From SHASN to Servers: My Board Game Journey

 It’s funny how a single experience can completely shift your hobbies. For the longest time, my downtime was split between managing my home lab, tinkering with tech, and planning overland drives. But everything changed the day I sat down to play SHASN.

There was something incredibly captivating about the political strategy, the intense negotiations, and the tactile feel of outmaneuvering opponents on a physical board. SHASN wasn't just a game; it was an event. It completely pulled me into the world of tabletop gaming. Suddenly, I wasn't just a tech enthusiast; I was hooked on the dynamic, unpredictable human element of board games.

The Catan Obsession

Naturally, that gateway led me straight into another massive favorite: Catan. Trading sheep for wood, racing to build the longest road, and the sheer frustration of the robber became weekend staples. But there was a logistical problem. Getting friends together in the same room on a regular basis—especially when coordinating schedules and navigating city traffic—proved to be a real challenge.

I needed a way to keep the game nights alive without the geographic constraints. With my background in enterprise applications and running my own dockerized environments at home, the solution seemed obvious: I had to host it myself.

Launching catan.onelivinglife.in

I decided to deploy a dockerized multiplayer Catan web application right from my server. Setting up the environment, configuring the routing, and getting it live was a fun project that perfectly bridged my love for tech and my newfound tabletop obsession.

"The best part about this online deployment? The web app generates randomized boards automatically. It keeps every single game fresh, throwing our strategies out the window and forcing us to adapt to whatever chaotic resource distribution the server throws at us."

And so, catan.onelivinglife.in was officially launched. It’s up and running, accessible online, and ready for my friends to log in from anywhere so we can get back to our aggressive trading negotiations without leaving our desks.

Note: Access to the game is restricted by OTP-based email authentication. Only users on the allowlist will receive the login OTP. So, request access if you wanna play!

The server is humming, the random board is set, and the invites have been sent out. Now, we just have to hope the deployment remains completely bug-free while we battle it out for 10 victory points. Let the games begin!