Taking over a games codebase nobody could explain

Inheriting somebody else’s build

The client came to us with an existing React Native codebase from a previous development team, plagued with performance issues and incomplete features. The app dropped frames during gameplay, state management was inconsistent, and the backend could not handle concurrent users.

A code takeover is a different job to a build. There is no author to ask, the decisions that shaped the code are undocumented, and everything you change risks breaking something you have not found yet. We had to reverse-engineer the previous work with no help from the people who wrote it.

The technical problem

Three things had to be true at once: React Native performance good enough for 60fps gameplay, robust Redux state management for the game mechanics, and real-time Firebase synchronisation for leaderboards and multiplayer.

On top of that the reward system needed to talk to NFT platforms and brand sponsor APIs, neither of which is forgiving of a flaky client.

Rebuilding the state layer

We audited the existing codebase and rebuilt critical components from scratch, keeping feature parity between iOS and Android.

For state management we implemented a clean Redux architecture with normalised data structures, which removed the inconsistencies that plagued the original build. Most of the visible bugs in a game like this are not rendering bugs, they are two parts of the app disagreeing about the same piece of state.

Leaderboards in real time

Firebase Realtime Database powers the leaderboard with sub-second synchronisation across all connected players. In a competitive game the leaderboard is the product, and a scoreboard that lags is worse than no scoreboard.

Rewards and monetisation

The gamification system includes a reward engine that integrates with NFT minting APIs and brand sponsor platforms. Players earn points, unlock achievements and compete for real prizes. AdMob provides monetisation through rewarded video ads that grant extra turns.

Social authentication via Facebook and Instagram enables onboarding, and share functionality lets winners broadcast achievements. The AWS backend with Laravel powers the admin portal, giving the client control over puzzles, rewards and user management.

What it delivered

Consistent 60fps across iOS and Android. The Redux rebuild removed the crashes from the original codebase. Firebase sync handles thousands of concurrent players without lag.

The rescue saved the client’s original investment while delivering a production-ready app, with an architecture that supports new puzzle types, seasonal events and expanded reward partnerships.