Revised Development Roadmap: Cross-Platform Gaming App

Revised Development Roadmap: Cross-Platform Gaming App (Full Deno Stack)

Phase 1: Development Environment Setup (WSL2 + Deno + Expo)

1.1 WSL2 Setup

  • Install WSL2 with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
  • Install Windows Terminal for better WSL experience
  • Configure VS Code with WSL extension
  • Set up file system in WSL (~/projects/game-platform/)

1.2 Deno + Node.js Setup in WSL2

  • Install Deno: curl -fsSL https://deno.land/install.sh | sh
  • Install Node.js via nvm (for Expo)
  • Install Expo CLI: npm install -g @expo/cli
  • Configure PATH for both Deno and Node.js

1.3 VS Code Extensions

  • Deno extension (for backend development)
  • React Native Tools (for Expo)
  • Expo Tools
  • WSL extension
  • TypeScript Hero (for import management)

1.4 Project Structure

~/projects/game-platform/
├── mobile-app/        # Expo + React Native
├── backend/          # Deno WebSocket API
├── shared/           # Shared TypeScript types
│   ├── types.ts      # User, Message, Game types
│   └── api.ts        # API request/response types
└── docs/            # Documentation

1.5 Supabase Setup

  • Create Supabase project
  • Configure authentication (email/password)
  • Design database schema (users, friendships, games, chat_messages)
  • Generate API keys for both environments

Phase 2: Backend Foundation (Deno + TypeScript)

2.1 Deno Project Initialization

  • Create deno.json configuration file
  • Set up import map for dependencies
  • Choose Hono framework for lightweight WebSocket API
  • Create basic project structure with routes

2.2 Core Dependencies Setup

// Key dependencies in import map
- "hono": "https://deno.land/x/hono/mod.ts"
- "supabase": "https://esm.sh/@supabase/supabase-js"
- "cors": "https://deno.land/x/cors/mod.ts"
- "dotenv": "https://deno.land/std/dotenv/mod.ts"

2.3 Shared Type Definitions

  • Create shared types for User, Message, GameState, Connection
  • Define WebSocket message types and API request/response shapes
  • Set up type exports for mobile app consumption

2.4 Basic Hono Server

  • HTTP server with CORS configured for mobile
  • Health check endpoint (GET /health)
  • API versioning structure (/api/v1/...)
  • Environment configuration loading

2.5 Supabase Integration

  • JWT verification middleware
  • User authentication utilities
  • Database connection and query helpers
  • Row Level Security (RLS) setup

Phase 3: WebSocket Infrastructure (Deno)

3.1 WebSocket Connection Management

  • WebSocket upgrade endpoint (GET /ws/:connection_id)
  • Connection state management (Map<UserId, WebSocket>)
  • Connection authentication and validation
  • Heartbeat/ping-pong implementation

3.2 Message Routing System

  • Message type definitions (chat, game_invite, game_move, presence)
  • Message validation and sanitization
  • Broadcast utilities for friend connections
  • Error handling and connection cleanup

3.3 Connection Link System

  • Connection link generation (POST /api/connections/create)
  • Secure token generation with expiration
  • Link validation and acceptance (POST /api/connections/accept/:token)
  • Database operations for pending/active connections

Phase 4: Mobile App Foundation (Expo + React Native)

4.1 Expo Project Setup

  • npx create-expo-app --template blank-typescript
  • Configure app.json for cross-platform deployment
  • Install Expo Router and navigation dependencies
  • Set up shared types import from backend

4.2 Shared Types Integration

  • Create symlink or copy mechanism for shared types
  • TypeScript configuration for shared imports
  • Type-safe API client setup
  • WebSocket message type safety

4.3 Authentication System

  • Supabase Auth configuration with Expo
  • Login/Register screens with form validation
  • Secure token storage (expo-secure-store)
  • Authentication context and protected routes
  • Auth state persistence

