🕵️ About
r/Conspiracy is a constrained collaborative fiction engine that uses spatial interaction and strict contribution limits to transform chaotic user-generated content into structured collective storytelling. The system prioritizes safety and sustainability through layered moderation, anti-spam controls, and global data persistence.
💡 Inspiration
We wanted to create a game that captures the chaotic energy of conspiracy theorists connecting red strings on cork boards - but make it collaborative, moderated, and fun. The challenge was building something that could scale without constant manual moderation while keeping the community safe and engaged across multiple daily posts.
🎮 What it does
Redd Conspiracy transforms Reddit into an interactive investigation board where users:
Drag and drop clue cards on a realistic cork board
Connect evidence with red string (bezier curves!)
Create ONE card per conspiracy (strategic limitation)
Generate custom conspiracies from 50 unique templates
Collaborate with the community to build wild theories
Participate in daily challenges with fresh conspiracies every 24 hours
The game includes 10 default conspiracies (Alien Cover-ups, Birds Aren't Real, Flat Earth, etc.) plus unlimited community-generated ones. Every card automatically posts as a Reddit comment, keeping everything transparent and integrated.
Key Innovation: Global Data Persistence
Cards and community submissions are shared across ALL posts
Users see consistent data regardless of which post they visit
Only daily challenges remain post-specific for fresh content
One submission per user lifetime (truly global, not per-post)
🛠️ How we built it
Frontend: React 19 + Tailwind CSS 4 with touch-optimized drag-and-drop
Backend: Node.js serverless (Devvit) + Hono + Redis with global/post-specific key architecture
Moderation: 2-layer system using leo-profanity (client) and obscenity + wink-nlp (server) - no AI needed
Anti-Spam: Rate limiting, daily limits, similarity detection, and shadow throttling
Integration: Reddit API for seamless comment posting and moderator detection
Daily System: Automated cron job (midnight UTC) + manual MOD creation with 30 unique conspiracies
🚧 Challenges we ran into
Scaling without moderation: Built a dual-layer content filter that catches profanity, slurs, and defamatory content without AI APIs
Global data consistency: Implemented Redis key architecture separating global data (shared across posts) from post-specific data (daily challenges)
Anti-spam protection: Implemented 4-layer defense (rate limits, daily caps, similarity checks, shadow throttles)
Mobile touch support: Made pinch-to-zoom and drag-and-drop work smoothly on mobile with native scrolling
One card per user: Enforcing strategic limitations while allowing edits with proper rate limiting
Board capacity: Balancing unlimited creativity with performance (120 card limit per conspiracy)
Daily challenge system: Auto-rotating 30 unique conspiracies without repeats, with dedicated boards per post
✨ Features and Rules
Core Features:
Interactive cork board with zoom (50-300%), pan, and lock controls
One card per user per conspiracy (edit anytime, 24h cooldown)
Character limits: 50 characters (title), 150 characters (content) with live counters
Red string connections with hover-to-delete
Community conspiracy generator (10 topics × 5 templates = 50 combinations)
Daily challenge system with 30 unique conspiracies rotating automatically
Moderator tools for reviewing submissions and managing cards
Visual "YOU" badge on your cards with green pushpin
Global data persistence - see the same cards across all posts
Instant-loading archive modal with async data fetching
Rules:
All conspiracies must be fictional/speculative
No real-world accusations or defamatory content
One conspiracy submission per user lifetime (global, not per-post)
Daily update limit with similarity checks (>90% = rejected)
Max 50 pending submissions, max 50 approved community conspiracies
Shadow throttle after 3 rapid edits (5-minute cooldown)
Daily Challenge System:
New post every 24 hours via cron job (midnight UTC)
30 unique conspiracies with codenames (e.g., "PROJECT MIDNIGHT SUN")
Fresh board daily - each post starts blank
Auto-approved posts with themed titles
Manual creation available via MOD menu
Post-specific data (not shared globally)
🏆 Accomplishments we're proud of
Zero AI moderation - Built robust content filtering with local libraries only
Global data architecture - Seamless data sharing across all posts while keeping daily challenges unique
Performance optimization - Archive modal opens instantly with skeleton loading states
Mobile-first design - Touch gestures work flawlessly on all devices
Anti-spam system - 4-layer protection prevents abuse without blocking legitimate users
Daily automation - Fully automated post creation with 30-day rotation cycle
Type-safe codebase - Zero TypeScript errors, production-ready
Reddit integration - Every card becomes a comment automatically
📚 What we learned
Redis key architecture is crucial for multi-post data consistency
Client-side soft filters + server-side hard filters = effective moderation without AI
Strategic limitations (one card per user) create better engagement than unlimited freedom
Shadow throttling is more effective than explicit rate limit messages
Async data loading with skeleton states dramatically improves perceived performance
Global vs post-specific data separation enables both persistence and freshness
Touch events require careful handling for mobile drag-and-drop
🚀 What's next for Redd Conspiracy
Card voting/reactions system
Export board as shareable image
Real-time collaborative editing indicators
User profiles with contribution statistics
Timeline view for conspiracy evolution
Card categories and advanced search
Moderator analytics dashboard
Undo/redo for connections
Conspiracy templates for easier creation
Weekly/monthly challenge leaderboards
Built with ❤️ for conspiracy enthusiasts who want to connect the dots and uncover "the truth" - safely and collaboratively.
"Connect the dots. Uncover the truth. Build your theory."
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