Silva Chijioke Michael

Posted on Dec 5, 2023 • Edited on May 14

How I built a multiplayer game with no backend

#webdev #javascript #websuckit

Crafting Multiplayer X and O Game: A WebSuckit Adventure

Abstract

Join me on a journey into the world of multiplayer online games as we dive into creating a WebSocket-powered tic-tac-toe game. This article aims to demystify the process and provide a hands-on guide for building a real-time gaming experience.

Introduction

Picture this: You built a game about two, three years ago as a yearly vanilla javascript refresher. This was a simple tic-tac-toe game that manipulated arrays, objects, and the browser Dom and this was forgotten somewhere in your GitHub with a "To Do" comment that read "Make this a multiplayer Game".

Fast forward a couple of months into 2023, you reached out to a couple of friends and you get to find out they've been working on a duplex communication platform for developers and there's a need for example projects, and voila! out of the plethora of unfinished chat apps, you remember the "To Do" comment this was almost as perfect as Lee laying that first kick on Gara's head in the season 1 of the Naruto series.

Let's Set the Scene

Before we jump into the coding magic, let's set the stage. Why WebSocket, you ask? Well, WebSocket enables seamless communication between clients and servers, making it ideal for creating responsive and interactive multiplayer games but then I had no intentions of setting up a backend server for the project, I didn't even run a 'node init'.

The Challenge

There were three major challenges, the first was setting up a connection to the native websocket server, the second was managing the logic for the first connection between the initializer and others joining using his URL, and finally managing and communicating disconnections.

The Tech Behind the Magic

WebSuckit 101

First things first, let's get familiar with the star of the show: WebSuckIt. This section serves as your crash course, so buckle up.

Setting Up the Playground

Time to get our hands dirty. We'll set up the environment, initialize the game engine, and lay the foundation for our multiplayer masterpiece.

firstly we introduced our package in our HTML file

    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@websuckit/js/dist/websuckit.umd.js"></script>

Next, we instantiate a websuckit class, to do this we simply had to create an account on websuckit.

navigated to our profile and copied out the necessary credentials required to initialize our class.

const config = {
  PUBLIC_KEY: "your public key",
  USER_ID: "your user ID",
  ACCESS_KEY: "your access key",
};

//ws - Our websuckit class 
const ws = new Websuckit({
  userId: config.USER_ID,
  accessKey: config.ACCESS_KEY,
  publicKey: config.PUBLIC_KEY,
});`

The Gameplay

With the stage set and the tech in place, let the gameplay commence. We'll break down the technical details into bite-sized chunks, exploring each aspect of our game.

Player X vs. Player O

Delve into the intricacies of player interactions. How does the game react when Player X makes a move? How about Player O? We've got it covered.

The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Defeat

Explore the logic behind determining a winner or declaring a draw. After all, every game needs a champion.

Bringing It to Life

Enough theory; let's bring our creation to life. Follow along as we implement the game, step by step. By the end, you'll have a functioning multiplayer tic-tac-toe game to call your own.

What's in It for You?

Wondering why you should embark on this WebSocket adventure? We'll uncover the benefits, the skills you'll gain, and the sheer joy of seeing your creation in action.

Challenges and Lessons

Every adventure comes with its challenges. We'll navigate through potential pitfalls and share the lessons learned along the way.

Conclusion

As our WebSocket journey comes to an end, take a moment to reflect on the incredible world of real-time gaming you've just stepped into. Cheers to the countless multiplayer adventures that lie ahead!

Join the Fun

Ready to embark on your WebSocket journey? Dive into the code, explore the nuances, and bring your own twist to this multiplayer gaming saga. Let the games begin!

About the Author

Meet [Your Name], a passionate developer with a knack for turning complex concepts into engaging adventures. Connect on [LinkedIn/Twitter/GitHub] for more coding escapades.

Feel free to personalize and adapt this template to match your style and the specific details of your WebSocket gaming experience. Happy writing!

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