Workshop #005: Building Local Multi User Web Apps

Remember those late nights huddled around computers, trash-talking friends as you fragged them in Call of Duty or built elaborate traps in Minecraft? The magic that made those multiplayer experiences possible wasn't just game design—it was the technology of local networks bringing players together in real time.

Multiplayer games have preserved that same charm but scaled it over the cloud, yet the fundamentals remain the same. That's why we wanted to return to classical LAN games to decode how scalable multi-user web apps work. Whether it’s MMOs like League of Legends or collaborative tools like Google Docs, they all rely on the same foundation: protocols and clients communicating with servers.

LAN (Local Area Network) gaming created some of our most cherished gaming memories. Before high-speed internet became ubiquitous, gamers would connect their computers directly to share data almost instantly. This technology wasn't just for games—it revolutionized how we think about shared digital experiences.

Some our favourite legendary titles that leveraged LAN technology include:

• Counter-Strike: The original team-based shooter that shaped competitive gaming

• Warcraft III: Which spawned entire genres (MOBA games like DOTA started here!)

• Halo: The legendary shooter that turned living rooms into battlegrounds

Today, we can create similarly engaging multi-user experiences using modern web technologies. Socket.io is a JavaScript library that enables real-time, bidirectional communication between web clients and servers. It's what powers many of the collaborative tools we use daily—from chat applications to Google Docs.

During our Builder Weekend, you'll create three incrementally complex multi-user web applications:

1. Hello World: A simple Socket.io implementation where multiple computers connect and communicate—to see their ID appear across screens instantly!

2. Multiplayer Tic-Tac-Toe: Build a classic game where two players can compete from different machines. You'll learn about game state management and handling user interactions.

3. Collaborative Drawing Canvas: Create a shared drawing experience similar to MS Paint but collaborative like Google Docs—where multiple users can draw together simultaneously.

The best part? You’ll walk away with a solid foundation to build your own multiplayer game, collaborative tool, or something entirely new.

The workshop will be hosted at TU Dublin East Quad on February 26th, 2025. RSVP at our Luma.

Bring your laptop, creativity, and ambition to build something real.

See you there, builders!

P.S. This workshop has been kindly sponsored by Patch, a summer programme for young and enthusiastic builders, inventors and leaders. Some of their sponsors include OpenAI and Stripe. If you’re ambitious and driven, we would highly encourage applying!