Raiders Rift: Exploring the Future of Play with WebSockets and AI

At Setwise, we believe that the best way to understand new technology is to build with it. We are explorers at heart, driven by a passion for creating with code and a constant curiosity about the tools that will shape the next generation of digital experiences. Our latest experiment, Raiders Rift, is a testament to that spirit.

Raiders Rift isn’t just a game; it’s a laboratory where we’ve been testing the limits of live multi-player synchronization and integrated AI. By stepping outside our usual client work, we give ourselves the space to master emerging technologies that will eventually help us deliver even more value to our clients.

The Tech Behind the Rift

When we set out to build Raiders Rift, we had two primary technical goals: seamless real-time interaction and a challenging, autonomous opponent.

Live Multi-player via WebSockets

Multiplayer games demand near-zero latency. To achieve this, we leveraged WebSockets, allowing for a persistent, two-way connection between our players and the server. This ensures that every card played, every heal cast, and every strategic trade is reflected across the entire party instantly. It’s the same technology that powers high-stakes financial dashboards and real-time collaboration tools, and seeing it work in a high-intensity battle context was incredibly rewarding.

AI-Based CPU Foe

Not every party has a full roster ready at all times. To solve this, and to explore the integration of intelligent agents, we developed an AI-based CPU Foe. This isn’t just a random number generator; the Foe evaluates the state of the game, targets vulnerable players, and manages its own hand to provide a genuine challenge to the party. Exploring AI in this controlled environment gives us deep insights into how we might implement intelligent automation for our clients’ business processes.

How to Play

The game is live and playable right now at raidersrift.com.

Raiders Rift is a battle between a party of adventurers and a heinous Foe. If the Foe reaches 0 hit points, the Party wins. If all players in the Party die, the Foe wins.

Player Classes

Choose your role wisely, as each class has unique strengths:

• Warrior: May Attack twice. Cannot Heal (except Rest for 1).
• Cleric: May Heal twice. Cannot Steal.
• Wizard: No special action repeats or restrictions.
• Bard: May Buy twice. Cannot Attack.
• Rogue: May Steal twice. Cannot Buy.

The Mechanics

Each turn, you draw 2 cards and take 2 actions. Actions include:

• Attack (♠): Damage equals the card’s number.
• Buy (♦): Draw 2 cards.
• Heal (♥): Heal yourself or a teammate.
• Steal (♣): Take a random card from another player or the Foe.
• Trade: Swap a card with a teammate.
• Prepare Bonus: Add a card to the team Bonus pool.
• Rest: Heal 1 HP.

Face cards (J, Q, K) serve as blocks, and a coordinated Party can unleash a Bonus to double their effectiveness or even resurrect a fallen comrade.

Why We Build

We built Raiders Rift because we love to create. There is a unique joy in seeing lines of code transform into a living, breathing interface where people can interact in real-time. But more importantly, these experiments ensure that when our clients come to us with a complex problem, we’ve already explored the solutions.

Whether it's real-time data streaming or integrating AI into a workflow, we stay ahead of the curve so our clients don't have to.

Ready to test your mettle? Enter the rift at raidersrift.com.