Project Overview

Developed a full-stack platform for creating and delivering text-based interactive games as part of SLB's employee onboarding initiative. The project consists of a game editor for content creators to design branching narratives, and a game engine for end-users to play through the experiences. The platform uses Azure cloud services for scalability and reliability.

Key Achievements

UI/UX Leadership & Backend Integration

Led the UI/UX development team, coordinating design discussions and ensuring seamless integration with backend systems. Established communication channels between frontend and backend teams to align on API contracts and data models, maintaining consistency across both the editor and engine platforms.

Database Architecture

Managed the database team in architecting a data layer using Azure CosmosDB for persistent storage and Redis for caching and session management. Designed data schemas optimized for game state and user progress with efficient indexing strategies in CosmosDB.

Performance Testing & Optimization

Conducted load testing by simulating 500 concurrent users to identify performance bottlenecks in CosmosDB and Redis-backed operations. Analyzed response times and throughput to optimize database connection pooling and caching strategies.

Cross-Team Collaboration

Collaborated across frontend, backend, and infrastructure teams to integrate all system components. Designed and executed end-to-end testing strategies covering user workflows from game creation to gameplay, ensuring data consistency and system reliability.

Technical Implementation

System Architecture

• Frontend: React-based applications for editor and engine
• Backend: .NET 6 Web API services on Azure App Services
• Database: Azure CosmosDB for data storage
• Cache: Azure Cache for Redis for session state
• Monitoring: Application Insights for performance monitoring

Game Editor Features

• Visual Editor: Drag-and-drop interface for creating branching story paths
• Content Management: Rich text editor for game content
• Preview Mode: Real-time preview of game flow
• Publishing Workflow: Draft and publish pipeline

Game Engine Features

• Responsive UI: Mobile-first design
• Progress Tracking: Save points and resume functionality
• Choice System: Interactive decision points
• Analytics: Track user progress and completion metrics

Database Design

• Games: Game metadata and content (CosmosDB)
• UserProgress: Player state tracking (CosmosDB)
• Session State: Active user sessions (Redis)
• Game Content: Published games cached for fast retrieval (Redis)

Performance Optimization

• Load Testing: Simulated 500 concurrent users
• Game Loading: Average response time <200ms
• Progress Save: <100ms write latency to CosmosDB
• Throughput: 1000+ requests/second sustained load

Testing Strategy

• End-to-End: Game creation to gameplay workflows
• Load Testing: Azure Load Testing with 500 concurrent users
• Data Consistency: Verified integrity across cache and database
• Cross-Browser: Tested on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge

Learning Outcomes

• Full-stack development with cloud-native architecture
• Team leadership and cross-functional collaboration
• Database design and optimization for cloud applications
• Performance testing and system optimization under load
• Azure cloud services (CosmosDB, Redis, App Services)