Gorgeous Orchids

Gorgeous Orchids is a mobile collectible game that brings the excitement of sticker albums to the digital world. Players open virtual packs to discover, collect, and trade hundreds of AI-generated orchid species. Designed and built from the ground up as a solo project, this application provides a robust, cross-platform experience that spans a high-performance backend, a polished mobile client, and a comprehensive administrative ecosystem.

The Problem

Building a mobile collectible game requires balancing complex real-time operations—such as pack-opening mechanics, inventory management, and secure peer-to-peer trading—with a user-friendly interface. Furthermore, I needed a way to manage large volumes of content (72 species with four bloom stages each) efficiently while ensuring the app remained performant, secure, and accessible to users across both iOS and Android.

The Approach

I architected the project using a full-stack, "product-first" mindset, ensuring that every layer—from the database schema to the mobile UI—was built for scalability and maintainability:

• Backend Architecture: I developed a high-performance REST API using Rust and Axum. This choice provided the concurrency required for managing complex game states and the memory safety necessary for handling in-app purchases and user authentication.
• Mobile Experience: The Flutter client was designed with an offline-first philosophy, allowing users to browse their owned collection even without a network connection. I utilized Riverpod for robust state management and integrated platform-specific features like Apple and Google Sign-In and Firebase Cloud Messaging.
• Content Pipeline: To handle the 288 unique AI-generated assets, I built an automated workflow that integrates the OpenAI API. An admin dashboard (React/TypeScript) allows for the batch generation, curation, and approval of these assets before they are served via AWS S3.
• DevOps & Automation: I prioritized reliability by implementing a massive suite of over 1,000 automated tests, including extensive Playwright E2E testing for the admin dashboard and comprehensive unit/integration tests for the backend and mobile logic.

Key Outcomes

• Live Deployment: Successfully launched and published on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
• Operational Efficiency: Created a dedicated public portal at gorgeousorchids.com featuring dynamically generated QR codes, allowing for seamless desktop-to-mobile user acquisition.
• Full-Stack Ownership: Handled the entire infrastructure via AWS CDK, including EC2 provisioning, Route 53 DNS management, and automated CI/CD pipelines via GitHub Actions for seamless deployment across all platforms.
• Robust Feature Set: Delivered a complete game economy, including rarity-based pack openings, album completion rewards, a secure trading hub, and server-verified in-app purchases.

Technical Highlights

• Performance: Optimized for low latency, ensuring smooth reveal animations during pack openings and rapid data synchronization.
• Quality Assurance: Achieved 100% E2E test coverage on the admin portal and 85%+ coverage on the mobile client, significantly reducing regression risks during feature updates.
• Scalability: Designed with a modular monorepo structure, allowing for independent deployment and maintenance of the mobile app, backend, admin dashboard, and marketing portal.