Guys, quick OpenWord update: I’ve been shipping hard. The project now has a full solo progression loop, a real dashboard system, and live multiplayer infrastructure with socket-based gameplay.
NOTE: This is my first time working with sockets, so if you notice some issues (in the code or while you play the game), please let me know.

What’s new:

Backend:

• Multiplayer router expanded with room lifecycle endpoints: create, join, room state, start, submit guess, leaderboard, finish
• Round-based multiplayer support added (num rounds/current round + cumulative player scoring)

Real-time / Server Runtime:

• Socket.io multiplayer runtime implemented with authenticated connections
• Real-time room sync events for players and room state updates
• In-memory game state rehydration support for active rounds
• Per-event socket rate limiting added for join/start/guess actions
• Hardening in place: unauthorized access checks, room membership validation, safer error paths

Frontend:

• Dashboard upgraded from placeholder to full stats + recent games view
• Multiplayer UI flow shipped: lobby, create/join room, waiting room, and game screen orchestration
• Shared component architecture cleaned up for better maintainability

Platform / DX:

• Providers updated so React Query Devtools only render in development

NOTE: The screenshots show the host-side views

Guys, still grinding hard on OpenWord. The project is now way beyond a basic Wordle clone, I pushed both solo progression systems and real multiplayer foundations with rounds, rooms, and live state flow.

What’s new:

Backend:

• Solo progression complete: save game endpoint, score persistence, user game history, and stats aggregation
• Multiplayer API live: create room, join room, fetch room state, host-only start, submit guesses, leaderboard, and finish game
• Multiplayer runtime state: in-memory active match tracking + DB-backed room/player records
• Round-based multiplayer support added: total score tracking and round score storage model
• Better API context: DB is wired into protected procedures for richer server features

Frontend:

• Solo play refactor: split into focused tabs/components for settings, active gameplay, and score results
• Better guess UX: per-letter grid input, keyboard/backspace behavior, hinted locked slots
• Score screen improved: richer breakdown, result summary, and auto-save flow for logged-in users
• Dashboard upgraded: real user stats and recent game history views with loading/error/empty states
• Multiplayer page shipped: lobby, create/join room flow, waiting room, and game screen routing state

Database:

• Added persistent solo Game model with analytics-ready fields
• Added user role field for future access control
• Added multiplayer schema models: Room, RoomPlayer, MultiplayerGame
• Added support for numRounds/currentRound and cumulative + per-round scoring structures

Guys, I’ve been grinding again. I put some spice on OpenWord to make it more complete in the game loop with stats, history, persistence, cleaner architecture, and way better solo gameplay UX.

What’s new:

Backend:

• Persistent Solo Match Data: Added full game save flow for logged-in users (difficulty, word, result, guesses, score, bonuses, time, hints, attempts left)
• Dashboard APIs: Built protected endpoints for personal stats and paginated game history
• Hint Engine: Added server-side hint support with limits, random unrevealed-letter reveal, and validation guards
• Expanded Game Config: Start-game now supports custom attempts, hint limits, and language selection
• API Context Upgrade: Wired DB into tRPC context for richer protected procedures
• Better Error Handling: Secret word fetch now throws explicit server errors instead of masking failures

Frontend:

• Major Play Screen Refactor: Split the monolithic play UI into focused components (Settings, Game, Score)
• Better Guess Input UX: Added grid-based per-letter input with keyboard navigation, backspace behavior, and hint-locked letter slots
• In-Game Hint Controls: Added hint button + live usage counter with smart disable states
• Score Screen Upgrade: Shows full scoring breakdown, revealed word, and auto-saves finished games for authenticated users
• Word Meaning Lookup: Added post-game dictionary definition fetch for revealed words
• Scoring Rebalance: Win/loss scoring paths now differ, with hint penalties and fairer low-score handling
• Dashboard Revamp: Replaced placeholder content with real stats cards + recent match history
• Shared Component Cleanup: Reorganized common UI pieces (header/footer/loader/word tiles) for maintainability

Database:

• New Game Model + Migration: Added persistent game table with analytics-ready fields and indexes
• User Role Support: Added role column for future access/feature expansion

Alright, been putting in serious work on this project. Built out a complete Wordle-style guessing game from the ground up with full authentication, game mechanics, and a polished UI.

What’s new:

Frontend:

• Game Flow: Interactive play page with real-time game state management, input validation, and status tracking (playing/won/lost)
• Animations: Letter component with smooth flip animations triggered on guess submission, dynamic letter status updates (correct/present/absent)
• Word Display: WordWrapper component rendering word grids with color-coded feedback system (green/yellow/gray)
• Auth System: Full sign-in/sign-up forms with email/password validation (min 8 chars), form state management with TanStack React Form, toast notifications for success/errors
• Dashboard: Protected dashboard for authenticated users, integration with TRPC for private API calls
• UI Suite: Beautiful shadcn/ui components (buttons, inputs, cards, labels) + dark mode toggle
• Responsive Layout: Mobile-first design with proper spacing and TailwindCSS utility styling

Backend:

• Game Logic: Solo game mode with word selection (random or specified length), 6-attempt limit, guess validation, comprehensive feedback system
• Game State Management: Game state persistence with unique game IDs, attempt tracking, guess history with feedback records
• Word System: Fallback word list (20+ words) for development/testing, word length flexibility (defaults to 5)
• Protected Routes: User session validation, private data endpoints, authenticated game endpoints
• API Structure: TRPC procedures for game operations (startGame, submitGuess, getGameState), type-safe client integration

Database:

• Auth Models: User, Session, Account (multi-provider support), Verification (email verification tokens)
• Email/Password Auth: Dual authentication support via Better Auth, session tracking with IP/user agent
• Schema: Proper relationships and cascading deletes for data integrity

Everything is fully typed with TypeScript, running in a monorepo with Turborepo for optimized builds. Next.js front, Express back, TRPC for type-safe APIs.