RedUNO

Play UNO with Redditors — right inside your subreddit!

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Inspiration

We wanted to bring the fun, chaos, and nostalgia of UNO to the Reddit community. Reddit thrives on shared experiences, and we thought — what if a subreddit could host interactive UNO matches right inside a post? That idea sparked RedUNO — a Devvit-powered mini app that transforms any Reddit post into a live UNO game arena where users can challenge each other, form lobbies, and play using Reddit’s comment-based interaction system.

What it does

RedUNO allows Redditors to:

  • Create or join UNO lobbies inside a subreddit post
  • Draw, play, skip, and reverse cards through interactive Devvit UI
  • Track game state and player turns in real time
  • Compete on subreddit leaderboards
  • Celebrate victories with special in-game achievements or Reddit flairs

It’s UNO — reimagined for Reddit communities.

How we built it

We divided the project into three modular parts so each of us could work independently:

  1. Game Engine: Handles all UNO logic — shuffling, card actions (+2, +4, skip, reverse), turn management, and rule validation — built as a pure TypeScript module for easy testing.

  2. Devvit Backend: Connects the game logic with Reddit using the Devvit SDK, manages persistent state via Devvit KV storage, and handles user actions like Play Card or Draw.

  3. UI/UX: Uses Devvit’s panels, forms, and buttons to create an interactive in-Reddit interface for joining games, viewing hands, and tracking progress.

Built with TypeScript, Devvit SDK, and Reddit APIs, the system ensures asynchronous yet smooth turn-based gameplay.

Challenges we ran into

  • Asynchronous turns: Reddit isn’t real-time, so syncing game states between players required clever use of event polling and state validation.
  • Storage limits: Storing and serializing dynamic game states (cards, turns, decks) within Devvit’s KV constraints was a major design challenge.
  • UI representation: Reddit’s limited visual space meant recreating UNO cards and colors using emojis and creative text formatting.
  • Testing: Debugging Devvit logic locally and ensuring it behaves consistently on Reddit’s sandbox took time and teamwork.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Successfully built a fully playable multiplayer UNO inside Reddit posts
  • Designed a modular architecture that allowed three developers to work independently
  • Created a fun, social experience that strengthens subreddit engagement
  • Learned to push the limits of Devvit for interactive game design

What we learned

  • Deep understanding of the Devvit SDK and Reddit’s app ecosystem
  • How to manage real-time turn-based logic in a non-real-time environment
  • Creative UI/UX solutions for constrained platforms
  • Effective team collaboration and modular project design

What's next for RedUNO

We plan to:

  • Add AI bot players for solo mode
  • Introduce subreddit-wide tournaments and leaderboards
  • Enable custom themes and card packs (e.g., meme cards or subreddit-themed decks)
  • Implement spectator mode and game replay history
  • Explore integration with Reddit Coins or flairs as game rewards

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