Building Matatu Pro

A web version of the popular game, Matatu.

Idea

Matatu was originally created for a Google Developer competition in 2012 by Daniel Okalany and Jasper Zed from Uganda. As someone who enjoyed playing their mobile game, I found it frustrating when I tried to play it on my desktop computer.

The experience was poor - you couldn't see all your cards when you had 7 or more in your hand, with no way to scroll through them. After searching unsuccessfully for alternatives or a web version, I decided to build one myself.

Process

In March 2024, I found a helpful paper about playing cards that taught me the proper terminology. I challenged myself to build a web version of Matatu within a week.

I discovered a useful resource for card deck graphics online and read about the rules of Matatu to understand the game logic. Within 2-3 days, I had created a basic user interface.

For the next five days, I worked through the night to complete the game. Creating smooth animations was particularly challenging.

Launch

I announced Matatu Pro on April 2nd through LinkedIn and Twitter. Interestingly, my post explaining how the project came to be received ten times more attention than the actual launch announcement.

You can play Matatu Pro here.