STACKCRAFT

Architecture Guide

How to Play

Each quest gives you a set of infrastructure components and constraints. Your job: design a system architecture that meets all the requirements.

Add components from the palette at the bottom. Connect them by dragging from one node's handle to another. The system health updates in real-time as you build.

When all constraints are satisfied and the system passes validation, you can complete the quest. You'll discover which architectural pattern you just built — learning by doing, not by reading.

Components

  • Compute — Application servers, workers, functions
  • Storage — Databases, object stores, data warehouses
  • Cache — In-memory caches like Redis or Memcached
  • Queue / Broker — Message queues, event buses, pub/sub
  • CDN — Content delivery networks for static assets
  • API Gateway — Entry point for routing, auth, rate limiting
  • Load Balancer — Distributes traffic across instances
  • External Service — Third-party APIs and legacy systems

Health Dimensions

  • Compliance — Regulatory and security requirements (highest priority)
  • Reliability — Redundancy, failover, fault tolerance
  • Performance — Latency, throughput, scalability
  • Cost Efficiency — Don't over-provision (over-engineering is flagged too!)

Tips

  • Read the briefing carefully — it tells you what the system needs, not how to build it.
  • Watch the constraint panel — green checks mean you're on track.
  • Don't over-engineer — adding unnecessary components hurts your cost score.
  • Connections matter — nodes that aren't connected don't contribute to the system.
  • Use hints if you're stuck — no penalty for reading them.

FAQ

Is my progress saved?

Yes. Progress is saved locally in your browser. You can close the tab and return later.

What are patterns?

Architectural patterns are named solutions to recurring design problems. You discover them by building systems — the game names what you built after you complete a quest.

Can I replay quests?

Yes. Replaying a quest keeps your best score and won't remove already-unlocked patterns.