Hey everyone 👋
About two months ago I posted about a real-time game I built called WWC Mafia — a quick, anonymous social deduction game inspired by Mafia/Werewolf that required no signup, just click and play.
Since then, I’ve kept building — and things got weird (in a good way 😄).
🧪 The Experiment Evolves
What started as a single game mode inside WWC is now a side project of its own: The Hideout.
It’s not a product, not monetized — just an experimental multiplayer platform for fast, anonymous party games.
🕵️ What It Does
Lets you join party games (Mafia, Spyfall, Undercover) through secret links
No signups, no search — just a URL or QR code
Real-time chat and role-based turns using WebSockets
Ghost chat system (eliminated players talk privately)
Waiting room for pre-game chat and late joins
It's intentionally a little mysterious — more like a digital speakeasy than a public game site.
🧰 Tech Stack
Frontend: Next.js + React
Backend: Node.js + Express
Real-time: Socket.IO
State: In-memory for now (looking into Redis later)
Hosting: Vercel (frontend), Render (backend — might upgrade)
💡 Why I’m Making This
I like building things that feel alive — multiplayer, real-time, weird little online worlds.
Some of the goals for this were:
Push my understanding of WebSocket-based game loops
Figure out how to handle state transitions (join → lobby → game → postgame)
Keep it simple but expressive
Experiment with hidden-access mechanics
It’s also fun to design something that doesn’t want to be found unless you’re invited.
🔍 What I’m Still Exploring
Cleaner game logic across different party games
Moderation / kick-vote system
Host tools and player roles
Maybe storing rounds for playback/debugging
UI improvements (still very prototype-looking)
🧠 Lessons Learned So Far
Real-time multiplayer is chaotic and rewarding
Socket events need strict structure or things break fast
Keeping it anonymous keeps the vibe casual (but also needs safeguards)
Shipping early gets you unstuck
🤖 If You're Curious...
You can check out WWC Mafia here: (https://worldwidechat.vercel.app)
and if u have any improvements or suggestions feel free to leave a comment.🙂
Thanks for reading. If you’re into multiplayer games, WebSocket stuff, or just weird online social projects — I’d love to see what you’re building too.
– Hito (aka H1-T0)
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