TileWars

Splash Screen
Game Summary
Daily Puzzle Screen
Daily Puzzle Example
Completed pop up with share result option
Versus Lobby
Match Result History

Inspiration

We were inspired by logic-deduction board games, where every move reveals information that helps narrow down the solution and by popular daily games that give everyone the same short challenge each day. We wanted to combine those two experiences, the thoughtful reasoning and satisfying discovery of a deduction game with the simple, repeatable routine of a shared daily puzzle. Reddit felt like a natural home for that idea because players can solve the same board, compare results, discuss their approaches and challenge each other.

What it does

TileWars is a Reddit-native logic game played on a colorful 5x5 grid. Each Daily Challenge hides a connected pattern of four to seven tiles. Selecting a tile reveals every clue that applies:

Green means the selected tile belongs to the hidden pattern.
Red means a pattern tile is in the same column.
Blue means a pattern tile is in the same row.
Orange means a pattern tile is on a diagonal.

Because clues can combine, each selection provides structured information rather than a simple correct or incorrect answer. Players can also place free X marks as private notes while narrowing down the possibilities. The goal is to uncover the entire connected pattern with as few guesses as possible.

The same deterministic Daily puzzle is available to everyone for one day. After solving it, players can compare their rank on the Daily leaderboard, build a consecutive day streak, earn XP, level up and share their result in the post's comments section. Progression also maps players to level based TileWars titles and community flair.

TileWars also includes asynchronous 1v1 play. Each player creates a connected six tile pattern for an opponent and solves the pattern they receive. Players can find a public opponent, send a Reddit invitation link, share a short invitation code or request a rematch. Matches compare the number of guesses first and server measured solve time as a tiebreaker. Completed matches include both replay boards, persistent win/loss/draw records, rivalry history, and rematch opportunities. The complete experience runs inside Reddit posts with a responsive and colorful UI tailored to both desktop and mobile.

How we built it

We built TileWars as a Devvit Web application using Phaser 4, TypeScript and Vite for the client. The backend runs in Devvit’s Node.js serverless environment with Hono, while Devvit Redis stores Daily sessions, leaderboards, XP profiles, streaks, invitations, matches, results and rivalry records.

We began by defining the core pattern and clue rules, then built the Daily Challenge around them. Once the basic puzzle felt understandable and satisfying, we added leaderboards, streaks, XP and result sharing. We then adapted the same rules into asynchronous 1v1 matches, where players create patterns for each other and finished by improving invitations, match history, responsiveness and the overall presentation. We divided the work according to our strengths. One side focused mainly on the game’s implementation, systems and Reddit integration, while the other concentrated on presentation, community setup, documentation and submission material. We discussed the game design together, reviewed each stage and repeatedly playtested the complete experience to identify bugs and usability problems.

Challenges we ran into

The largest design challenge was making a small clue system feel logical instead of random. A single tile can reveal row, column, diagonal, and exact hit information simultaneously, so pattern generation and clue presentation had to remain consistent enough for players to reason from one move to the next.

Asynchronous multiplayer introduced a different set of problems. Patterns and player identity needed to stay server side, invitations needed to be single use and resistant to self acceptance. Invitation sharing was especially challenging across Reddit hosts. Desktop, Android, and iOS can expose shared link information differently to an embedded app. We handled full share envelopes, shortened canonical URLs, visible URLs, referrers and a five-character code fallback so a player can still join when a host does not pass the complete link into the iframe.

Keeping the interface sharp and responsive across both desktop and mobile was another challenge. Some elements appeared blurry when resized and we had to keep buttons aligned, screens uncluttered and navigation logical across very different screen sizes.

The final polishing stage was also more demanding than expected. We repeatedly tested the complete app to locate and resolve bugs, study edge cases and make sure that the different Daily, multiplayer, progression, invitation and results flows behaved consistently.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that TileWars grew from one compact puzzle mechanic into a complete Reddit native game loop without losing its simplicity.

The Daily Challenge gives the whole community the same fair board and leaderboard.
The clue system rewards deduction while still being intuitive and fun.
Public matching, invitation links, short codes, rematches, replay boards and rivalry history form a complete multiplayer loop.
The same playful visual language works across the feed view, gameplay, lobby, invitations, history and results.

We are also proud of the smaller details that give the game character, the interactive TileWars heading, playful background tiles and consistent, colorful art design.

What we learned

We learned how important teamwork and clear project management are when turning a simple idea into a complete product. Dividing responsibilities, communicating decisions, reviewing each other’s work and keeping track of priorities helped us continue making progress without losing sight of the original game concept.

We also learned what product ownership means in practice. Building TileWars was not only about implementing features, it required deciding what belonged in the final experience, removing unnecessary complexity, testing complete player flows, resolving edge cases and taking responsibility for the quality of every screen. Most importantly, we learned that a simple idea can become a polished and engaging experience through iteration, attention to detail and a shared commitment to the final result.

What's next for TileWars

Our immediate next step is to observe how players approach the Daily clues and Versus pattern creation, then refine onboarding and balance using real community feedback. We also want to introduce a colorblind mode to improve accessibility and ensure that every clue remains easy to distinguish without relying on color alone. Longer term, TileWars can support community events, seasonal competitions, special Daily variations and additional cosmetic recognition without changing the core deduction rules. The central idea will remain the same, one colorful board, information in every move and a Reddit community solving and competing together.