How to Keep Score

Getting Started

Starting a New Game

Open Bowlingo and tap the "New Game" button (refresh icon) in the top right
Select your Game Type (10-Pin, Duckpin, or Candlepin)
Choose an Alley from the dropdown (or add a new one)
Tap "Start Game" to begin

Adding Players

Tap the person with plus icon (+) in the top right to add more players
Tap on a player's name to edit it
Swipe left on a player card to remove them (requires at least 1 player)
Tap the person icon on a player card to mark them as you (important for saving games!)

Scoring Methods

Bowlingo offers two ways to keep score:

🎯

Simple Scoring (Default)

Best for: Quick games, beginners, traditional scoring

How it works:

After each ball, tap the number of pins you knocked down
Buttons show 0 through the maximum available pins
Tap "X" for a strike (all pins down on first ball)
The app automatically calculates your score

                    Example:
                    First ball: Knock down 7 pins → Tap 7
Second ball: Knock down 2 pins → Tap 2
App shows: 7 / 2 (spare!) and calculates bonus

                

🎳

Advanced Pin-by-Pin Scoring

Best for: Detailed statistics, league play, tracking specific pins

How to enable:

Go to your Profile (tap your avatar in top right)
Tap "Profile Options"
Toggle "Advanced Scoring" ON

How it works:

Select pins: Tap each pin you knocked down (they turn gold and glow)
Record: Tap "Record pins" button to submit
Clear: Tap "Clear" to deselect all pins
Strike: Tap "Strike" button to knock down all pins at once

Pin Layout:

    7  8  9  10
     4  5  6
      2  3
       1

Visual Features:

Standing pins: Blue with pin icon

Selected pins: Gold/glowing

Knocked pins: Faded/knocked over

Ball Legend:

Ball 1: Blue

Ball 2: Orange

Ball 3: Purple (Duckpin/Candlepin or 10th frame)

Understanding the Scorecard

Frame Display

Each frame shows:

Top row: Your rolls (e.g., 8 / 1 or X)
Bottom row: Your cumulative score
Current frame: Highlighted in accent color

Special Marks

X = Strike (all pins on first ball)
/ = Spare (all pins using both balls)
- = Gutter ball (0 pins)

10th Frame Rules

10-Pin Bowling:

Strike or spare → Get bonus ball(s)
Strike → 2 bonus balls (max 3 total)
Spare → 1 bonus ball (max 2 total)

Duckpin & Candlepin:

Always get 3 balls in 10th frame

Multiplayer Scoring

Player Management

Frames per Turn Setting:

By default, players switch after every frame, but you can customize this in your profile preferences:

Open Profile Options (tune icon in the scoring screen)
Find "Frames per turn"
Use - and + to choose 1-3 frames

Options:

1 frame per turn (default): Traditional bowling - players alternate each frame
2 frames per turn: Each player bowls 2 consecutive frames before switching
3 frames per turn: Each player bowls 3 consecutive frames before switching

When it switches: The game automatically switches to the next player after completing the set number of frames.

Current Player Indicator

Large highlighted card shows who's up
Player's name appears on pin rack/scoring controls
Accent color highlights active frame

Marking Yourself

Before saving a game, mark which player is you:

Tap the person icon on your player card
"✓ You" badge appears
This links the game to your profile for statistics

Editing & Corrections

Undo Last Roll

Tap the undo arrow (↶) on the player's scorecard
Removes the most recent roll
Only affects current player

Rewind to Frame

Tap the edit icon (pencil) on any frame
Confirm you want to rewind
Clears that frame and all subsequent frames
Lets you re-bowl from that point

Saving Your Game

When to Save

Game must be complete (all players finished all frames)
At least one player must be marked as "You"

How to Save

Complete all frames for all players
Tap "Save Game" button (appears when complete)
Game is saved to your profile
View saved games in History tab

What Gets Saved

All player scores and frames
Game type (10-Pin, Duckpin, Candlepin)
Alley location
Date and time
Advanced scoring data (if enabled)

Tips & Best Practices

For Accurate Scoring

✅ DO:

Record each ball immediately after rolling
Double-check pin counts before submitting
Use the undo button for mistakes
Mark yourself before saving

❌ DON'T:

Rush through recording - accuracy matters
Forget to switch players in multiplayer
Save without marking yourself

For Better Statistics

Enable Advanced Scoring for detailed pin data
Save all your games consistently
Bowl at the same alley for location-based stats
Use your real name for easier tracking

Troubleshooting

Score looks wrong?

Check for missed spare or strike bonuses
Verify 10th frame was scored correctly
Use undo/rewind to fix mistakes

Can't save game?

Make sure all frames are complete
Verify you marked yourself as a player
Check that you're signed in

Wrong player's turn?

Game auto-switches after each frame (or set of frames)
Check "Frames per turn" setting if it switches too fast/slow

Game Types Reference

Type	Pins	Max Balls/Frame	Perfect Game
10-Pin Bowling	10 pins in triangle	2 (or 1 for strike) 3 in 10th frame	300 (12 strikes)
Duckpin Bowling	10 smaller pins	3 (always)	300 (never achieved!)
Candlepin Bowling	10 tall, thin pins	3 (always) Dead wood stays	300 (never achieved!)

Need Help?

Profile → Profile Options: Customize your experience
Settings (gear icon): Adjust game preferences
Join our community: Share feedback and tips