Multiplayer Minesweeper

A real-time cooperative Minesweeper game where multiple players can work together to clear the board.

Features

• Guest Login: Play without creating an account using the guest login option
• User Accounts: Create persistent accounts to save your best times and game history
• Real-time Multiplayer: Join rooms with friends or other players
• Multiple Difficulties: Easy (8x8), Medium (16x16), and Hard (24x24) game modes
• Leaderboards: Track your best completion times across all difficulties

Project Structure

• Core Game Logic: Minesweeper engine, game rules, difficulty settings
• Frontend: Game board UI, settings interface, real-time updates
• Multiplayer: WebSocket handling, game state synchronization
• Database: User authentication, leaderboards, game history

Technology Stack

• Backend: Node.js, hosted on Render
• Frontend: React, hosted on Netlify
• WebSockets: Socket.io
• Development: Nix for reproducible environments

Development Setup

Prerequisites

1. Install Nix:

sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install)

2. Enable Flakes

mkdir -p ~/.config/nix
echo "experimental-features = nix-command flakes" >> ~/.config/nix/nix.conf

3. Enter Dev Environment:

nix develop

Development Workflow

Branch Structure

• main - Deployed branch
• dev - Development branch
• feature/[feature-name] - Individual feature branches

Workflow Steps

1. Starting New Work

• Create a new branch from dev
• Use naming convention: feature/game-logic, feature/multiplayer, etc.

git checkout dev
git pull origin dev
git checkout -b feature/your-feature

2. During Development

• Commit regularly with clear messages
• Keep pulls from dev to stay updated

git commit -m "descriptive message"
git pull origin dev

3. Submitting Changes

• Push your feature branch
• Create a Pull Request (PR) to dev
• GET A REVIEW BEFORE MERGING

git push origin feature/your-feature

Commit Messages

• Start with verb (add, fix, update)
• Be descriptive but concise
• Examples:
  • Add mine placement logic
  • Fix websocket disconnect issue
  • Update game settings UI

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/bzhang102/Minesweeper.git
cd multiplayer-minesweeper

2. Enter Nix development environment

nix develop

3. Install dependencies

npm install

Running the Application

Start the Server

cd src/server
npm install
npm start

The server will run on http://localhost:3000

Start the Client

cd src/client
npm install
npm run dev

The client will run on http://localhost:5173

Guest Login

• Click the "Play as Guest" button on the login page
• A unique guest username will be generated for you
• You can play immediately without creating an account
• Note: Guest users won't have persistent game statistics

Creating an Account

• Click "Create Account" to register a new user
• Your game statistics and best times will be saved
• You can log in with your credentials on future visits