Crack and Stack

Every game is a new adventure! Are you ready?
At the end of every level, exchange your keys, use VRF to receive your reward and stack treasures!

Inspiration

As a lifelong Pokémon enthusiast, what captivated me most were the intricate puzzles in various caves. A standout memory is the exhilaration of navigating Articuno's cave as a kid. "Crack and Stack" embodies this spirit of adventure and problem-solving. While it's in its early stages, our vision includes introducing more complex puzzles, adding random enemies, and offering more objects that yield substantial rewards. Imagine navigating a map with a whole ETHEREUM, surrounded by fire and monsters – that's the kind of excitement we're aiming for.

What it does

"Crack and Stack" is a top-down retro platformer game where your primary goal is to conquer three floors and collect up to three keys. Each key provides a chance to unlock the big chest, akin to a jackpot. Even if unlocking fails, players are rewarded with Matic, ensuring that every attempt is rewarding.

How we built it

We crafted this game using Wagmi, Next.js, and Vercel, building the entire game engine natively with React, without relying on external game engine frameworks. We used VRF, Functions, and Automation.

VRF to determine the random rewards that players receive at the end of each level.
Functions to call our API. This API is designed to retrieve the game IDs that either haven't been awarded any keys or have exceeded the time limit. These games, adds more MATIC to the main reward, increasing the value returned to the players.
Automation to streamline the process, Chainlink Automation is configured to make this API call every 15 minutes.

Challenges we ran into

Implementing functions posed significant challenges, and a fully integrated system was completed just yesterday – nearly at the deadline! Admittedly, the code isn't perfect or fully refactored, and these last-minute touches were added just an hour before the submission deadline, following the release of our YouTube video. Initially, we planned for NFTs and more complex elements, but simplifying to a basic, playable level was key for this version. The smart contract includes options for future enhancements, which we're excited to explore.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Transitioning from Vue to React for this project was a leap, but we're proud of embracing Next.js and Vercel. Utilizing the Wagmi library was challenging but incredibly rewarding. Surprisingly, we managed to incorporate Functions and Automation into the final product, a feat we hadn't initially anticipated.

What we learned

Wagmi proved to be an excellent library for our needs. The smooth functionality of VRF, Functions, and Automation, helped us to see the true potential of what you can do with those services. Additionally, our journey revealed a notable insight: creating basic browser games, despite their inherent challenges, without the use of complex frameworks, significantly enhances game performance. This approach, while presenting its own set of unique difficulties, resulted in a more streamlined and efficient gaming experience, demonstrating a valuable trade-off between simplicity and performance.

What's next for Crack and Stack

We're planning to ramp up the production value: by adding music, and sound effects, and enhancing the art. NFT integration is on the horizon, allowing players to trade keys and special maps. We're also excited to introduce NPCs, and various objects, and run multiple chests simultaneously with varied prizes and entry fees, making the game even more thrilling and engaging.