THE S33K3R TRANSMISSION - DEVLOG
Part 8: The S33K3R Card Reveal
Continued from devlog07.md
[December 22nd, 2025] [7:48 PM MT]
The Reward Card Concept
After players complete the Bank Encounter game, they reach the unlocked phase. The victory screen needed something special. Something tangible. Something that felt like a real reward for solving the puzzle.
I'd been thinking about a collectible card. Not just a static image—an interactive flip card that reveals the lore behind THE S33K3R. The card would show the dual nature of the entity: the Seeker (old west aesthetic) on one side, the S33K3R (tactical modern) on the other. A physical metaphor for the same consciousness wearing different skins.
The concept was clear. The implementation would require 3D CSS transforms, audio feedback, and careful asset layering. This wasn't just a UI component—it was a narrative device.
[December 22nd, 2025] [8:11 PM MT]
Building the Flip Card Component
Started with the basics: a React component using useState for flip state, CSS perspective and transform-style-3d for the 3D effect. The card would rotate 180 degrees on click, revealing the back face with all the lore details.
Front face: the split design showing both personas. Used Next.js Image component with fill and object-cover to ensure crisp rendering. The card front asset (thes33k3r_card_front.webp) was already in the repo—I'd created it earlier during the asset pipeline setup.
Back face: white background with black text. Monospace font. Subject name, classification, ID number. The full lore paragraph explaining the collective consciousness. Warning box about THE NULL DOMINION. Stats grid showing STR, INT, AGI, LUCK values. Footer with "// TRANSMISSION INTERCEPTED //".
The flip animation used transition-transform duration-700 for smooth rotation. CSS backface-hidden ensured only one face was visible at a time. It worked. But something was missing.
Integrated the card into the BankEncounter's unlocked phase. The component was imported and rendered in the victory screen. Players could now flip the card after completing the matching game.
[December 22nd, 2025] [8:25 PM MT]
Adding the Safe Background
The BankEncounter unlocked phase needed the safe_open.png background. I added it to the phase's background styling, using backgroundSize: 'cover' to ensure it filled the screen properly.
But I realized the card itself should also have this background—layered behind the card content. The card was rendering on top of the safe_open background, but it didn't feel integrated. The card needed to be part of the safe's visual design.
At this point, I added the background to the BankEncounter phase, but the card component itself still needed the background styling. That would come later.
[December 23rd, 2025] [12:15 PM MT]
Adding Audio Feedback & WebAudio Fallback
Every interaction needs feedback. The card flip needed a sound. Not just any sound—something that felt like turning a physical card over. A satisfying whoosh or flip.
Found card_flip.mp3 in the sound effects directory. Already there from the game asset organization. Perfect.
Initial implementation: create an Audio element on click, set the source, play it. Simple. But browser autoplay policies are strict. Audio must be triggered by user interaction. The click handler qualified, but I needed to handle potential failures gracefully.
Added a fallback: if HTML5 Audio fails, use Web Audio API. Fetch the MP3, decode it, create a buffer source, connect to gain node, play. More complex, but more reliable across browsers. The fallback worked perfectly.
Also added diagnostic logging to help debug any audio issues. The sound played. The card flipped. The experience felt more complete.
[December 27th, 2025] [11:19 AM MT]
The Missing Background Fix & Audio Preloading
I'd been testing the card in the unlocked phase, and something felt off. The card looked good, but it didn't feel integrated with the safe_open background. The screenshot showed the card should have safe_open.png as its background—layered behind the card content.
I'd missed that detail. The card was rendering on top of the safe_open background, but the card itself didn't have the background image. It needed to be part of the card's visual design, not just the page background.
Fixed it by adding inline styles to both card faces:
backgroundImage: url('/rooms/safe_open.png')backgroundSize: 'cover'backgroundPosition: 'center'
The front face now shows the safe_open background behind the card front image. The back face shows the safe_open background with a semi-transparent white overlay (bg-white/95 backdrop-blur-sm) to maintain text readability.
The card now feels like it's emerging from the safe itself. Thematic. Cohesive.
Also fixed the audio delay issue. The card flip sound was working, but there was a slight delay on first click. The audio element was being created on-demand, which meant the browser had to fetch and decode the file before playing.
Solution: preload the audio on component mount using useEffect. Create the Audio element once, set all the properties (volume, crossOrigin, preload), and keep it in a ref. When the user clicks, just reset currentTime to 0 and call play(). Instant feedback.
Also improved error handling. Added event listeners for audio errors, console warnings for debugging, and ensured the Web Audio API fallback always works if HTML5 Audio fails.
The card now feels responsive. Every click triggers immediate audio feedback. No lag. No delays. Just smooth, satisfying interaction.
[December 27th, 2025] [11:20 AM MT]
Final Testing & Reflection
Tested the complete flow:
- Play the Bank Encounter game
- Match all pairs
- Watch the reward video
- Reach the unlocked phase
- See the card with safe_open background
- Click to flip—hear the sound
- Read the lore on the back
- Flip again to see the front
Everything works. The background is visible. The sound plays every time. The animation is smooth. The experience feels polished.
The S33K3R card represents more than just a reward. It's a collectible. A piece of the EARTIX that players can interact with. A physical manifestation of the transmission's core mythology.
This component bridges gameplay and narrative. It rewards completion while delivering essential lore. It's both functional and meaningful.
The Bank Encounter is now complete. The card is the perfect capstone to the experience.
End of transmission