I Call On

Project Overview

I Call On is a real-time multiplayer naming game for adults, friends, and families. The caller picks a letter; everyone else has to name an animal, a place, or a person starting with that letter — before the caller stops the round. Score points for valid answers, repeat through the categories, and see who pulls ahead.

What makes the game work isn't the concept — it's the execution. The experience depends entirely on speed, synchronisation, and fairness across all players in real time. When the round ends, it has to end for everyone, instantly. A half-second delay breaks the whole thing.

Built and shipped in under a month.

Client

Internal Product

Timeline

< 1 month

Services

Game Design · UX/UI Design · Frontend Development · Real-Time System Logic

Tech Stack

React Native Custom Game Logic Real-Time Sync

The Challenge

Making real-time gameplay feel fair and instant

"Even small delays break the experience."

The core challenge wasn't the game idea — it was the system behaviour. When the caller ends a round, all players must stop instantly. Inputs from multiple users need to be captured and scored fairly. Network delays can create inconsistencies between players — one phone still accepting answers while another has already locked.

Without tight synchronisation, the game quickly feels unreliable — and a party game that feels unreliable doesn't get played twice. The architecture had to deliver near-instant state updates across all connected devices regardless of network conditions.

Our Solution

What we built

Synchronised Round Control

A system where the caller controls the round lifecycle and all player devices stay in sync when rounds start and stop. When the caller presses stop, every phone stops — simultaneously, across variable mobile connections.

Real-Time Input Handling

Players submit answers simultaneously, with logic to capture, validate, and score responses within the time window — ensuring fairness regardless of who answers first or how fast their connection is.

Caller / Player Role System

Distinct UX flows for the caller, who controls round pacing, and players, who compete to answer. Each role has a different interface — keeping the dynamic clear without needing a tutorial.

Lightweight Scoring Engine

Points awarded based on valid entries across categories, with a game loop intentionally kept lean: fast rounds, minimal friction, high replayability. Easy to start, difficult to put down.

System Insight

I Call On is a timing-sensitive system.

simple concept + complex synchronisation requirement

variable network conditions → consistent, fair experience for all players

caller stops → everyone stops, simultaneously

Even with a simple concept, the complexity lies in making the experience feel instant and fair for everyone involved.