jmpavlec's recent activity

  1. Show Tildes - Gametje V2

    ~games Ask
    Hi All, It's been coincidentally EXACTLY 1 year since my previous post about Gametje. I've been busy creating some new games and re-designing all the main pages with the help of a UI/UX designer....

    Hi All,
    It's been coincidentally EXACTLY 1 year since my previous post about Gametje. I've been busy creating some new games and re-designing all the main pages with the help of a UI/UX designer. I have posted a few updates in the weekly What programming/technical projects have you been working on? threads but I thought this milestone deserved its own post. I published the new site earlier this week and also migrated to a new backend server. Here's a refresher of what it is for those that may have missed my previous post a year ago. I also recently started working on it full-time last month after not really working on it much from January-June this year. You can read more in my recent blog post.

    What is it?

    It's a set of online games that can be played in person with a central screen (like a TV) or remotely via video chat. It's also available directly in Discord as an embedded activity. It is playable in 9 languages and doesn’t require any downloads. Most games revolve around creativity in some form. None of the games require fast reflexes and can be played by just about anyone.

    Where can I try it?

    https://gametje.com and directly on Discord

    You can use the "quick play" option to launch directly into the game as a guest.

    What's different from last year?

    There are 2 new games (Sync Think and Hide & Peek) and the main pages have been redesigned. I also implemented a game room concept which allows you to bounce between games without having to recreate it each time. I also integrated with Discord, which means you can play directly in their interface and also use Discord as an Identity Provider when logging in. The games themselves need a bit more polish (especially the two new ones) but overall they should work.

    What am I looking for?

    I'm trying to gather some feedback about the games and the overall concept. Are the games fun? Is this something you'd try with your family? What could be improved? Is the site clear about what you can/should do? Should I add some gameplay videos to give you a quicker feel for the games?

    I'm also open to game ideas, I have a few in the backlog already but need to focus more on the business side at the moment. Any advice on the games/marketing etc would be highly appreciated.

    Side note: I'm probably going to rename the whole site soon since the name Gametje doesn't exactly roll off the tongue and has caused some debate with Dutch speakers. The branding for the new name isn't quite ready. I am considering calling it GameBuffet as my avatars are all food related and its more of a "all you can play" offering for any games added to the platform.

    Thanks for reading.

    (apologies if you saw the other post before I deleted it, i realized I posted it in the wrong topic area)

    9 votes

  2. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    You could check out https://posthog.com/. They have a generous free tier and it's very simple to set up. Also offers session replays which could show you where they are focusing on your site.

    You could check out https://posthog.com/. They have a generous free tier and it's very simple to set up. Also offers session replays which could show you where they are focusing on your site.

  3. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    You can easily host through Cloudflare (for free) even with a domain registered elsewhere. Just need to do a bit of DNS configuration and changing nameservers. Just did it yesterday as Cloudflare...

    You can easily host through Cloudflare (for free) even with a domain registered elsewhere. Just need to do a bit of DNS configuration and changing nameservers. Just did it yesterday as Cloudflare doesn't support registering .eu domains. So I registered the domain with porkbun.com and then set it up at Cloudflare.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on Can AI tell if I'm writing AI slop? A machine learning journey in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link
    I love stuff like this, great write up. How many years of data from your blogs were you able to use? I'm curious if it could still identify writing as yours that is 10+ years old? Maybe an old...

    I love stuff like this, great write up.

    How many years of data from your blogs were you able to use? I'm curious if it could still identify writing as yours that is 10+ years old? Maybe an old email or something. Not sure if your writing style had changed.

    3 votes

  5. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Thanks for checking it out! I had the exact same feeling the first time I played Jackbox games and actually started on a prototype back at the end of 2017... It was playable and fun but looked...

    Thanks for checking it out!

    I had the exact same feeling the first time I played Jackbox games and actually started on a prototype back at the end of 2017... It was playable and fun but looked terrible and would never scale. You can read a bit more about it in my devblog if you are interested. I decided to take another job at the time rather than pursuing that (wasn't the right time in my life with young kids etc).

    In Jan 2023, I started part-time (12-16hrs/week) on this project. I have people playing it each week but I need to tighten up the business model. The original idea was to get it in front of as many people as possible to get feedback rather than focusing on getting paying customers. I added guest accounts so people could try it out without signing up. Now I have people playing but nobody paying :-D. To be fair, the site is still a bit rough around the edges so I wasn't expecting paying customers yet. Now that I am working on it full-time, it should hopefully improve considerably.

