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Aloha RouterFreaks!
Remember when we mentioned we were working on a IT Cert Game called CertFreak last year? Well, here’s an update on where it stands. First off, we changed the name to NerdClash, and yes — it’s a game. Sort of. It’s a competitive, gamified mobile app for IT certification prep, and I’ve been heads-down building it since November 2025.
“Why is the networking guy building a game?” Fair question. Here’s the thing: if you’ve ever studied for a certification — Security+, CCNA, AWS Cloud Practitioner, whatever — you know the drill. You buy a book, watch some videos, grind through practice questions, and try not to fall asleep. The study tools out there are either boring flashcard apps or expensive video platforms. Nothing makes you want to keep studying.
That’s the gap NerdClash is designed to fill. And since the RouterFreak community is basically the target audience — IT professionals who love learning and aren’t afraid of a little competition — I figured you’d want to follow along as it comes together.
Where We’re At: Phase 1 MVP, Actively Building
Development kicked off in November 2025 with an intensive design phase, and coding started in earnest in January 2026. The project is broken into three phases, and we’re currently mid-way through Phase 1: MVP.
Here’s what’s been built and is working:
– Full authentication system — Email/password signup, login, password reset. Functional and deployed to the backend.
– Spaced repetition engine — This is the core learning mechanic. I implemented the FSRS v4 algorithm (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler), which I’ll talk more about below. Cards are scheduled based on how well you know them, not on a fixed timer.
– Study session flow — Animated flashcards with tap-to-flip, multiple choice options, and a rating system (Again / Hard / Good / Easy) after each card. When you get one wrong, it auto-records “Again” and moves on — no decision fatigue when you’re already frustrated.
– Cohort-based leaderboard — Users studying the same certification get auto-assigned to cohorts of 30 people. You’re ranked against your cohort based on exam readiness, not arbitrary XP or points. More on that in a minute.
– Progress dashboard — Real statistics pulled from the database: cards studied, cards mastered, retention rate, streak count, exam readiness percentage, and cards due today.
– Readiness-based title system — Seven tiers from Noob to Grandmaster, based on your actual exam readiness percentage. “Exam Ready” status kicks in at 90%.
– Beta testing infrastructure — Sentry for crash reporting, PostHog for product analytics, an in-app feedback system with admin email alerts, and EAS Build configured for generating preview APKs.
– Initial content — 50 Security+ (SY0-701) flashcards covering all five exam domains, with question variants and distractor pools to prevent memorization.
What’s still in progress for Phase 1:
– Expanding content to 50-100 Security+ cards
– Applying the last database migrations and running end-to-end tests
– Building the first preview APK and distributing it to beta testers
– Bug fixes and performance optimization
The target is to have the MVP wrapped and in beta testers’ hands by March-April 2026.
Tech Decisions Worth Geeking Out Over
I know this audience. You don’t just want to know what was built — you want to know how and why. Here are the decisions I’m most interested in sharing.
FSRS Over SM-2
Most spaced repetition apps use the SM-2 algorithm (the one Anki popularized). It works, but it’s showing its age. NerdClash uses FSRS v4 — a newer, data-driven algorithm with 17 empirically-derived weight parameters. It’s more accurate at predicting when you’ll forget something, which means fewer wasted reviews and faster progress toward mastery. The implementation lives in TypeScript and handles review scheduling, retrievability calculation, and interval previews.
Readiness-Based Competition (Not XP)
Early in design, we made a deliberate decision to kill the XP system. Most gamified learning apps let you grind easy cards to farm points and climb the leaderboard. That’s not learning — that’s Candy Crush with extra steps. Instead, NerdClash ranks users by exam readiness percentage: the proportion of your cards where FSRS calculates 90%+ retrievability. You can’t game it. You get ahead by actually knowing the material.
Supabase + Expo (React Native)
The backend runs on Supabase — PostgreSQL database, authentication, real-time subscriptions, and Row-Level Security, all managed. The frontend is built with Expo (React Native) using TypeScript, giving me a single codebase for both iOS and Android. File-based routing via Expo Router keeps navigation clean.
I chose Supabase Cloud over self-hosting (evaluated home server, VPS, and AWS DIY options). For an MVP being built by one person on 1-2 hours a day, managed infrastructure is the right call. There’s a clear exit strategy to self-hosting if the economics change later.
21-Table Database Schema
The PostgreSQL schema has 21 tables covering everything from FSRS card progress tracking to cohort management, achievement definitions, subscription tiers, community content submissions, and an exam outcome feedback system. Every table has Row-Level Security policies. The schema was designed up front before a single line of app code was written – not that there won’t be changes between now and launch.
Offline-First Architecture
Network engineers will appreciate this one: the app is designed to work offline. Study sessions, card reviews, and progress stats all function without connectivity. Reviews queue locally and batch-sync when the connection comes back, with exponential backoff retry (1s → 2s → 4s → 8s → 16s → 60s max). Multi-device conflict resolution recalculates FSRS state from the full review history. The leaderboard degrades gracefully with a “last updated” stale indicator.
What’s Coming Next
Phase 2 (May-July 2026) is all about engagement:
– Push notifications — This is the trash talk system (can be turned off). Witty, nerdy notifications when your cohort rankings shift. Think: “Someone in Sudo Squad just passed you. Are you going to take that from someone who still thinks ‘chmod 777’ is a security strategy?”
– Achievement gallery — Badges across six categories (Milestone, Mastery, Consistency, Improvement, Competition, Special) with rarity tiers from Common to Legendary.
– Streak system — Daily study streaks with a freeze feature for when life happens.
– Multiple certifications — Network+, A+, AWS Cloud Practitioner, and more. Tell me what you want prioritized!
– 1v1 challenges — Async quiz battles against specific opponents.
Phase 3 (August-October 2026) targets app store launch:
– Timed exam simulation mode
– Premium subscription features (freemium model: Free, Pro at $9.99/month, and a Cram Pass at $4.99/week for last-minute studying)
– iOS and Android app store submissions
The full project is estimated at 415-560 hours across 6-9 months, being built solo at 1-2 hours per day.
How to Follow Along (and Help Out)
This is a bootstrapped, solo project, and community input is incredibly valuable. Here’s how to get involved:
– Beta testing — I’ll be looking for 5-10 beta testers when the first Android APK is ready (targeting March-April 2026). If you’re currently studying for Security+ or any CompTIA cert and want early access, reach out.
– Content contributions — The app will eventually support community-submitted flashcards with a review pipeline. If you’re an SME in any certification domain, your knowledge could help thousands of people study better.
– Feedback — Got opinions on certification prep? Features you’d kill for? Things every study app gets wrong? I want to hear it.
Hit me up through the usual RouterFreak channels. I’ll be posting periodic updates as NerdClash moves toward launch.
The nerds are about to clash. Let’s make studying competitive.
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*Building NerdClash in public because the best products are built with community input. More updates coming as we hit milestones.*
