13: Jack Hunt

Context

13: Jack Hunt is the project of turning a tabletop card game idea into a mobile app. The rules existed; the digital equivalent had to be built.

Problem

The hardest part of digitising a card game is the rules engine: every move must be validated server-side, otherwise client-side cheating becomes possible. At the same time, the game loop had to feel instant.

Solution

Game state lives in Firebase, with rule validation moved server-side into Cloud Functions. The client shows the move optimistically while waiting for server confirmation — blocking cheating without losing responsiveness. Riverpod handles state management.