Stacks Wars

Problem

Multiplayer games that involve money usually force a tradeoff: either the realtime layer is fragile, or the settlement layer is slow and hard to trust. Doing both well is hard.

Solution

Separated matchmaking, realtime state, and settlement so gameplay stays responsive while value transfer stays auditable.

Key Engineering Decisions

Gameplay state runs entirely over WebSockets instead of being stored on-chain. Only financial settlement is committed to Stacks. This keeps matches responsive without sacrificing auditability.

Architecture

Event-driven game sessions with a dedicated realtime channel for lobby and match state, plus durable storage for settlement and history. Blockchain settlement is isolated from gameplay so network latency never blocks the player experience.

Engineering Highlights

• Competitive multiplayer UI with live lobby and match feedback
• Realtime coordination for concurrent players and match state
• Clear separation between gameplay state and settlement flows
• Services tuned for concurrent sessions and predictable latency

Tech Stack

Results

Lessons Learned

Realtime systems and financial rails need different reliability models. Couple them on purpose, not by accident.