Another University Reading Week has come and gone, so that means another Hackathon!
This time, Jessica Long, Tom Arnett, Oskar Riches and I shifted our focus, creating a game rather than a traditional software project. The constraints were clear: it had to be a game played entirely on a single screen.
We decided to build a multiplayer Geometry Dash-esque game controlled using phone motion controls!
I focused on the backend, architecting a Python FastAPI service. I utilised WebSockets for robust, low-latency, two-way communication between players and the orchestration server handling sessions and dataflow.
This design allows for massive scalability, and I also implemented a Jackbox-style lobby system, enabling users to join games instantly with a simple 4-character code.
And the results? We're thrilled to share we placed 3rd overall, and even better—we won the award for 'Best Technical Solution'. This recognises our innovative use of WebSockets and real-time multiplayer infrastructure.
Huge thanks to Benjamin Gorman, Gernot Armin Liebchen, and the rest of the School of Computing and Engineering for organising such a brilliant event. The whole team is already looking forward to the next one!
Want to try it out?
Play the game here: 👉 https://dash.bedbugz.uk or
View the source code: here 💻