BUCS Fighter | Devpost

Fight!
Choose your character

Inspiration

BUCS Fighter started with a simple goal: build a Super Smash Bros–style game using BUCS characters. We wanted to create a fun multiplayer experience with characters students recognize while learning how to build live, interactive games. The goal was simple: make something fast, chaotic, and genuinely fun to play.

What it does

BUCS Fighter is a real time online arena fighter where players battle in short, high intensity matches.

Key Features

• Fast movement and responsive combat interactions
• Shared game rules and content across client and server
• Backend match orchestration and authoritative combat resolution
• Synchronized game state for multiple players in live sessions

The result is a competitive experience designed for quick rounds and strong replayability.

How we built it

BUCS Fighter is a full stack TypeScript project with a clear separation between the client, server, and shared game logic.

• Game Client (apps/game-client): Handles rendering, player controls, UI, and gameplay feel
• Server (apps/server): Runs match services, authoritative combat logic, and player state updates
• Shared Package (packages/shared): Contains gameplay constants, stage rules, and core data models used by both client and server

This shared architecture ensured gameplay rules stayed consistent across the system and reduced duplication. We also used iterative testing, including combat smoke tests, to tune gameplay quickly and catch synchronization issues early.

Challenges we ran into

• Keeping combat outcomes consistent between client perception and server authority
• Balancing responsiveness with fairness in networked interactions
• Tuning gameplay constants so fights felt skill based instead of random
• Debugging edge cases in match flow under hackathon time constraints
• Coordinating rapid changes across frontend, backend, and shared modules

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Shipping a fully working real time multiplayer fighting game in just 10 hours
• Designing a clean shared logic architecture that keeps client and server behavior aligned
• Achieving combat that feels fast while preserving competitive integrity
• Building a scalable foundation that can support more content and features
• Delivering a technically ambitious project that is genuinely fun to play

What we learned

• Authoritative server design is critical for fair multiplayer gameplay
• Small gameplay constants can significantly affect player experience
• Shared contracts and types greatly improve velocity and reliability in full stack development
• Early and repeatable test scripts save time as systems grow more complex
• Scope discipline matters. Polishing core gameplay is better than overloading features

What's next for BUCS Fighter

• Add more characters, abilities, and stage variety
• Improve matchmaking and session management
• Expand feedback systems such as hit confirmation, VFX, SFX, and UI clarity
• Introduce progression systems like rankings, player stats, and profiles
• Improve observability and automated tests for multiplayer and combat systems
• Prepare a hosted playtest build and gather community feedback for future releases

Live link: https://bucs-fighter-deploy-game-client.vercel.app/ GitHub: https://github.com/jjohngrey/bucs-a-thon-2026