4.4 Core App Structure

app/
├── (auth)/
│   ├── login.tsx
│   ├── register.tsx
│   └── _layout.tsx
├── (tabs)/
│   ├── friends.tsx
│   ├── _layout.tsx
│   └── profile.tsx
├── chat/[friendId].tsx
├── game/[friendId].tsx
├── connect/[token].tsx
└── _layout.tsx

Phase 5: Core Features Implementation

5.1 WebSocket Service (React Native)

  • WebSocket connection manager class
  • Type-safe message handling with shared types
  • Automatic reconnection with exponential backoff
  • Connection state management (React Context)
  • Message queue for offline scenarios

5.2 Friend Connection System

  • Connection link generation and sharing
  • QR code generation (expo-barcode-scanner)
  • Friends list with pending/active states
  • Real-time connection status updates
  • Share API integration for connection links

5.3 Chat Functionality

  • Chat interface with FlatList optimization
  • Real-time messaging via WebSocket
  • Message history from Supabase
  • Typing indicators and message status
  • Image/file sharing capabilities

5.4 Game System (Tic-Tac-Toe)

  • Game board component with Pressable interactions
  • Game state synchronization via WebSocket
  • Turn management and move validation (backend)
  • Win/draw detection and animations
  • Game history and statistics

Phase 6: Backend Game Logic (Deno)

6.1 Game State Management

  • Tic-tac-toe game logic and validation
  • Turn-based move processing
  • Win condition detection
  • Game session persistence
  • Game history tracking

6.2 Real-time Game Updates

  • Move broadcasting to both players
  • Game state synchronization
  • Turn timer implementation
  • Game completion handling
  • Rematch functionality

Phase 7: Mobile-Specific Features

7.1 Push Notifications

  • Expo Notifications setup
  • Backend notification triggers (Deno + Supabase)
  • Deep linking from notifications
  • Notification permissions handling

7.2 Native Enhancements

  • Haptic feedback (expo-haptics)
  • App state change handling
  • Network connectivity detection
  • Background task management

7.3 UI/UX Polish

  • Custom design system with React Native styles
  • Loading states and error boundaries
  • Accessibility features
  • Dark/light theme support

Phase 8: Testing and Optimization

8.1 Backend Testing (Deno)

  • Unit tests with Deno’s built-in test runner
  • WebSocket connection testing
  • API endpoint testing
  • Database integration tests

8.2 Mobile Testing

  • Expo Go testing on physical devices
  • Cross-platform UI testing
  • WebSocket reliability testing
  • Performance profiling

8.3 Type Safety Validation

  • End-to-end type checking
  • Shared type consistency validation
  • API contract testing

Phase 9: Production Deployment

9.1 Backend Deployment (Deno)

  • Option A: Deno Deploy (serverless, easiest)
  • Option B: Docker + Railway/Fly.io (more control)
  • Environment variables and secrets
  • SSL/TLS for WebSocket connections
  • Database connection pooling

9.2 Mobile App Deployment

  • EAS Build configuration
  • iOS App Store Connect setup
  • Google Play Console setup
  • TestFlight and Internal Testing
  • Production release optimization

9.3 Web Deployment

  • Expo web build optimization
  • Static hosting or PWA deployment
  • Service worker for offline capability

Estimated Timeline

  • Phase 1: 2-3 days (Environment setup)
  • Phase 2: 1 week (Deno backend foundation)
  • Phase 3: 1 week (WebSocket infrastructure)
  • Phase 4: 1 week (Mobile app foundation)
  • Phase 5: 2-3 weeks (Core features)
  • Phase 6: 1 week (Game logic)
  • Phase 7: 1 week (Mobile features)
  • Phase 8: 1 week (Testing)
  • Phase 9: 1 week (Deployment)
  • Total: 8-11 weeks

Key Advantages of This Approach

  • Full TypeScript stack with shared types
  • Rapid development with Deno’s built-in tooling
  • Simple deployment options (Deno Deploy vs containerized)
  • Type safety from database to UI
  • Modern tooling throughout the stack

Ready to start with Phase 1, or would you like me to detail any specific phase implementation?

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