Real-time SaaS
Upfront Games
A live game-show platform that brings the host console, projector display, and audience phones together. Built and deployed with multiplayer synchronization, organization accounts, and a shared engine for 14 game formats.
The problem
A live audience cannot wait for a refresh. Every buzz, vote, and score needs to stay consistent across devices and server instances, while the host’s answer key stays private.
How I approached it
I directed an AI-assisted build from architecture through deployment. PostgreSQL decides contested actions, server-sent events keep each screen current, and separate host, display, and phone snapshots define what each audience can see. A common game contract supports the builder and all three live interfaces.
Inside the build
- Database-arbitrated buzz order and bids keep outcomes consistent across instances.
- Idempotent command handling prevents retries from awarding points or submitting actions twice.
- Separate snapshots keep answer keys off the projector and room rosters off audience phones.
- Built AI deck generation with schema validation and a reserve–settle credit ledger.
- 4,100+ assertions exercise domain behavior without production secrets or a database.
The result
Deployed on Google Cloud Run with 14 complete game formats, automated delivery, and domain tests covering game engines, permissions, pricing, and real-time behavior.
Where it stands
Designed for a maximum of 400 phones per room; this is a configured capacity limit, not a measured load-test result. Stripe billing and AI generation are implemented, with production activation controlled separately.