Gladiator Game (Prototype)

Overview

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Gladiator Game (Prototype) is an experimental asynchronous multiplayer game built to explore how a server-driven game could work in practice. The core idea is simple: create a gladiator, build a loadout from randomized shop items and weapons, and send them into automated battles against other players' gladiators.

While the presentation is intentionally lightweight, the project was designed as a serious technical prototype. It gave me room to experiment with combat systems, backend architecture, persistence, and authentication in a way that felt much closer to a real online game than a traditional local-only prototype.

Gameplay

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The game revolves around preparation and strategy rather than direct control. Players assemble a combo build by purchasing randomized items and weapons from a shop, shaping how their gladiator behaves once combat begins.

Battles play out automatically in an autobattler-style system, so the interesting part happens before the fight: choosing the right equipment, balancing risk and reward, and building around synergies instead of reflexes.

The current prototype is centered around one clear goal: defeat other player builds and climb the leaderboards.

Development

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This project was created primarily as a technical prototype to explore client-server architecture in game development. The client is built in Godot, while the backend is powered by a .NET API responsible for game logic, player data, matchmaking, and combat flow.

To support the online parts of the game, I also introduced a few technologies that were new and important to this prototype:

• PostgreSQL for storing users, gladiators, and match data
• Firebase Authentication as the foundation for the login system

The goal was not to create a fully polished game, but to experiment with:

• Server-authoritative game logic
• API design and communication between client and backend
• Persistent game data across players and matches
• Building a basic authentication flow for online accounts
• Networking workflows in Godot
• Expanding my experience with C# and .NET development

The project ended up being a great sandbox for understanding how a more scalable multiplayer game architecture could be structured, even at a small prototype level.

Challenges & Learnings

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Working on this prototype introduced several new technical challenges:

• Designing a clean separation between client and server responsibilities
• Handling network communication and syncing game state
• Structuring a flexible API for game interactions
• Designing a data model for players, gladiators, and matches in PostgreSQL
• Connecting a game client and backend to an external authentication provider
• Managing randomized systems while keeping gameplay deterministic for server validation

This project was especially valuable in bridging the gap between single-player game development and more complex, networked systems. It pushed me to think less like a gameplay-only developer and more like someone building a complete online product.

Release Info

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• Released: April 3, 2026
• Platform: Itch.io
• Engine: Godot 4.5 (GDScript)
• Backend: .NET API, PostgreSQL, Firebase Authentication
• Status: Free browser game