Platform Summary
Real-time multiplayer Mancala application focused on low-latency gameplay, persistent user sessions, and consistent game-state synchronization across connected players.
Frontend
Next.js
Realtime
Socket.IO
Database
MongoDB Atlas
Coursework Detail Page
Mancala Multiplayer Game
Mancala Reef
A real-time Mancala platform with Socket.IO gameplay sync, persistent sessions, and split deployment across Vercel + Render.
Mancala project details
System Architecture
The platform is intentionally split between Vercel and Render to keep SSR/auth workflows separate from long-lived websocket workloads.
| Layer | Host | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend + API | Vercel | Authentication, pages, and session management. |
| Socket Server | Render | Gameplay state sync, lobby lifecycle, and chat messaging. |
| Persistence | MongoDB Atlas + Prisma | Users, games, messages, and player statistics. |
Core Real-Time Events
- createLobby / joinLobby: creates or enters active rooms.
- makeMove: validates turn logic, persists state, then broadcasts updates.
- sendMessage: room-scoped chat synchronized for both players.
- gameOver: finalizes winner/draw and closes active session state.
- connection / disconnect: tracks user presence and cleanup.
Data Model + Reliability
- User: auth, sessions, and lifetime statistics.
- Game: board state, timestamps, outcome, and replayable history.
- Chat: persisted lobby messages tied to game context.
- Application-level trigger updates wins/losses/draws when status transitions to complete.
- Request validation and typed Prisma flows prevent malformed event payloads.
Testing Coverage
Test suite includes unit and API tests today, with socket integration test expansion in progress for multi-user game path simulation.
Unit
Game logic, state transitions, utility helpers.
API
Auth, game creation, stat-update paths.
Integration
Socket event flow and multiplayer consistency (in progress).