10 months • Led 3 developers, then sole owner
Virtual Escape Room Platform
Full-Stack Team Lead
Led development of a browser-based multiplayer escape room platform from prototype to launch, then took over as sole owner of the codebase. Built a custom HLS streaming pipeline that cut infrastructure costs by 70%+ compared to AWS Media Services, while keeping video load times near-instant.
ReactNode.jsWebSocketsPhaserAWS
The Challenge
A gaming startup needed a virtual escape room platform that could handle real-time multiplayer interactions with minimal latency.
Real-time synchronization across multiple players
Game state and puzzle logic needed to stay in sync for every player
Low latency needed for the experience to feel real-time
Scalable architecture for concurrent game sessions
Cross-platform compatibility for different devices
Strategic Approach
Built a real-time multiplayer platform on WebSockets, with game state management tuned for collaborative gameplay.
Real-time Multiplayer Architecture
Implemented low-latency communication system for synchronized gameplay
WebSocket data flows with compression and throttling for real-time events
Backend event timing synchronized with the Phaser rendering loop
Recovery logic for missed packets and seamless rejoin after network drops
Player simulation harness for stress testing without live testers
Custom HLS Streaming Pipeline
Replaced costly AWS Media Services with a purpose-built video pipeline
Python scripts segment cutscene videos into HLS at multiple resolutions
Automated uploads to S3 with CDN distribution
Adaptive bitrate playback in the frontend for instant start
Cutscenes load near-instantly at a fraction of the managed-service cost
Business Impact
~70%+ reduction in infrastructure costs
Cost Savings
Near-instant video playback vs. multi-second loading
Performance
Automatic reconnection and failover on network drops
Reliability
Corporate remote-events bookings
New Market
Custom HLS pipeline, replacing AWS Media Services
Streaming
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