DebugArena is a real-time, multiplayer competitive debugging platform. Developers race to fix AI-generated buggy code in a variety of programming languages, earning points, climbing ranks, and building streaks. The platform is designed for fun, learning, and skill improvement, with a focus on speed, accuracy, and community.

1. 🔐 Authentication: Register/login to access the platform.
2. 🌐 Language Selection: Choose from 8 supported languages: Java, C, Python, C++, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, TypeScript, SQL.
3. 🎚️ Difficulty Selection: Four levels—Easy, Normal, Hard, Insane.
4. 👥 Lobby System: Get matched with 2 other players (3 per match).
5. 🐞 Bug Presentation: Receive the same AI-generated buggy code.
6. ⏱️ Timer: Race to fix the bug before time runs out (see timing scheme below).
7. 💻 Code Editor: Submit your fix (multiple submissions allowed, last one counts).
8. 🤖 AI Validation: Google Gemini AI checks your solution for correctness.
9. 🏆 Scoring & Ranking: Points awarded for placement. Live leaderboard updates.
10. 📊 Results: See your rank, points, time, and streaks after each round.

DebugArena features three main arenas/game modes, each designed for a different experience:

• Solo Play: Play alone, no matchmaking required.

• No Points: Practice mode does not affect your points, rank, or streaks.

• Flexible Difficulty: Choose any language and difficulty to hone your skills.

• No Pressure: Great for learning, warming up, or exploring new languages.

• Competitive Multiplayer: Get matched with 2 other players for a 3-player real-time match.

• Points & Ranks: Your performance directly affects your points and rank according to the scoring table.

• Strict Timer: Difficulty-based time limits apply.

• Leaderboard Impact: Results count toward global and language-specific leaderboards.

• Private Matches: Create or join a room with a custom code. Invite friends or play with selected players.
• Flexible Player Count: Set the number of players for your room (up to the supported max).
• Custom Difficulty & Language: Choose your preferred settings for the match.
• Challenge Mode (Optional): Enable point betting for extra stakes.
• Points: In standard custom rooms, no points are awarded or deducted. In challenge mode, points are wagered and distributed based on results.

The following features are planned for future development:

• 🏁 Debug Marathon: 5-player competition with 5 rounds of increasing difficulty
• 🎮 Custom DebugMarathon: Private marathon rooms with customizable settings

• The timer is set per round based on the selected difficulty.
• No submissions are accepted after the timer ends.
• Timer and player statuses are synchronized in real-time using Socket.IO.

Points are awarded strictly based on your placement and the selected difficulty. There are no speed or streak bonuses.

• 1st Place: Highest points for finishing first with a correct solution.
• 2nd Place: Fewer points for finishing second with a correct solution.
• 3rd Place: Points are deducted for finishing last.
• Incorrect/No Submission: No points awarded.

• 🥉 Bronze
• 🥈 Silver
• 🥇 Gold
• 💎 Diamond
• 👑 Master
• 🏅 Grandmaster

Ranks are displayed on profiles and leaderboards.

• Profile Data: Username, display name, bio, location, social links, avatar.
• Statistics: Games played, win rate, average rank, fastest time, highest streak, points per language/difficulty.
• Streak Tracking: Visual streak counter, milestone badges (e.g., 50, 100, 365 days).
• Achievements: Earned for streaks, high scores, and special events.
• Activity Heatmap: Calendar-style visualization of daily activity.

• Global Leaderboard: Top players by total points.
• Language-Specific Leaderboards: Filter by programming language.
• Live In-Game Leaderboard: Updates in real-time during matches.

• 🏠 Home/Landing Page: Overview, login/register.
• 🕹️ Playground: Main game interface (code editor, timer, submission panel).
• 👤 Profile: Stats, achievements, streaks, customization.
• 🏆 Leaderboard: Rankings and filters.
• 🔐 Authentication: Login, register, password reset.
• 🧭 Navbar: Persistent navigation across all pages.

• SVG Badges: For rank display.
• CSS: Styling for profile, leaderboard, and main UI.
• JS: Frontend logic, real-time updates, UI interactivity.
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop and mobile.
• Code Editor: Syntax highlighting, error display, submission button.
• Timer Display: Prominent, with color changes as time runs out.
• Live Status: See when other players submit or finish.
• Result Modal: Shows after each round with detailed feedback.

• Express.js: API endpoints, authentication, routing.
• Socket.IO: Real-time multiplayer, timers, live updates.
• Google Gemini AI: Buggy code generation and solution validation.
• Database: Stores user data, points, streaks, match history.

DebugArena/
├── config/
│   ├── database.js        # Database configuration
│   └── passport.js        # Authentication setup
├── middleware/
│   └── auth.js           # JWT authentication middleware
├── models/
│   ├── User.js           # User model with profile data
│   └── PointTransaction.js # Points tracking model
├── routes/
│   ├── auth.js           # Authentication routes
│   ├── passwordReset.js  # Password reset functionality
│   └── profile.js        # Profile management routes
├── public/
│   ├── home.html         # Landing page
│   ├── playground.html   # Main game interface
│   ├── profile.html      # User profile page
│   ├── main.js           # Frontend game logic
│   ├── profile.js        # Profile page functionality
│   ├── style.css         # Main styling
│   ├── profile.css       # Profile page styling
│   └── navbar.html       # Navigation component
├── server.js             # Express server setup
├── multiplayer.js        # Socket.IO game logic
├── utils/
│   └── points.js         # Points calculation utilities
├── package.json          # Dependencies and scripts
└── .env                  # Environment variables

• Authentication: JWT/session-based, password hashing.
• Input Validation: All user input is sanitized and validated.
• Anti-Cheating: Server-side validation, no client-side scoring.
• Rate Limiting: Prevents abuse of endpoints.

• Add Languages: Modular code generation and validation.
• Custom Badges: Add new achievements or rank tiers.
• Profile Customization: Users can update display name, bio, and social links.

• Environment Variables: .env file for API keys and config.
• Start Command: npm start (runs server and frontend).
• Port Configuration: Default 3000, configurable via PORT env variable.

• Bug Reports: Via GitHub Issues.
• Contributions: Fork, branch, PR workflow.
• License: MIT.