Challenges We Faced During Development

During the development of Tic Tac Toe: The Classic using React Native, we encountered a variety of challenges that tested both our technical skills and design thinking. What appeared to be a simple grid-based game on the surface, required careful attention to detail across multiple layers such as UI design, game logic, multiplayer handling, animations, and compliance for child-friendly app distribution. Each hurdle taught us valuable lessons in building scalable, polished, and user-friendly apps using React Native.

• UI/UX Balance: Creating a clean, intuitive design that appeals to both kids and adults without compromising accessibility or responsiveness.
• Game Logic: Handling edge cases like draws, win detection, and preventing re-clicks with performant and reusable code.
• Online Multiplayer: Managing real-time updates and game sync using Firebase while preventing state mismatch and cheating.
• AI Opponent: Building a scalable, responsive AI using the Minimax algorithm with performance optimizations for different difficulty levels.
• Animations: Adding smooth, engaging feedback (e.g., win lines, shake effect) using Reanimated and Lottie without degrading performance.
• Responsive Design: Ensuring consistent layout and gameplay across all screen sizes, including tablets and modern devices with notches.
• Play Store (Kids Category): Meeting Google’s strict content and advertising policies for apps listed under the “Made for Kids” section.
• Offline Support & App Size: Making the game fully playable offline while keeping the APK size lightweight and optimized for low-end devices.