A fast-paced real-time multiplayer word chain game playable in the browser. Each player plays from their own phone. Built with vanilla HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Node.js.

🔗 Live Demo: wordduels.vercel.app

• One player creates a room and shares the 5-letter room code
• The other player joins from their own phone
• Players take turns entering real English words
• Each word must start with the last letter of the previous word
  • Example: tiger → rabbit → thorn → night
• The game ends when the timer runs out — highest score wins
• You lose points or get eliminated if you:
  • Use the wrong starting letter
  • Repeat a word that was already played
  • Enter a word that isn't real English
  • Run out of time on your turn

• 🌐 Real-time multiplayer — each player on their own device, synced live via WebSockets
• 🏠 Room system — create a room, get a code, share it with your opponent
• ⏱️ Turn timer — 10, 15, 20, or 30 seconds per turn. Bar turns red as time runs low
• 🕐 Game duration — choose 2, 5, or 10 minutes (or custom). Game ends by score when time runs out
• 🏆 Points-based scoring — longer and rarer words score more points
• ☠️ Two mistake modes — Elimination (one mistake ends the game) or Penalty (−3 points, game continues)
• 🤝 Mutual end game — either player can request to end early; opponent must agree
• 📖 Dictionary validation — every word checked against the Datamuse API
• 🎨 Retro arcade theme — dark UI with neon colors and glowing effects
• 📜 Word log — every word played shown with points, color-coded by player
• 📱 Mobile friendly — designed to work on any phone browser

Longer words = more points. Use big words to dominate.

No build steps needed — just open the file.

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/wordduel.git
cd wordduel

Open index.html in any browser.

cd wordduel
npm install
node server.js

Then update SERVER_URL in index.html to http://localhost:3001.

⚠️ Multiplayer requires both the frontend and backend to be running. Dictionary checks require an internet connection.

wordduel/
├── index.html     # frontend — markup, styles, and client-side logic
├── server.js      # backend — rooms, game logic, real-time sync
├── package.json   # Node.js dependencies
└── README.md

This project started as a Java command-line mini project for a first-year programming course, then was rebuilt as a browser game, and then upgraded to full real-time multiplayer. The core game logic is the same across all versions — the web version adds live sync, rooms, a points system, and a visual interface.

The original Java version uses:

• Scanner for keyboard input
• HashSet to track used words
• while loop for the game loop
• Static methods for modular structure

Pull requests are welcome! Some ideas:

• More than 2 players per room
• Spectator mode
• Single player vs a bot
• Sound effects
• Global leaderboard
• Custom word categories (animals only, countries only, etc.)
• Rematch without leaving the room

MIT License — free to use, modify, and distribute.

⚠️ Made with Claude Sonnet 4.6