AP Buster
Too many options? Let's narrow it down — fast.
What this is for
This one's for your own turn, not a group dispute — for when you're stuck staring at five good moves and can't pick. Each method below is a different way to cut through the overthinking and land on a decision you actually made, not one handed to you by pure chance (except when you ask for that).
Head-to-Head
List everything you're weighing — two to sixteen options. Instead of comparing all of them at once, you'll only ever face two at a time and pick the one you'd actually play. The pool halves each round until one option remains. If there's an odd number out, that option gets a "bye" and skips straight to the next round.
This works because comparing two things is easy; comparing eight things at once is what causes the paralysis in the first place.
Deciding among people instead of options? Tap Export to save your list as a file (you'll get to confirm or edit the filename first), or Import to load one exported from any other Board Game Tools app — import replaces the current list.
Decision Clock
Pick a countdown (10/20/30/60 seconds, or type your own) and optionally list your options first. While the clock runs, just think — there's nothing to tap. If it hits zero and you listed options, it picks one for you and logs it. If you didn't list any, it just tells you time's up so you can make the call yourself.
The point is the deadline, not the randomness — most people decide well before zero once they know a decision is coming whether they like it or not.
Gut Check
List your options and tap Flash. One option appears on screen and you immediately say yes or no — no deliberating, just your first reaction. Say no and it flashes another. If you reject everything twice through, it stops asking and just picks one for you.
This is a quick-exposure technique: your gut usually reacts before your overthinking brain has time to object. This list has its own Export/Import too, using the same shared player-list format as every other Board Game Tools app.
Magic 8-Ball
Type what you're stuck on (optional) and shake — tap the button or the ball itself. This one's tuned for your own head, not a group dispute: answers lean toward "trust your gut and commit" or "sit with it a bit longer," not rules rulings.
Tap Edit Messages to write your own set of answers, one per line, with Export/Import to back them up or share between devices Pro (free during beta).
Decision Log
Every decision from all four methods is logged below the tools with a timestamp. Tap Clear all to wipe it.
Sound
Tap Sound on / off near the bottom to toggle the ticks, chimes, and clock beeps. Your preference is remembered on this device.
Add to home screen
Install the app on your home screen for one-tap access next time you're stuck on a turn.
iOS · Safari
- Open the app in Safari (must be Safari, not Chrome or Firefox).
- Tap the Share button — the square with an arrow pointing up at the bottom of the screen.
- Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
- Tap Add to confirm.
Android · Chrome
- Open the app in Chrome.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
- Tap Add to Home Screen or Install App.
- Tap Add to confirm.
About
Board Game Tools is built and owned by Maxwell Drown (maxdrown@gmail.com) — check out maxdrown.com for more of my projects.
Your data stays on this device — everything you enter here is stored only in this browser's local storage and is never sent anywhere. There's no server and no account system yet, so there's nothing centralized to steal.