Inspiration: I was constantly seeing random “facts” online and couldn’t tell what was legit anymore. So I thought—why not turn that into a game? Something fun, fast-paced, and actually useful where people can test their instincts and learn something along the way. When I found out the hackathons' theme was entertainment I knew it was the perfect opportunity for me to work on this gamified project. That’s how Fact Buster was born.
What it does: Fact Buster is a trivia game where you read a statement and have to decide if it’s a real, verified fact or something totally fake (AI-generated). It’s designed to be both entertaining and educational—think of it as a game that makes you smarter without feeling like school (please don't replace school with our app). My website will surely equip you with facts that could shock others.
How we built it: I built the frontend with React, styled it using Tailwind CSS, and added animations with Framer Motion for a smoother experience. The backend runs on Node.js with Express, and I used Firebase for authentication and data storage. Everything communicates through API calls, and I am also adding real-time multiplayer with Socket.io but thats planned to be completed later. Everything was coded on Cursor.
Challenges we ran into: One of the trickiest parts was getting the streak tracking system to work smoothly. I didn’t just want to track right/wrong answers—I wanted streaks to match the actual game flow, update in real-time, and persist even if someone logged out or switched devices. Syncing that with Firebase, avoiding edge cases (like refreshing mid-game), and making sure it never showed the wrong result took a lot of debugging. It sounds simple, but making it reliable and accurate was one of the most complex parts of the project. For some odd reason my streak tracking system wasn't syncing in with where the streak was being tracked which really got on my nerves.
Accomplishments that we're proud of: For me, UI design really matters—I wanted Fact Buster to feel modern, clean, and just fun to use. I’m super proud of how the interface turned out. The layout, colors, and smooth transitions all came together exactly how I planned, and it honestly gives the game that addicting, polished vibe. Those little animations and feedback moments take the user experience to another level. It’s more than just trivia—it feels like a game you'd want to keep playing. I mentioned the importance of this in my demo video as well.
What we learned: One of the biggest lessons was around building and executing a realistic roadmap. At first, I had a bunch of ambitious ideas and extra features planned, but as I started coding I quickly realized that trying to do everything at once just slows you down. I learned to prioritize the core gameplay and user experience, and that focusing on getting the main thing right is more important than unfinished extras. I left more "extra" features for another time. Creating a clear, achievable plan and sticking to it helped me actually bring the project to life, instead of getting stuck in never-ending development.
What's next for Fact Buster - Real or Fake?: Multiplayer is the big one—I am already working on letting friends play together in real-time. We also want to expand categories (history, pop culture, even meme facts?), add leaderboards, and improve the streak system with rewards. The goal is to make FactBuster the go-to game for brainy fun when you're bored but still want to feel productive. I believe this project is really scalable and has great potentially and I just have to keep working on it.
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