About NewfieCards

NewfieCards is a special place on the internet where traditional Newfoundland card games come alive. Created with love for my parents, Lorraine and Reg, who still call Newfoundland home, this site is my way of bridging the distance between us.

Whether you're a Newfoundlander far from home, missing family gatherings, or simply someone who loves a good game of cards, you'll find a warm welcome here.

The existing design of this site is clean and simplistic, based on how I currently design and build web applications in my work life. Full stack developer is a hat I wear... If you know what that is, then you'll probably understand. So form and function guide the initial design. However, this is NewfieCards, and that means something. So the design will evolve in that metaphorical direction, once function has been properly established.

For Family Near and Far

Distance shouldn't keep families apart. NewfieCards lets you sit down at a virtual card table with loved ones, no matter where life has taken you. From the rock to the mainland, from coast to coast, we're bringing Newfoundlanders together one hand at a time.

Remembering Those We've Lost

All of the AI "Computer" players are more than just computer opponents; they're loving tributes to real people who once sat around our kitchen tables, sharing stories and laughter over a deck of cards. Their spirits live on in every game we play.

• Scat (31): A fast-paced game of collecting cards to reach 31 points in a single suit
• 120s: A traditional Newfoundland trick-taking game (coming soon)
• More games coming: We're always working to add more beloved Newfoundland card games

• Coming Soon: Play with friends and family online in real-time multiplayer games
• Coming Soon: Video chat integration that virtually places you at the table, letting everyone see and interact with each other while playing
• In Development: Practice against AI opponents, each with unique personalities and playing styles
• No downloads or installations needed—play instantly in your web browser
• Coming Soon: Try before you sign up with our free demo game
• Create a free account to unlock all features and track your game history
• Future Release: Mobile app for iOS and Android that seamlessly connects to multiplayer games on the website

I built this site, because even though I left Newfoundland 30 years ago, I never really left it behind... No Newfoundlander ever does. It's for mom and dad Reg and Lorraine Porter, who are still living on the rock, keeping our traditions alive. It's for my brother Reggie, who went east, completely leaving North America, when I went west. It's for all the Newfoundlanders scattered across our big country and far beyond.

Most of all, it's for anyone who's ever missed home, missed their family, or missed those who've passed on. Through these games, my hope is that we keep these memories alive and our connections strong, no matter how far we wander from home.

This project wouldn't have been possible without the incredible support and contributions from so many wonderful people. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped bring these memories to life and keep our traditions alive in the digital age.

We take your privacy and safety seriously. All registered users' interactions are logged to ensure a safe and respectful environment for everyone. We have zero tolerance for harassment or inappropriate behavior—this is a family-friendly space where everyone should feel welcome and most of all, safe.

What's Partly Working

• Core Game Engine: The Scat/31 & 120s game logic is fully mapped out with single player decision logic implemented, tracking proper scoring and turn management. Once minor adjustments are made for turn token exchange and 3D card mapping, the single player game will be brought online
• AI Personalities: 11 unique AI characters with distinct personalities and playing styles are in development, based on the memorial tributes they represent
• User Accounts: Registration, login, and profile management
• Game Rooms: Create and spectate single player game rooms are technically online and working, but until single player games are turned on, there isn't much to do in there
• Card Animations: Novel 3D coordinate card positioning and layout management system
• Layout Storage: Save and load custom table and card layouts
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop and mobile browsers

What's In Development

• Real-time Multiplayer: WebSocket implementation is 80% complete - needs final Safari browser fixes
• 3D Card Animations: Drawing, discarding, and dealing animations are designed but not yet implemented
• Video Chat Integration: Architecture planned for in-game video chat
• 120s Game: Core rules implemented, needs UI integration
• Sound Effects: Card sounds and game audio ready to implement

Next Steps

The immediate priorities are:

1. Fix Single player game state bug, where turn token is not being passed back to single user player (1 week)
2. Complete user login permissions, Game room control management for all possible user interactions, to handle unexpected room and game state changes (1-2 weeks)
3. Complete WebSocket fixes for real-time multiplayer (1-2 weeks)
4. Implement 3D card animations for better gameplay feel (2-3 weeks)
5. Add sound effects and music (1 week)
6. Complete 120s game integration (2-3 weeks)
7. Beta testing with family and friends (2-4 weeks)
8. Launch public beta (late 2025)

Yes, this site and the games contained within are all in an alpha version state. So nothing is working as it should... yet. Please feel free to play around in the different sections, pages, games, etc. Whatever you have access to, please do play and explore. If you get any errors, or something that you think is wrong, please send an email, with a screen capture to shannon@newfiecards.com. And always remember, it's just a game, so have fun.

Development Timeline

Working on this project one day per week, here's the estimated timeline:

• Phase 1 - Core Completion (9-12 weeks): Fix multiplayer, add animations and sounds
• Phase 2 - Game Expansion (4-6 weeks): Complete 120s, add Cribbage foundation
• Phase 3 - Video Chat (8-10 weeks): Integrate WebRTC video chat system
• Phase 4 - Mobile Apps (12-16 weeks): Native iOS and Android apps
• Phase 5 - Social Features (6-8 weeks): Tournaments, leaderboards, achievements

Total estimated time to full version 1.0 release: 10-14 months at current coding schedule

Hosting & Operating Costs (2 Years)

Here's a breakdown of estimated costs to run NewfieCards for two years:

Infrastructure Costs

• Web Hosting (DigitalOcean/AWS): $25-50/month = $600-1,200
• Database (PostgreSQL): $15-25/month = $360-600
• Redis (WebSocket support): $10-15/month = $240-360
• CDN/Static Assets: $5-10/month = $120-240
• Domain Name: $15/year = $30
• SSL Certificate: Free with Let's Encrypt

Third-Party Services

• Email Service (SendGrid): $10-20/month = $240-480
• Video Chat API (Twilio/Agora): $50-100/month = $1,200-2,400
• Error Monitoring (Sentry): $10/month = $240
• Analytics: Free with Google Analytics
• Backup Storage: $5/month = $120

Development Tools

• GitHub Pro: $4/month = $96
• Development Server: $10/month = $240
• Testing Devices: One-time $500-1,000

Marketing & Growth

• Google Ads (optional): $50-100/month = $1,200-2,400
• Social Media Promotion: $25/month = $600
• App Store Fees: $99/year (Apple) + $25 one-time (Google) = $223

I'd be honoured if you help support this project

NewfieCards is a labour of love, that I'm building to extend Newfoundland traditions into a virtual space to help keep families, like mine, connected across any distance. If you'd like to support the development and hosting costs of this project, please know every contribution helps ensure we can keep the virtual card table open for anyone and everyone to join. "Whether you be Newfie, or not B'y".

Support on GoFundMe

Thank you for being part of this journey to extend Newfoundland traditions into a virtual space.