We did not start NPL Cricket League from a blank page. Game Collection already has a cricket game with a TV-style view, which we rebuilt recently (the story of that rebuild). NPL Cricket League takes that engine as its base and grows it into a full online game. This devlog covers what carried over, the first thing we changed, and what the match server will add.
What carries over
- Real metres. The pitch is 20.12 metres long, with the stumps and creases where the laws of cricket put them. Fielders, the keeper and the umpire stand where they would stand on a real ground.
- One pinhole camera. Everything is projected through a single camera behind the batter. That is why the ball grows as it comes at you, and why its shadow tells you the length before it bounces.
- Line and length. Every delivery is planned as a release point, a line, a bounce point and a height. The bowler’s pace or spin changes how fast it arrives.
- A drawing loop on the graphics thread. The match screen moves shared values such as delivery progress, bat swing and ball flight, and all drawing happens off the main JavaScript thread. That keeps the motion smooth.
The first change: framing the batter
In Game Collection, the cricket view sits in a roughly square frame. On a full phone screen, the same scene looked small: the camera’s focal length is tied to the width of the frame, so a taller frame only added empty grass below the batter. The fix was to render the scene 1.3 times wider than the screen and clip the edges, then size the frame so the batter sits near the bottom. Everything stays in proportion, and the action now fills the view, with the score bug, the speed gun and the controls placed around it like a broadcast.
What the match server will add
In Game Collection, Cricket runs entirely on your phone. NPL Cricket League is online, so the design changes:
| On your phone | On the match server | |
|---|---|---|
| Your input | The shot you chose and when you played it | Receives the input |
| The outcome | Shows what happened | Decides runs, wickets and extras |
| The score | Displays it | Keeps the official score |
| If nobody is online | – | Seats Lumi AI after a short wait |
The server stack is planned as Node with Express, MongoDB, Redis for matchmaking queues and presence, and Socket.IO for live match rooms. Socket.IO already runs online Ludo in Game Collection. Because outcomes are decided on the server, a modified app cannot give itself a six, and both players always see the same result.
What comes next
Next on the engine: the authoritative match server, then commentary and crowd audio, replays of wickets and boundaries, ball tracking for LBW decisions, and more detailed player models and animation. You can feel today’s batting in Virtual Nets on nplcricket.app.
Keep reading: NPL Cricket League is coming · Building a game in Nepali and English · What NPL Cricket League will offer · How we designed the Arena Hex
NPL Cricket League is a game by Lacspace Game Studio, in development for iOS and Android as of 3 November 2026. Team names identify Nepal’s T20 franchises; the crests, kits and players shown are our own, and all players are fictional. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by the Cricket Association of Nepal, the Nepal Premier League or its franchises. Features described here are plans and may change before launch.
Frequently asked questions
What engine does NPL Cricket League use?
It builds on the broadcast-style cricket engine Lacspace Game Studio made for Game Collection: a scene in real metres, one pinhole camera behind the batter, and drawing on the graphics thread with React Native Skia and Reanimated.
How will online cricket matches stay fair?
Phones send only the player’s inputs. The match server decides the outcome of every ball and keeps the official score, so a modified app cannot fake runs.
What technology runs the NPL Cricket League server?
The plan is Node with Express, MongoDB, Redis for matchmaking and presence, and Socket.IO for live match rooms.
Why does the ball look bigger as it comes towards you?
The whole scene is projected through one camera, like a TV camera behind the batter. Closer objects appear larger, so the ball grows as it approaches, and its shadow shows where it will bounce.
