, regardless of their needs and aspirations? I hate it. (I love it.)

It has all the facts, but I want answers. What is the right game for me? For right now. For some specific scenario.

• I’ve got 5 players coming over tonight. We never get 5 players. What board games do my friends own that are rated best for 5 players?
• My 2nd child just turned 4. She always wants to play games with her big sister but she can’t keep up. And I don’t want to play Unicorn Candyland anymore. What are the best games recommended for 4-year-olds?

GeekGroup.app is an excellent tool that can answer the first question, but not the second. It’s excellent, but it’s doing too much and not enough at the same time. And their page is super fiddly on mobile.

Google’s AI answers are pretty good for the second question. But they’re not comprehensive or authoritative, like BGG can claim to be.

So here’s my app. A very rough first view. That little button at the bottom toolbar is where I’m putting all my focus.

Wish me luck.