WordPlay

A game using a main screen, client mobile devices, node.js and socket.io

** it works! Try it at http://wordplay-node.heroku.com/

Basic idea:

• Node.js server using express and socket.io
• A large screen display opens index.html which creates a game, and shows game state on the large display
• Clients can scan the qr code on the large display to join the game
• Clients play the game on their mobile devices, which sends data to the socket.io server, and in turn updates the large display

The game here is a basic word game where you use the letters on the display to form words and get points for you / your team. It includes a basic english dictionary check to make sure people don't enter jibberish.

Implemented ideas:

• scrabble-like scoring system
• timed games (1 or 2 minutes) with a countdown on the main display
• smarter logic when adding new letters to replace used ones
  • ensure a decent number of vowels
  • ensure each Q has a matching U
  • prevent lots of hard letters
  • prevent lots of duplicate letters
• host in heroku
• ask client for name when they connect
  • remember client devices to maintain player profile, avoid having to enter name every time
• client disconnect logic
  • on client disconnect, remove from main screen
• change submission logic to a "time-slice" system
  • clients can submit whatever they want, but the server evaluates all guesses after X seconds - the highest scoring submission gets the points for that timeslice. this prevents lots of players making the game more or less unplayable because of stolen letters
• moved code to several files:
  • server2.js - kicks off the express and socket.io servers, binds wordplay-router
  • wordplay-router.js - logic for initial connections
  • wordplay-game.js - all the server-side game logic, handles game and client events
  • wordplay-client.js - server-side client logic, handles guess submissions
  • wordplay-mirror.js - client for game hosts, doesn't do anything (yet)
• replace letters in place instead of appending to end
• add letters to client screen, let player use letters instead of the keyboard (thanks @beardedinventor !)
• made client look pretty (thanks @nvlesparker !)
• more information on client
  • "how to play" text
  • letters available (so you don't have to switch back and forth between screen and device)
  • player state (score, last word scored, etc)
  • word state (if you did score, or if you failed, why - someone stole letters, not english, no letters in game)
• end game logic and restart next round
• notifications on successful words
  • show most recent scoring word

Ideas:

• refactor client code and html
• main screen disconnect logic
  • on main screen disconnect, inform all clients
• ADS! Show 30 second video on main display while waiting for next round, banner image on client devices
• notifications on successful words
  • on both main screen and client
• streak/bonus points
  • points for using letters that have been there for awhile
• show game slice counter
• make main screen look pretty
• leaderboard
• multiple displays per game (right now each display starts a new gamestate)
• cool stats
  • word count per player

  • of failures per player (and type, i.e. not english, no letter, etc.)

  • speed of players
  • reused words
  • highest scoring word
• show stats on client device as well as main screen