SwipeBoy

login screen
home screen for swiping
profile screen

🎮 Inspiration

We were inspired by the theme "Blast from the Past" and wanted to revive something iconic from our childhood: the GameBoy. But instead of a game, we imagined a dating app living inside the GameBoy itself — complete with D-pad controls, 8-bit sound, pixelated images, and classic UI styling. SwipeBoy was born from that nostalgia-fueled idea — combining retro tech with modern social needs.

💡 What it does

SwipeBoy is a fully functional retro-themed dating app:

Navigate profiles using a GameBoy-style D-pad and A/B buttons.
Upload photos, which are converted into 8-bit pixelated avatars.
Like or Superlike users using a heart-based system (0.5 ❤️ or 1 ❤️).
Enjoy a fully nostalgic UI with authentic button clicks and GameBoy screen textures.
Log in securely, browse profiles, and match — all inside a digital GameBoy shell.

🛠️ How we built it

Frontend: Built in Flutter, mimicking the GameBoy interface with custom widgets, pixel fonts, and tactile buttons.
Backend: Powered by Node.js + Express.js, handling user auth, profile data, matches, and image processing.
Database & Auth: We used Supabase for real-time PostgreSQL storage and JWT-based user authentication.
Image Processing: Used the sharp library to transform uploaded photos into low-res, RGB-limited pixelated images.
Deployment: Hosted the backend on Railway, storage and DB on Supabase, and distributed APKs via GitHub.

🚧 Challenges we ran into

Emulating the feel of physical GameBoy controls on a mobile touchscreen.
Achieving authentic 8-bit image pixelation with limited color palettes.
Designing a fully responsive GameBoy layout across web, Android, and iOS.
Handling image uploads, compression, and preview efficiently in real time.
Managing state across screens using custom controller logic instead of native swiping.

🏆 Accomplishments that we're proud of

Created a fully interactive, visually accurate GameBoy UI from scratch in Flutter.
Built a real dating app with working authentication, matching, and image upload pipelines.
Developed a pixelation engine that transforms real images into GameBoy-style retro art.
Managed smooth user experience with real-time audio, animations, and control feedback.
Completed a full-stack, deployable app in record time.

📚 What we learned

Deepened our knowledge of Flutter’s rendering pipeline and custom widget design.
Learned how to process and reduce images using Node.js + Sharp for visual transformations.
Gained experience integrating Supabase as a backend-as-a-service tool.
Discovered best practices for designing UI with strict retro limitations.
Improved our ability to balance creativity and technical feasibility under pressure.

🚀 What's next for SwipeBoy

💬 Add a chat system with retro-style message bubbles and typing animations.
📍 Implement location-based matching and discovery filters.
🕹️ Introduce mini-games users can play together after matching.
🎖️ Add a streak/reward system and collectible GameBoy achievements.
🛒 Launch an optional premium mode with cosmetic upgrades and bonus hearts.
📦 Release on more platforms, including progressive web app (PWA) and TestFlight for iOS.