About This Project
A8K Games Hub is my exploration into building interactive web applications with a focus on performance and user experience. I created this project to demonstrate my ability to develop engaging, responsive games while maintaining clean code architecture and optimal performance.
The Challenge
I wanted to build a platform that could host multiple games, each with unique mechanics and interactions, while maintaining:
- Minimal JavaScript footprint: Users shouldn’t wait for heavy game logic to load
- Responsive gameplay: Smooth interactions on any device
- Scalable architecture: Adding new games should be straightforward
- Performance: Games should run at 60fps without sacrificing features
My Approach
Game Architecture
I designed each game as a self-contained module with:
- Astro components for the UI structure and layout
- TypeScript for type-safe game logic and state management
- Reactive systems to handle real-time game updates
This modular approach meant I could build three distinct games (Hangman, Typing Speed Test, and Word Guessing) without code duplication, while making it easy to add more games later.
Performance Optimization
Using Astro’s island architecture was key. I could render game interfaces as static HTML and only add interactivity where needed, reducing the JavaScript budget significantly. This resulted in:
- Games loading instantly
- Smooth 60fps gameplay
- Minimal re-renders during play
Responsive Design Strategy
With Tailwind CSS, I built layouts that adapt intelligently from mobile phones to large displays. Each game’s interface considers touch interactions for mobile and keyboard/mouse for desktop, providing a native-feeling experience on any platform.
Technical Highlights
Game Logic Implementation
- State Management: Tracking game state, player progress, and scores
- Difficulty Levels: Implementing dynamic difficulty that adjusts based on player performance
- Win/Lose Conditions: Complex logic for determining game outcomes
- Score Calculations: Accurate metrics for tracking player performance
Interactive Features
- Real-time Feedback: Instant visual and audio feedback for player actions
- Dark Mode: System-aware theme switching for comfortable play anytime
- Progressive Web App: Users can install the hub as a standalone app
- Offline Support: Games remain playable without internet connection
Code Organization
Each game follows a consistent structure with components handling UI rendering, TypeScript files containing pure game logic, and data files managing configurations.
Key Learning Outcomes
Game Development on the Web
I deepened my understanding of:
- Building game loops and state machines
- Implementing timer-based mechanics
- Handling user input efficiently
- Managing game difficulty and progression
Performance Engineering
- Profiling and optimizing interactive performance
- Understanding the cost of various JavaScript operations
- Minimizing layout thrashing and reflows
- Using requestAnimationFrame effectively
Component Design
- Creating reusable UI components for different game states
- Managing shared layouts while allowing game-specific customization
- Designing for scalability from day one
Challenges I Overcame
Cross-browser Compatibility: Different browsers have different timer accuracies. I implemented a calibration system for the typing test to ensure fair results across all platforms.
Touch vs. Click: Games needed to feel responsive to both touch and mouse input. I created an abstraction layer to unify input handling.
State Persistence: Using PWA features to save game progress without external backends, allowing users to resume where they left off.
Impact & Results
This project demonstrates my ability to:
- Build complete interactive applications from scratch
- Optimize for performance in resource-constrained environments
- Design scalable, maintainable code for feature growth
- Deliver polished user experiences across all devices