Card games are social - the table talk is half the game. When play moves online, that half disappears: playing a hand with friends means running a game app while juggling a separate voice call on the side. KARDS was built on a simple bet: put the voice inside the game, and remote card games would feel like sitting around a table again.
As the project assistant lead, I was responsible for the overall architecture and development strategy - I developed the core card game logic and managed the backend infrastructure.
Technical bets
- Flutter for the client: One codebase had to serve both Android and iOS from day one; Flutter's widget system also kept the UI consistent across the two platforms instead of maintaining parallel designs.
- WebRTC for voice: Audio runs peer-to-peer between players rather than through the game servers - the latency-sensitive part of the experience never queues behind game traffic. Settings were tuned specifically to hold up on slower regional networks.
- WebSockets for state, REST for actions: Every player has to see the same table at the same moment, so game state pushes over WebSocket in real time, while discrete game actions go through conventional REST endpoints on the .NET backend.
Game interface showing card selection and player interaction.
What it delivered
- Real-time Multiplayer: Multiple players per session with synchronized state for all
- In-game Voice: Integrated WebRTC audio between players during play
- Cross-platform: Single Flutter codebase for Android and iOS
- Secure Backend: .NET backend with authentication and data security, designed to scale across concurrent game sessions
Launch & traction
The bet paid off in public. After launching on the Google Play Store, KARDS handled active devices across regions and climbed to #4 in the Top Free Card Games category - validation, from real players rather than a classroom, that the social card game gap was real.
Google Play Store listing and production metrics
Marketing & community
To fuel the launch, we ran a grassroots marketing and branding campaign, partnering with content creators and streamers who genuinely enjoyed the platform. Influencers organically shared the app with their audiences, helping drive downloads and build an engaged community around KARDS.
Endorsements that helped drive organic growth and community engagement.
What's next for KARDS
Although production has been halted, the vision for KARDS is far from over. With the right support and resources, we aim to revive KARDS and make it greater than ever - building on the foundation that already proved its potential.
Features we'd love to bring to life include:
- Tournament mode with bracket-style competitions
- Enhanced social features including friend lists and messaging
- Custom card deck creation and sharing
- Advanced analytics and player insights
For more details, you can explore the following links: