Shiny Environmental Video Game Wins Grand Prize at RStudio Shiny Contest

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<h2>RStudio Shiny Contest - The Results Are In! </h2> Appsilon engineer <a href="https://appsilon.com/author/marcin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Marcin Dubel</a> has been named a Grand Prize Winner in the 3rd Annual <a href="https://blog.rstudio.com/2021/06/24/winners-of-the-3rd-annual-shiny-contest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">RStudio Shiny Contest</a> for his app - <a href="https://mdubel.shinyapps.io/shark-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shark Attack</a>. This marks the second year in a row an Appsilon team member has won a Grand Prize at the Shiny Contest. Last year, Appsilon engineer <a href="https://appsilon.com/author/pedro/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pedro Silva</a> won with his video game - <a href="https://appsilon.com/rstudio-shiny-decisions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shiny Decisions</a>. We’re proud of Marcin's big accomplishment. He has built a fun and engaging app with a creative approach to inspiring environmental awareness. An excellent example of how tech can be used for good. Way to go, Marcin! <ol><li><a href="#anchor-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New High Score! - Shark Attack Gameplay</a></li><li><a href="#anchor-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A Deeper Dive Into Shark Attack - Technical Details</a></li><li><a href="#anchor-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Congratulations To All Contestants</a></li></ol> <h2 id="anchor-1">New High Score! - Shark Attack Gameplay</h2> Try out <a href="https://mdubel.shinyapps.io/shark-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shark Attack</a> and see how much trash you can clean from the ocean. But beware! Sharks are not too happy about the pollution. Collect as much trash as you can and return to your submarine before time runs out. The ocean needs your help! <a href="https://mdubel.shinyapps.io/shark-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a> ProTip: Trash falls from above and flows with the current (right to left). Try and catch it at the source! <h2 id="anchor-2">A Deeper Dive Into Shark Attack - Technical Details</h2> Shiny is not your typical, first choice when it comes to video game design. What Marcin and other contestants have shown is that with a little ingenuity, you can push the limits of the R Shiny package. The days of plain, uninspiring dashboards are over.  The structure of Shark Attack is built on the shiny.fluent framework, wahani/modules, and R6 classes. Using the {googlesheets4} package, a "database" for permanent storage provided a neat way to track the global leaderboard (visible in the game end modal). See how you stack up against other users!  <blockquote> <p style="text-align: left;">Tip for Shiny Contestants: “I set a project on Github and split all the work into tasks. That allowed me to control the pace and implement the features one by one, divided into small pieces, which is crucial for after hour projects.” </p> <p style="text-align: right;">- Marcin Dubel, Appsilon</p> </blockquote> The game begins with separate modules for the storyline, gameplay info, and difficulty levels. The App is a 2D world on a single screen view with the main view built on a 10x20 CSS grid functionality. Diver movement across the grid utilizes JavaScript key-capture, while the movement of other objects is created via randomly generated direction with JS interval. “Trash” objects enter the view from the top and right of the grid. The objects on screen (e.g. seaweed) are the background images for individual grid cells.  <blockquote> <p style="text-align: left;">Tip for Shiny Contestants: “Do the hallway tests: I shared the initial version of the app with my family and friends just to get the feedback. Do it early enough to be able to implement it.” </p> <p style="text-align: right;">- Marcin Dubel, Appsilon</p> </blockquote> <h2>Congratulations To All Contestants</h2> The competition was tough at the 3rd Annual RStudio Shiny Contest. Contestants are submitting increasingly impressive and creative apps. See the other winners and submissions here. We at Appsilon congratulate all the winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions! If you're curious how you can contribute to next year's contest, check out Appsilon's shiny tutorials on our blog or view our video tutorials. We can't wait to see what you create.  <blockquote>See more <a href="http://demo.appsilon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beautiful Shiny Apps</a> from the Appsilon team!</blockquote> Stay tuned for a showcase of other <a href="https://github.com/Appsilon/shiny.fluent" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shiny.fluent</a> apps submitted by Appsilon team members. <h2>We're Hiring!</h2> Interested in working with the leading experts in Shiny? Appsilon is looking for creative thinkers around the globe. We're a remote-first company, with team members in 7+ countries. Our team members are leaders in the R dev community and we take our core purpose seriously. <blockquote>Advance technology to preserve and improve human life #purpose</blockquote> We promote an inclusive work environment and strive to create a friendly team with a diverse set of skills and commitment to excellence.<a href="https://appsilon.com/company/"> Contact us</a> and see what it's like to work on groundbreaking projects with Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, and non-profit organizations. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7024" src="https://webflow-prod-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/6525256482c9e9a06c7a9d3c%2F65b020493e47f6a35730bb22_Be-a-part-of-our-team.webp" alt="Be a part of our team" width="1200" height="628" /> <p style="text-align: center;"><b>Appsilon is hiring for remote roles! See our </b><a href="https://appsilon.com/careers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Careers</b></a><b> page for all open positions, including a</b><a href="https://appsilon.com/careers/job-offer/?job=senior-react-developer-freelancer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <b>React Developer</b></a><b> and</b><a href="https://appsilon.com/careers/job-offer/?job=r-shiny-developer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <b>R Shiny Developers</b></a><b>. Join Appsilon and work on groundbreaking projects with the world's most influential Fortune 500 companies.</b></p>

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