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Gameshow Database Needed ASAP!

  • July 23, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 107 views

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Have a gameshow production (semi-professional/educational demo) for digital arts career pathway program high school class in Southern California. Producer/instructor is a 30+ year veteran TV gameshow producer in the US and UK with a background in computer programming and game design. He is my client and I am trying to pull this component of the production together at the 11th hour with our taping scheduled for early September.

We’ve already used Airtable to map out a lot of game structure and populate some test data. There are major functional concerns though including data validation and utilizing the data for realtime stage ques, contestant data interfaces, on-stage visuals, or on-screen events in post-production.

We need someone that can adapt our Airtable base into a functional, interactive, multi-user gaming system. Or, at this late stage, at least a quick and dirty backend that we can push the necessary information out to where it needs to go, even with brute force.

We’ve considered Wordpress and Construct 3 as platforms for this. Any suggestions or help is very much appreciated. We do have a small budget for this and we are more than happy to pay for this to be built.

Thank you in advance.

3 replies

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  • Participating Frequently
  • July 23, 2019

Hi,
I would be able to help you out on this.
You can reach me on andrewjohnson56782@gmail.com
Best Wishes,
Andrew


  • Participating Frequently
  • July 24, 2019

Hello,

Please check your PM.

Regards
Austin.


Hellen54302
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  • New Participant
  • February 19, 2026

This sounds like a fantastic project — especially with that level of production experience behind it. Given the timeline (early September taping), I’d strongly recommend prioritizing stability and simplicity over platform ambition.

Since you already have structure and test data in Airtable, the fastest path is likely:

✅ Short-Term (Reliable “Quick & Dirty” Backend)

Instead of rebuilding everything in WordPress or Construct 3, consider:

1. Keep Airtable as the database

  • Clean up schema

  • Lock down validation with required fields + formula checks

  • Use filtered views for stage-specific outputs

2. Add a lightweight middleware layer

  • Node.js + Express (very fast to spin up)

  • Or no-code automation using Make/Zapier for triggers

  • Use Airtable API to push data to:

    • Stage monitor dashboards (web-based)

    • Contestant tablets (simple web UI)

    • OBS overlays (browser source)

    • CSV/JSON export for post-production

3. For real-time stage cues

  • A simple web dashboard with:

    • “Next Question”

    • “Reveal Answer”

    • “Trigger Graphic”

  • Use WebSockets (Socket.io) for live updates across screens.

This avoids rebuilding game logic inside WordPress, which can become messy under time pressure.

⚠ Why I’d Avoid WordPress Right Now

WordPress is great for content — not ideal for:

  • Real-time multi-user sync

  • Low-latency stage cues

  • Event-driven gameplay

You’ll end up fighting the platform.