Letterboxd for Games: How to Pick a Tracking App

If you want a Letterboxd-style app to track, rate, and review the games you play, the best choice depends on whether you prioritize a huge game database, social features, or offline privacy. This guide breaks down the leading options—Grouvee, Backloggery, and HowLongToBeat—and explains the key factors to consider when choosing one.

What “Letterboxd for Games� Actually Means

Letterboxd lets movie fans log films, rate them, write reviews, and follow friends. A game equivalent should let you:

• Mark games as played, playing, or in your backlog
• Rate games on a scale (usually 0.5 to 5 stars)
• Write reviews or notes
• See stats about your playtime and completion habits
• Follow other users and see their activity

No single app does all of this perfectly, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

The Main Contenders

Three services dominate this space:

• Grouvee – Often called the closest thing to Letterboxd. It uses the IGDB database (the same one behind Twitch) and offers a clean interface for logging, rating, and reviewing games. You can import your Steam library and track playtime.
• Backloggery – A long-running site focused on cataloging your backlog. It uses a “beaten, unfinished, completedâ€� system rather than star ratings. It feels more like a personal spreadsheet than a social network.
• HowLongToBeat – Primarily a site for seeing how long games take to finish, but it also lets you log games and track your own completion times. It’s the go-to for playtime data.

Other options include Infinite Backlog, Stash, and GameTrack, but they have smaller user bases or fewer features.

How to Choose: Key Factors

Ask yourself these questions before committing:

1. Do you want social features? If you want to follow friends and see their reviews, Grouvee is the best bet. Backloggery and HowLongToBeat are more solo-oriented.
2. How important is playtime tracking? HowLongToBeat excels at this, and Grouvee can import Steam hours. Backloggery does not track hours natively.
3. Do you play on multiple platforms? All three let you tag games by console, but Grouvee and Backloggery handle this more explicitly.
4. Do you care about a mobile app? Grouvee has a mobile-friendly website but no dedicated app. Backloggery is desktop-only. HowLongToBeat has a mobile site that works well.
5. What about data ownership? Backloggery lets you export your list as a CSV. Grouvee also offers export. HowLongToBeat does not have a public export feature.

Common Problems and Limitations

No service is perfect. Here are the biggest complaints from users:

• Missing games – Even with IGDB, some indie or obscure titles may not appear. You can often request additions, but it takes time.
• No offline mode – All three are web-based, so you need an internet connection to log anything. If you want a fully offline tracker, a spreadsheet is your only option.
• Duplicates and edition issues – A game may have separate entries for different regions or platforms, which can clutter your list.
• No official API for personal use – Grouvee has an API, but it’s not for individual users. Backloggery has no public API. This limits automation.

Comparison: Grouvee vs. Backloggery vs. HowLongToBeat

Here’s a quick side-by-side based on common needs:

• Best for social discovery – Grouvee. It has friend lists, activity feeds, and reviews.
• Best for backlog management – Backloggery. Its whole design is built around “the backlogâ€� and clearing it.
• Best for playtime data – HowLongToBeat. It crowdsources completion times and lets you compare yours to the average.
• Best for simplicity – HowLongToBeat. You can log a game in two clicks.
• Best for customization – Backloggery. You can create custom statuses and tags.

Costs and Privacy

All three services are free to use, with no premium tiers that gate core features. They are supported by ads or donations. That means your data is used for advertising in some form, so read their privacy policies if that matters to you. None of them have been involved in major data breaches as of this writing, but that can change.

Alternatives to Dedicated Apps

If none of these appeal, consider:

• Spreadsheets – Google Sheets or Excel give you total control. You can track any field you want and even build charts.
• Steam’s built-in features – If you play mostly on PC, Steam’s library and review system already covers rating and notes.
• Notion templates – Many people create custom game trackers in Notion, combining a database with a nice visual layout.

These options lack the automatic database and community, but they are private and fully customizable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import my Steam library into Grouvee?

Yes. Grouvee lets you connect your Steam account and import your owned games, including playtime. This is a major time-saver if you have a large library.

Does any app automatically track my playtime?

Not automatically across all platforms. Grouvee can pull Steam hours, but for consoles you have to enter times manually. HowLongToBeat only tracks how long you took to beat a game, not per-session hours.

Is there a real mobile app for any of these?

No. Grouvee, Backloggery, and HowLongToBeat are all websites. They are mobile-responsive, so they work in a phone browser, but there is no official app on the App Store or Google Play.

Can I write long reviews like on Letterboxd?

Grouvee allows reviews with no strict length limit. Backloggery has a notes field but it’s not designed for full reviews. HowLongToBeat has a review section as well, but it’s less prominent.

Which service has the largest game database?

Grouvee uses IGDB, which is one of the largest open game databases, so it generally has the most comprehensive coverage. HowLongToBeat also has a large database but focuses on games that have completion data.

Can I export my data if I switch services?

Grouvee and Backloggery both allow CSV export. HowLongToBeat does not currently offer a direct export, so you would have to copy your list manually.

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