Building an online gaming platform from scratch—especially for the Iranian community—takes more than just code. It's a blend of passion for games, deep cultural understanding, and solving countless technical challenges. In this article, we pull back the curtain on AsNard and share the story of a journey that started with one simple question.
From Idea to Reality
The idea for AsNard was born on a cold winter night in Tehran. Three friends sat around a backgammon board, complaining about the lack of a truly Iranian online gaming platform.
Foreign platforms were either blocked, didn't support Iranian games, or had user experiences that felt alien. "Why don't we build our own?" — that simple question sparked a two-year journey.
The early stages were filled with doubt and uncertainty. Could the Iranian market support a new platform? The answer came from the overwhelming response — thousands of players signed up in the first few days.
The name "AsNard" has an interesting origin. "As" (Ace) is the highest card in most games, and "Nard" is the Persian word for backgammon. The combination felt natural, meaningful, and distinctly Iranian.
Technical Challenges
Implementing Iranian backgammon rules was the hardest part. The locked checker rule has complex logic that doesn't exist in any open-source engine. We wrote the game engine from scratch — supporting both WBF and Iranian rules.
The next challenge was server architecture. Real-time games need low ping. Given Iran's internet limitations, we used WebSockets with an adaptive layer. Result: average latency under 100ms.
The card games had different challenges. Implementing Hokm and Shelem with bidding, kitty management, and scoring required a carefully designed state machine. Each phase transition had to be flawless.
We estimate over 5,000 hours of development went into the game engines alone. Every rule, every exception, every edge case had to be accounted for. A single incomplete rule could undermine the platform's credibility.
One of the biggest technical hurdles was synchronization between two players in real-time play. Any delay or desync could ruin the experience. Our team spent hours optimizing the communication protocol.
Security was a constant concern — protecting user accounts, preventing cheating, and securing transactions each required its own security layer. Today AsNard is one of the most secure gaming platforms in Iran.
Designing for Iranian Players
AsNard's design draws from Iranian minimalism — modern simplicity blended with Iranian warmth. Colors, typography, and animations follow this philosophy: "Beautiful but not flashy; professional but not cold."
The biggest design challenge was narrative flow. Iranian users want to see a game before signing up. The first interaction is a real game — not a registration form.
The friend invitation link feature became the most-used feature. In Iranian culture, gaming is social. Over 60% of new users join through friend invitations.
The game lobby design was also challenging — it must show enough information to pick a game without being cluttered. We redesigned it several times to get it right.
User testing played a huge role in design improvements. We'd invite real players to sit at the computer while we watched. Every moment of hesitation or confusion was noted and fixed.
Another important design decision: in-app tutorials. Iranian users don't like reading manuals. So we designed interactive, step-by-step guidance embedded in the game itself. Every new player gets a virtual coach in their first game.
Looking Ahead
AsNard is just getting started. Our roadmap includes classic board games (chess, checkers), seasonal tournaments with real prizes, and an AI-powered ranking system.
Next up is our mobile app. We're also working on an offline mode so you can play without internet.
The ultimate goal: become the digital home of Iranian games. A place where every Iranian can find their favorite game and play with friends.
We invite you to join us on this journey. Any suggestions, critiques, or ideas — share them with the AsNard team. This platform was built with your help and will grow with you.
