Full disclosure: I'm the creator of TurnKit, a purpose-built authoritative relay for turn-based games. I've tried to keep this objective based on real development experience and public pricing (as of April 2026), let me know if I got something wrong or missed something.
For indie turn-based multiplayer, the core trade-off is development speed versus authority (cheat protection, turn enforcement, hidden data handling). The practical paths break down into four distinct approaches:
- Custom Backend: Build full authority from scratch (e.g., Node.js/Go + database + WebSockets).
- Per-Match Servers: Spawn headless game instances per match (Unity Netcode, Mirror, Godot equivalents).
- Basic Relays: Pure message forwarding (Unity Relay, Photon PUN).
- Authoritative Relay: Lightweight server that enforces turns and filters data without running the full game engine (TurnKit is currently the dedicated implementation in this niche).
General tools like Nakama or Colyseus require you to implement turn validation, hidden state, and signed results manually.
Pricing comparisson:
Basic relays tend to be the cheapest option at low scale, but they can become less attractive as player numbers grow or when cheating risk increases. An authoritative relay approach adds built-in protections while aiming to keep operational costs and complexity relatively low.
Like any solution, this approach has limitations. In 1v1 matches, client voting systems can allow griefing where a losing player falsely votes to end the match. Similar risks of collusion exist in games with three or more players. Because of these trust boundaries, this type of lightweight authoritative relay is generally not recommended for games involving real money
What backend or approach are you using (or considering) for your turn-based game? What has been your biggest pain point so far? Feel free to share in the comments. Did I get any of the pricings wrong or missed some option?
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