Agenda

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All Sessions Speakers

Multiplayer Game Dynamics: Behind the Scenes of the New York Times' New Game: 'CrossPlay'

Festival Hall

Shafik Quoraishee (Senior Game Developer, The New York Times)

Amra Khullar (Senior Product Manager, The New York Times)

Location: Monetization & Player Engagement Stage, South Hall

Date: Friday, March 13

Time: 11:50 am - 12:50 pm

Pass Type: Festival Pass, Game Changer Pass - Get your pass now!

Audience Level: Advanced

Track: Game & Production Technology, Design

Format: Lecture

Vault Recording: Not Recorded

Audience Level: Advanced

Shafik Quoraishee

Amra Khullar

The New York Times Games team presents a technical breakdown of CrossPlay, a real-time multiplayer word game built as a standalone mobile app rather than on a traditional game engine. The session explains how CrossPlay's architecture supports fast matchmaking, responsive gameplay, and large-scale social interaction using native mobile frameworks. Speakers walk through the platform's guiding product pillars—Let Them Play, Learn & Grow, and Smarter Social—and how those principles translate into concrete engineering decisions.

Topics include fanout-based real-time systems, performance-driven UI design, AI-assisted learning tools, and a production-ready automated content moderation service. Attendees gain insight into how disciplined release processes, data-informed iteration, and trust-focused systems enable a modern multiplayer experience that balances speed, depth, and safety at scale.

Takeaway

Attendees learn how to design real-time multiplayer systems using fanout architectures, manage performance as a user-facing constraint, integrate AI-driven player feedback tools, and roll out moderated social features safely. Concrete examples include matchmaking limits, stateless moderation services, and native mobile interaction patterns.

Intended Audience

Attendees learn how clear engagement pillars guide system design, from fast game loops and moderated social play. They gain practical approaches for tying real-time infrastructure, coaching tools, and trust systems directly to retention, progression, and long-term player value.