Blokus Multiplayer Web Game

Blokus is a strategic board game where players take turns placing uniquely shaped tiles on a shared board. The goal is to place as many tiles as possible while adhering to placement rules. This project implements a multiplayer version of Blokus using Node.js, WebSockets, and MySQL.

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Technologies Used

Backend

• Node.js: For building the server and handling API requests.
• Express.js: To simplify routing and middleware.
• Socket.IO: For real-time communication between players.
• MySQL: To manage game state and player data.
• JSON Web Tokens (JWT): For secure authentication.

Frontend

• HTML/CSS/JavaScript: For a dynamic and interactive UI.
• Socket.IO Client: To handle WebSocket communication.

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Features

Core Gameplay

• Player Management:
  • Players log in as guests with unique usernames.
  • JWT-based authentication.
• Game Lobby:
  • Players can create and join game rooms.
  • Real-time updates for lobby status using WebSockets.
• Tile Placement:
  • All 21 Blokus tile shapes implemented.
  • Placement rules enforced, including:
    • Corner-touch requirement.
    • No edge-touch rule for same-player tiles.
    • Board boundaries.
• Game Synchronization:
  • Real-time updates for moves using WebSockets.
  • Persistent game state using MySQL.

WebSocket Integration

• Players automatically join WebSocket rooms corresponding to their game.
• Broadcast events for:
  • Player joins and leaves.
  • Game moves.
  • Game start and end.

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Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

Without Docker:

1. Node.js and npm: Download and Install
2. MySQL

With Docker:

1. Docker: Download and Install
2. Docker Compose: Download and Install

Steps

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/iee-ihu-gr-course1941/ADISE24_Blockage.git
   cd ADISE24_Blockage/backend

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set up the database:

4. Configure the backend:

   • Copy .env.example to .env:

     cp .env.example .env

   • Update the .env file with your MySQL credentials and JWT secret.

5. Start the backend:

   npm start

Docker Setup

• Run:

  docker-compose up -d

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Gameplay Overview

1. Creating a Game:

   • A player creates a game via an HTTP request.
   • The player is added as the first participant and assigned a color.

2. Joining a Game:

   • Players can join available games until the maximum number of players is reached.
   • Each player is assigned a unique color dynamically.

3. Tile Placement:

   • Players take turns placing tiles on the board.
   • Placement rules are validated in real-time.

4. Game End:

   • The game ends when all players have placed all possible tiles or when no moves remain.
   • Scores are calculated based on unplaced tiles.

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API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /auth/guest: Login as a guest player.

Game Management

• GET /games: Get all available games.
• GET /games/:gameId: Get game details.
• GET /games/status: Get games by status.
• GET /games/participants: Get all the participants of games by status.
• GET /games/:gameId/participants: Get all participants by gameId.
• POST /games/create: Create a new game.
• POST /games/join: Join an existing game.
• DELETE /games/leave: Delete a game.

WebSocket Events

Client-Side Events

• connection: Connect to the server.
• player-left: Notify player leaves from lobby.
• place-tile: Place a tile on the board.
• game-ended: Notify game end.
• disconnect: Disconnect from the server.

Server-Side Events

• connect: Notify connection.
• error: Notify an error.
• game-created: Notify game created.
• player-joined: Notify player joins the game.
• player-left: Notify player leaves from lobby.
• game-started: Notify game start.
• board-initialized: Initialize the game board.
• game-update: Update game state.
• game-deleted: Notify game deleted.
• game-ended: Notify game end.