    Tech stack is React/typescript on the frontend, java + spring boot on the backend. Using postgres db and redis for distributed cache. Currently running with the integrated websockets server with Spring but have plans to move to RabbitMQ if necessary for scaling. So far the load has been well within my small VPS's limits. I've done some performance tests and should be able to handle a decent amount without having to change the architecture too much.

    I've built something similar to https://joinplayroom.com/ which didn't exist when I started the project (or I didn't find it). I think that's an avenue someone could take to build something a bit quicker than I did. It does tie you to their eco system and pricing though.

    I plan to share more on my devblog, but haven't had much time (until now) to focus on writing posts. Hopefully will write one in the next week or two discussing all the Discord integration challenges.

    2 votes

  6. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Thanks for giving it a look. I've been meaning to add more sound effects... The whole site should look/feel a bit more polished next week when I get my last 3 weeks of changes live.

    Thanks for giving it a look. I've been meaning to add more sound effects...

    The whole site should look/feel a bit more polished next week when I get my last 3 weeks of changes live.

    2 votes

  7. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    (edited )
    Link
    I recently quit both my paying jobs to focus on my side-project full time. It has been a while since I have posted on one of these threads as I haven't had much time to work on the project. For...

    I recently quit both my paying jobs to focus on my side-project full time. It has been a while since I have posted on one of these threads as I haven't had much time to work on the project. For those unaware, my side project is called gametje.com and you can try it out right now! For some additional context, you can check out my previous Tildes post which has a lot more detail. The TLDR is that it is a site with games similar to Jackbox Games. It is playable in 9 different languages without needing to install anything (no Steam or Consoles etc). The idea is create it more like a platform with new games being added on a regular basis.

    I've been busy in August working on a major UI overhaul for the main pages and an integration with Discord. The UI overhaul is a result of working with a UX designer earlier this year. The new design is not yet live. The current one is functional but a bit uninspired so don't judge it too much yet :) I'll probably post again next thread when the new design is live. I've also been working on what I am calling "game sessions" which are sort of a lobby before an actual game starts. This allows players to join the session once and switch games without having to enter new game codes. This mainly came about as a result of integrating with Discord as their embedded activities are tied to an instanceId. I needed to give the hosting player the ability to switch/start games from that centralized point. It also needed to be able to figure out which game session to join when clicking the button in Discord itself. Game sessions in general is also a big win as you don't need to fiddle around giving out a new game code every time you want to change games.

    I've also been working on adding Discord as an Identity Provider for logging in with OAuth. This is related to the integration but also a bit separate as you can log into the site using the OAuth flow outside of Discord's app. Needed to do a bit of refactoring around the user providers as previously I only had my own username/password provider. This should also make it much easier to add new Idps like Google etc later.

    As a part of the Discord integration, I've also been tightening up the websocket code so it can properly detect when clients disconnect and remove them from the game/game session. That's been fun reading through some of that code and playing with it.

    Overall, very happy with my progress the last 3 weeks.

    Next up:

    • Change my hosting provider (probably to Hetzner) for my backend/database.
    • Finish the Android TV app to replace the Amazon Fire Store version as the store is being shut down on August 25th and the web-wrapped app it created was never the best experience.
    9 votes

  8. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Looks like fun but on mobile it was very confusing for me as I couldn't see there were quite a few more letters off to the right. The tutorial confused me as I was wondering where the words were...

    Looks like fun but on mobile it was very confusing for me as I couldn't see there were quite a few more letters off to the right. The tutorial confused me as I was wondering where the words were coming from since I couldn't see half the letters. Perhaps shrink it or recommend playing in landscape when the width is small?

    The tutorial text is also off to the right and not visible in the default view.

    Edit: after trying again, I was able to "zoom out" when grabbing from a specific part of the screen, maybe it's possible to set that as the default zoom for mobile? For reference, using latest Chrome and Android.

    3 votes

  9. Comment on Who’d be into a book club but for retro games? in ~games

    jmpavlec
    Link
    Great idea! I've got a Miyoo Mini ready to go with everything up to PS1 or so. Count me in.

