Daily Challenge: How It Works

The Daily Challenge is one of my favorite features in Free Flick Football. Every day, the game picks one of 10 special modes and everyone competes on the same ruleset. Here's how it all works under the hood.

The mode selection is deterministic — it's not random. The game takes today's date, runs it through a hash function, and maps the result to one of 10 challenge modes. This means every player in the world gets the same mode on the same day, which is critical for fair leaderboard competition.

The 10 modes each change the game in a meaningful way. Some modify physics (heavier ball, bouncier pins), some change scoring rules (first goal wins, own goals count double), and some alter the board layout. Each mode rewards a slightly different skill set, so being good at one doesn't guarantee you'll top the leaderboard every day.

Leaderboards are powered by Supabase. When you finish a daily challenge, your score is submitted with a timestamp and your mode results. The leaderboard shows the top performers for that day's mode. Scores reset daily, so there's always a fresh competition.

One design goal was making the daily challenge feel like an event — something you look forward to each day. The rotating modes keep it fresh, and the global leaderboard gives it stakes. It's a low-pressure way to compete: you play one game, see where you land, and come back tomorrow for a different challenge.

I've seen players who log in every single day just for the daily challenge. It's become a ritual for some of the community, and that kind of engagement is incredibly rewarding to see as a solo developer.

Future plans for the daily challenge include seasonal themes, streak rewards for consecutive days played, and community-suggested modes. If you have an idea for a challenge mode you'd love to see, drop it on X.