Revolutionizing Blockchain Gaming: My Role in Building the Backend Infrastructure for Navis War
Building the Backbone of Blockchain Gaming: My Experience with Navis War
How I Engineered the Backend and Infrastructure for a Game That’s Changing the Web3 Landscape
In December 2023, I embarked on an ambitious journey to build the backend infrastructure for Navis War, a revolutionary blockchain game designed to eliminate the barriers to Web3 gaming. As the sole backend and infrastructure engineer, I designed a scalable, secure system that powers an immersive gaming experience.
While dedicating myself to Navis War, I also achieved several personal milestones: I completed my Master’s in Computer Games Programming at Teesside University with a distinction in September 2024, developed my first solo game, Drone Defiance, in Unreal Engine and C++, and participated in several game jams, where I collaborated with talented developers.
About Navis War
Navis War is more than just a game, it’s a paradigm shift in blockchain gaming. It addresses the high barrier to entry traditionally associated with Web3 games by offering a free-to-play model that requires no prior knowledge of cryptocurrency. With an intuitive onboarding process, stellar graphics, and real-time multiplayer synchronization, Navis War aims to captivate gamers worldwide.
My Contributions
As the sole backend engineer, I laid the foundation for a robust and scalable system by designing and implementing a microservices architecture using NestJS and Typescript. Here’s a breakdown of my technical contributions:
1. Architecting the System
I developed a phased architecture based on the game’s design document:
- Authentication: A versatile and secure system enabling user registration and login through multiple methods, including Telegram, Google, and Email & Password, all fortified with industry-standard JWT Bearer tokens for robust security and seamless access management.
- Single Player Mode: Fully integrated APIs allowing players to interact seamlessly through Telegram.
- PVP Multiplayer: Real-time gameplay with Web Sockets and Redis as an adapter for bi-directional communication, ensuring low-latency interaction.
- Administration and Analytics: Role-based access control (RBAC) for secure monitoring and insights into gameplay and user activity.
- API Documentation: Comprehensive Swagger documentation created to provide detailed data structures, example input parameters, and outputs. This documentation ensures that front-end developers can easily integrate with the backend and helps streamline development by offering a clear understanding of the API.
2. Ensuring Scalable Communication
Using gRPC and Protocol Buffers, I ensured efficient communication between services, crucial for real-time synchronization and high-performance gameplay.
3. Security and Data Protection
The system incorporates multiple layers of security:
- Time-based rate limiting and IP whitelisting for HTTPS and WebSocket connections.
- Comprehensive e2e testing scripts covering all edge cases and continuously updated for new scenarios.
- Robust database migration scripts to handle future changes and ensure data integrity.
4. Cloud-Native CI/CD Pipeline
I implemented a Docker and Kubernetes-based CI/CD pipeline using Google Cloud Build, Artifact Repository, and Kubernetes Engine. This infrastructure auto-scales to handle demand spikes, supporting viral growth through social sharing.
5. Future Proofing
To accommodate future growth, The next phase will involve smart contract integration and launching Cups and Leagues competitions to amplify the competitive gaming experience.
Impact
As of now, Navis War has:
- Over 61,337 registered Telegram users enjoying the single-player mode.
- A fully functional PVP backend, with APIs ready for frontend integration.
- A highly secure and scalable infrastructure supporting its growing user base.
Through this project, I showcased my expertise in backend development, system architecture, and cloud infrastructure. With over five years of backend engineering experience, this was a remarkable opportunity to merge my technical skills with my passion for gaming.
You can try out the game or join the community on Discord and Telegram.
Pursuing Excellence Beyond Work
While working on Navis War, I was simultaneously completing my Master’s in Computer Games Programming at Teesside University, which I graduated from with distinction in September 2024. This rigorous program honed my skills in game development, particularly in:
- Advanced programming with Unreal Engine, OpenGL and C++.
- AI Planning and physics for gaming applications.
- Game Design Patterns
- Advanced Game Prototyping
- Game Design Documentation, Development Ethics, Playtesting
- Optimized rendering techniques.
After graduation, I released my first solo game, Drone Defiance, a fast-paced action game developed entirely in Unreal Engine using C++ and Blueprints. This project reflected my ability to merge technical expertise with creative vision.
Additionally, I actively participated in game jams, collaborating with amazing teams to produce games in just 48 hours or less. These experiences have been invaluable in sharpening my teamwork and problem-solving skills under tight deadlines.
In the meantime, let me know your thoughts in the comments! And if you’d like to keep up with future posts, game development insights, or just hang out with my growing creative community, feel free to follow me on my socials, I am @ officialyenum everywhere .
Thanks again for all the support — it truly means the world!
