Disputer

A real-time structured debate platform where users argue a topic, wager tokens on the outcome, and have Claude judge the winner.

How it works

1. A player creates a lobby and invites opponents
2. Both sides agree on a topic, time limits, per-message token caps, and bet amounts
3. The dispute begins — players take turns making arguments in a chat-style interface
4. When all players pass or the token budget runs out, Claude reads the full transcript and delivers a verdict with reasoning
5. Tokens are redistributed from losers to winners; results appear on profiles and the leaderboard

Tech stack

• Next.js 16 — App Router, server components, API routes
• Socket.io — real-time turn management, live lobby state
• Prisma 7 + PostgreSQL — data layer with @prisma/adapter-pg
• Auth.js v5 — credentials-based auth with JWT sessions
• Anthropic SDK — Claude judges disputes via the Messages API
• Web Push — browser push notifications for turn reminders
• Tailwind CSS v4 + shadcn/ui — UI components

Project structure

app/
  (app)/          # Authenticated app pages (lobby, dispute, profile, leaderboard)
  (auth)/         # Login and register pages
  admin/          # Admin dashboard (users, reports)
  api/            # REST API routes
components/
  dispute/        # DisputeRoom — live debate UI
  lobby/          # LobbyRoom — pre-game setup
  leaderboard/    # Paginated rankings
  profile/        # Dispute history
  admin/          # Users and reports tables
  ui/             # shadcn/ui primitives
lib/
  auth.ts         # Auth.js configuration
  claude.ts       # Dispute judging via Claude
  settlement.ts   # Token redistribution logic
  socket/
    disputeHandlers.ts   # Turn management, timeouts, judging trigger
    lobbyHandlers.ts     # Ready flow, bet negotiation, kick votes
  tokens.ts       # Daily login reward
  tokenizer.ts    # Per-message token counting (tiktoken)
  push.ts         # Web Push notifications
prisma/
  schema.prisma   # Database schema
server.ts         # Custom HTTP + Socket.io server

Getting started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• PostgreSQL database

1. Install dependencies

npm install

2. Configure environment variables

Copy .env.example to .env and fill in the values:

cp .env.example .env

Variable	Description
DATABASE_URL	PostgreSQL connection string
AUTH_SECRET	Random secret for JWT signing — openssl rand -base64 32
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY	Anthropic API key
NEXT_PUBLIC_VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY	VAPID public key for Web Push
VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY	VAPID private key for Web Push
VAPID_SUBJECT	Contact email for Web Push (mailto:you@example.com)
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL	Base URL of the app (e.g. http://localhost:3000)

Generate VAPID keys:

npx web-push generate-vapid-keys

3. Set up the database

npm run db:migrate

4. Run the development server

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000.

Scripts

Command	Description
npm run dev	Start development server (Next.js + Socket.io)
npm run build	Production build
npm run start	Start production server
npm run db:generate	Regenerate Prisma client after schema changes
npm run db:migrate	Run database migrations
npm run db:push	Push schema changes without migrations (dev only)
npm run db:studio	Open Prisma Studio
npm run lint	Run ESLint

Key mechanics

Token economy — new users start with 100 tokens and earn 100 more on each daily login. Bets are escrowed at dispute start; winners receive their stake back plus a share of the loser pool (capped at their own bet size). Failed judging refunds all bets.

Turn system — players take turns in circle order. Each turn has a configurable time limit; missing it marks the player inactive (they can rejoin). All players passing consecutively ends the dispute.

Token limits — each player proposes a per-message and total-chat token limit; the lobby locks in the average of all proposals. Total is capped at 178,000 tokens to fit within Claude's context window.

Judging — Claude receives the full transcript plus a system prompt instructing it to judge on argument quality, clarity, and logic only (not tone or message count). The verdict includes winner IDs and a written explanation. If judging fails after 3 attempts, all bets are refunded and the dispute is cancelled.

Privacy — disputes can be toggled private by any participant. Private disputes are hidden from the leaderboard and other users' profiles.