All projectsCase 04 / 05
Pocky
Virtual pet PWA with real-time sync across devices. Runs on iOS and Android straight from the web.
- Role
- Fullstack Developer
- Client
- Personal project
- Year
- 2025
- Type
- PWA
- Stack
- React · Firebase · TypeScript · PWA · Service Workers
Context
Pocky is a modern, Tamagotchi-style virtual pet: it runs in any browser, installs as an app and keeps its state synced across devices in real time. The idea: experiment with PWA + Firebase and see how far the browser can be pushed as a mobile app runtime.
Challenge
- Real-time state between iPhone and Android with no backend of my own.
- Installable as an app from Safari (PWAs on iOS have their quirks).
- Service Workers for background tasks (the little guy gets sad if you ignore him).
- Human latency: animations that feel alive, not robotic.
Solution
- Firebase Realtime DB for sync with presence.
- Manifest + optimized icons for Add to Home Screen on iOS and Android.
- Service Worker with a
stale-while-revalidatecache strategy. - Animation loop with
requestAnimationFrameand interpolation.
Result
- Works as an installable app on iPhone and Android without an app store.
- State synced across devices in under 200 ms.
- Zero custom backend: all the logic lives in the client + Firebase.
Gallery
