Cipher Bureau

Inspiration

The idea for Cipher Bureau came from one simple question: What if Reddit users could become detectives instead of just scrolling through posts?

I wanted to build something that goes beyond entertainment a game that makes people think, work together, and enjoy solving problems. Detective stories have always been engaging, but I wanted to bring that experience into Reddit in a way that feels interactive and community-driven.

I also noticed that many games focus on speed, while very few reward observation, reasoning, and teamwork. Cipher Bureau was built to fill that gap.

What I built

Cipher Bureau is a detective game built for Reddit where players investigate cybercrime cases by following clues, analysing evidence, questioning suspects, and making the right deductions.

Players can enjoy different investigation scenarios, solve mysteries individually or with others, and earn points based on how accurately they solve each case.

My aim was to create an experience that is both fun and mentally engaging.

How I built it

I built Cipher Bureau using Devvit to integrate with Reddit, while the game interface was developed with React, TypeScript, and Vite.

One of my goals was to make the gameplay feel smooth while keeping the Reddit experience intact. I structured the game into multiple investigation stages so players gradually uncover clues before reaching a final conclusion.

Challenges I faced

One of the biggest challenges was adapting an existing game into the Devvit ecosystem. I had to understand how Reddit's webview works, restructure parts of our application, and resolve several build and deployment issues before everything came together.

Another challenge was designing cases that were difficult enough to be interesting but not so difficult that players would lose interest. I spent time balancing the clues and gameplay to make each investigation feel rewarding.

There were plenty of late-night debugging sessions, but solving those problems became part of the experience.

What I learned

Working on Cipher Bureau taught me a lot. I gained hands-on experience building with Devvit, improved our understanding of React and TypeScript in an interactive gaming environment, and learned how to optimise a webview application for Reddit.

More importantly, I learned that building a good game isn't just about writing code, it is about creating an experience that keeps users engaged from beginning to end.

What's next for Cipher Bureau

This is just the beginning.

I plan to introduce AI generated detective cases, daily mystery challenges, community-created investigations, multiplayer modes, detective rankings, achievements, and leaderboards.

My vision is to make Cipher Bureau the place where Reddit communities come together to solve mysteries, challenge one another, and have fun while sharpening their problem-solving skills.

Built With

• devvit
• react
• vite