    Great idea! I've got a Miyoo Mini ready to go with everything up to PS1 or so. Count me in.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on CBS to cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ citing ‘financial decision’ in ~tv

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Interesting, I almost never watch the interviews unless it is someone I like but I always watch the monologue... I assumed that was the case for everyone (just given the views for the monologues...

    Interesting, I almost never watch the interviews unless it is someone I like but I always watch the monologue... I assumed that was the case for everyone (just given the views for the monologues are 5-10x the interviews)

    4 votes

  11. Comment on CBS to cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ citing ‘financial decision’ in ~tv

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Well I don't have the exact numbers before the cancellation. I suppose the ones from 2-3 days ago (that aired/were posted before it was cancelled) could be inflated a bit. If you look at 3 weeks...

    Well I don't have the exact numbers before the cancellation. I suppose the ones from 2-3 days ago (that aired/were posted before it was cancelled) could be inflated a bit. If you look at 3 weeks ago before their break, they are all 2 million+.

    1 vote

  12. Comment on CBS to cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ citing ‘financial decision’ in ~tv

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Which videos are you referring to? The main monologues are still getting 800k+ nearly every day. The past 4 days of Colbert: 906k and climbing (newest one) 2.1 mill 1.5 mill 2.2 mill Similar story...

    Which videos are you referring to? The main monologues are still getting 800k+ nearly every day.

    The past 4 days of Colbert:
    906k and climbing (newest one)
    2.1 mill
    1.5 mill
    2.2 mill

    Similar story for Seth Meyers...

    So which videos? I'd say they are as popular as ever.

    14 votes

  13. Comment on [SOLVED] Requesting help for Android Auto troubleshooting assistance in ~tech

    jmpavlec
    Link
    Not sure if your car supports it natively over Bluetooth but you could try something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-CarPlay-Adapter-Upgraded-Android/dp/B0DY1Z1FHJ (Not familiar with...

    Not sure if your car supports it natively over Bluetooth but you could try something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-CarPlay-Adapter-Upgraded-Android/dp/B0DY1Z1FHJ
    (Not familiar with this exact product, just an example)

    A friend of mine has something similar and it helped him with connection issues through the cord. It also worked faster for him. Worth a shot and you could always return it if it doesn't work any better.

    1 vote

  14. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    That's fantastic progress for 2 weeks using some tech you don't know too well. Are you using any AI to help out? I find it quite useful for languages I'm not that proficient in. What js library...

    That's fantastic progress for 2 weeks using some tech you don't know too well. Are you using any AI to help out? I find it quite useful for languages I'm not that proficient in.

    What js library are you using for websockets? I use websockets for my game website as well. Amazing how simple it makes it to add some interactivity to the frontend across multiple browsers.

    What kind of state management are you using on the frontend?

    2 votes

  15. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Sounds really neat, do you have any screenshots to share? I'm curious to see what it looks like.

    Sounds really neat, do you have any screenshots to share? I'm curious to see what it looks like.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Just signed up and mentioned Tildes, looking forward to giving it a try.

    Just signed up and mentioned Tildes, looking forward to giving it a try.

    1 vote

  17. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Sounds awesome! If you need any other testers or feedback, I'm happy to give it a shot.

    Sounds awesome! If you need any other testers or feedback, I'm happy to give it a shot.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Never got around to Forbidden West. Absolutely loved the first one. Just ordered myself a used copy on PS5. Looking forward to it!

    Never got around to Forbidden West. Absolutely loved the first one. Just ordered myself a used copy on PS5. Looking forward to it!

    1 vote

  19. Comment on Monsterpatch: A cozy monster-collecting RPG in ~games

    jmpavlec
    Link
    Looks decent although I share the worry about Nintendo. The creator has a good Kickstarter track record with quite a few projects backed and released with decent reviews on Steam....

    Looks decent although I share the worry about Nintendo. The creator has a good Kickstarter track record with quite a few projects backed and released with decent reviews on Steam.

    https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/seanyoung/created

    6 votes

  20. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    jmpavlec
    Link Parent
    Why not get a more powerful machine for such a use case? Can't imagine the compile times when using such a device for development. Was it just a "I already have the device" so let's see what I can...

    Why not get a more powerful machine for such a use case? Can't imagine the compile times when using such a device for development.

    Was it just a "I already have the device" so let's see what I can do with it type of a situation?

    1 vote