# Game Services

Essential Kit's Game Services feature lets Unity teams integrate Game Center (iOS) and Google Play Games (Android) without maintaining platform-specific code. This tutorial walks you through setup, authentication, leaderboards, achievements, and troubleshooting so you can add competitive social features with confidence.

{% hint style="info" %}
Using PlayMaker? See the PlayMaker guide: [PlayMaker](/features/game-services/playmaker.md).
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Looking for a working reference? Open the demo scene at `Assets/Plugins/VoxelBusters/EssentialKit/Examples/Scenes/GameServicesDemo.unity` and the companion script at `Assets/Plugins/VoxelBusters/EssentialKit/Examples/Scripts/GameServicesDemo.cs` to see the full API in action.
{% endhint %}

## What You'll Learn

* Authenticate players with Game Center and Google Play Games seamlessly
* Submit scores to leaderboards and display competitive rankings
* Report achievement progress and show achievement UI
* Handle authentication states and error scenarios
* Access friends list for social features

## Why Game Services Matters

* **Player Retention**: Games with leaderboards see 23% higher retention rates
* **Engagement**: Achievements provide progression goals that keep players returning
* **Social Competition**: Friends integration builds community and drives session time
* **Cross-Platform**: Unified API works on both iOS Game Center and Android Play Games

## Tutorial Roadmap

1. [Setup](/features/game-services/setup.md) – Configure platform dashboards and Essential Kit settings
2. [Usage](/features/game-services/usage.md) – Authentication, leaderboards, achievements, and social features
3. [Testing](https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/game-services/testing.md) – Simulate in editor and verify on devices
4. [FAQ](/features/game-services/faq.md) – Troubleshoot common issues

## Key Use Cases

* Display global leaderboards to showcase top players and drive competition
* Unlock progressive achievements to reward player milestones
* Show friend leaderboards for personalized social competition
* Integrate server authentication using server credentials for backend validation

## Prerequisites

* Unity project with Essential Kit v3 installed and Game Services feature enabled
* iOS: App configured in App Store Connect with Game Center enabled
* Android: App configured in Google Play Console with Play Games Services enabled
* Test device or Essential Kit simulator for authentication testing

{% content-ref url="/pages/-MKFtq8NAiXb3Q6mDBgn" %}
[Setup](/features/game-services/setup.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/-MKGWeY2sioNf8Dx7z-N" %}
[Usage](/features/game-services/usage.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="<https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/game-services/testing.md>" %}
<https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/game-services/testing.md>
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/-MKQjTcHa\_4dKPwmls6P" %}
[FAQ](/features/game-services/faq.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/game-services.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.