Rocket or Regret

“Tap. Fly. Cash out—or regret it. A fast, social risk-reward game that tests timing, nerves, and decision-making.”

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🚀 About the Project — Rocket or Regret

💡 Inspiration

Rocket or Regret is inspired by the classic aviator-style risk–reward games that are popular for their simplicity and adrenaline rush. The core idea is familiar to anyone who’s ever played a “cash out before it crashes” game — but we wanted to reimagine it for Snapchat’s Play Everywhere ecosystem, where games are social, fast, and instantly accessible.

The rocket metaphor felt perfect: a clean visual, intuitive progression, and a natural sense of tension as the multiplier climbs. One tap can mean profit — or instant regret.

🛠️ How We Built It

The game was built entirely in Snap Lens Studio using TypeScript, focusing on performance and native Snap components.

Core systems include:

  • A real-time multiplier engine that increases continuously while the rocket flies
  • Physics-like motion with capped vertical bounds to keep gameplay readable
  • A randomized blast timer to ensure unpredictability and fairness
  • Fully functional BET and CASHOUT mechanics with point balance tracking
  • Integration of Snap’s Leaderboard Custom Component for social competition

The blast time is randomized within a bounded interval:

[ t_{blast} \sim \mathcal{U}(t_{min}, t_{max}) ]

The cashout reward is calculated as:

[ \text{Winnings} = \text{Bet Amount} \times \text{Multiplier} ]

This keeps the math transparent while maintaining suspense.

📊 Social & Competitive Layer

To make the experience feel truly native to Snapchat, we used the Leaderboard Custom Component, enabling:

  • Friend-based ranking
  • Real-time score submissions
  • Bitmoji-driven visual identity
  • Replay motivation through social comparison

Rather than rewarding raw playtime, the leaderboard emphasizes decision-making skill and timing, aligning with Snap’s focus on fun, lightweight competition.

🧠 What We Learned

Building Rocket or Regret taught us a lot about:

  • Designing probability-driven gameplay that still feels fair
  • Working within Snap platform API restrictions while preserving engagement
  • Structuring game logic cleanly in event-driven TypeScript
  • Balancing visual feedback with performance on mobile devices

We also learned how powerful social mechanics can be when combined with simple game rules.

⚠️ Challenges Faced

  • Ensuring the rocket never left the visible screen while still feeling dynamic
  • Synchronizing UI updates (multiplier, balance) with real-time gameplay
  • Integrating the Leaderboard component correctly without blocking gameplay
  • Handling randomness in a way that felt exciting, not frustrating

Each challenge pushed us to simplify and optimize — resulting in a smoother and more polished experience.

🌍 Why It Fits Play Everywhere

Rocket or Regret is:

  • Instant to understand
  • Quick to replay
  • Social by design
  • Optimized for touch-first interaction

It’s a game you can play anywhere, anytime — one decision at a time.

🔮 What’s Next

Future improvements could include:

  • Visual blast effects and screen shake
  • Daily or weekly themed leaderboards
  • Power-ups or risk modifiers
  • Expanded analytics for gameplay tuning

For now, Rocket or Regret delivers one simple question every time you play:

How long will you dare to fly?

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