Full-Stack Developer Needed for Horse Community Game MVP

Full-Stack Developer Needed for Horse Community Game MVP I’m looking for an experienced full-stack developer to build the first version of a browser-based horse community game. The game will focus on creativity and community rather than complicated statistics. Players will create horses, customize profile pages, breed horses, enter shows, send messages, use forums, and interact with other players. I already have a detailed feature plan, breeding rules, and a proposed PostgreSQL database model. I need a developer who can review the plan, recommend the best architecture, identify possible issues, and build a secure and maintainable MVP. Main MVP Features 1. Accounts and Player Profiles Players should be able to: * Register and log in * Log out * Reset passwords * Create a public profile * Add a bio * Upload an avatar * View their horses The platform will have three roles: * Player * Moderator * Admin Moderators and admins should be able to suspend or ban users when needed. 2. Horse Creation Players can create foundation horses using in-game currency. The player chooses: * Name * Breed * Sex * Color * Height * Description * Picture Most fields are open text because creative freedom is important. There will be no hidden stats, genetics system, trait calculations, or performance scores. Horse sex must be one of these: * Stallion * Mare * Gelding 3. Breed System Players can type a breed name freely. The system should show existing breeds through autocomplete. When a player saves a breed: * The system checks for an existing matching breed * If a match exists, it uses the existing breed * If no match exists, it creates a new breed This keeps the system flexible while still making breeding logic reliable. 4. Breeding Breeding is allowed only between one Stallion and one Mare. Geldings cannot breed. A bred foal must record its sire and dam. The player chooses the foal’s: * Name * Color * Height * Picture * Description * Sex Only the breed is inherited automatically. Examples: * Arabian and Quarter Horse becomes Quarab * Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred becomes Appendix Quarter Horse * Quarab and Arabian remains Quarab * Quarab and Thoroughbred becomes Arabian x Quarter Horse x Thoroughbred Recognized crossbreed names will be managed by moderators or admins. Foundation horse breeds can be edited by the owner. Bred horse breeds are created by the system and cannot be edited. There should also be an option to permanently change a Stallion into a Gelding. 5. Custom HTML and CSS Layouts This is one of the most important parts of the project. Players should be able to add custom HTML and CSS to their profile pages. Custom layouts for horse pages may also be included if practical for the MVP. The system must protect against: * XSS attacks * Malicious JavaScript * Cookie or session theft * Unsafe links and redirects * CSS that breaks the main website * Content that affects other users or pages Possible solutions may include: * Sandboxed iframes * HTML allowlist sanitization * Scoped CSS * Content Security Policy * A combination of these methods The developer should recommend the safest approach and explain the tradeoffs. A clean default layout should be available for players who do not use custom HTML or CSS. 6. Images Players need to add: * Horse pictures * Profile avatars We need to decide whether the MVP should use: * Direct image uploads * External image URLs * Both options with restrictions The developer should recommend the best option based on security, storage costs, broken links, moderation, and reliability. Images should have moderation statuses such as approved, flagged, or removed. 7. Community Features The MVP should include: * Private messages * Inbox and sent messages * Read and unread status * Forum categories * Forum threads * Forum posts * Locked threads * Pinned threads * Reporting tools Players should be able to report: * Profiles * Horses * Messages * Images * Forum posts The community system is an important part of the game. 8. In-Game Currency Each player will have one in-game currency balance. All currency changes must be saved in a transaction history. The system should record: * Show entry fees * Show rewards * Admin adjustments * Future marketplace payments Currency changes must be handled securely on the server and should not be editable from the browser. 9. Shows and Events Staff should be able to create shows with: * Show name * Discipline * Entry fee * Status Players can enter horses into shows. Results may be: * Randomly assigned * Manually judged by moderators Results must not be based on hidden horse stats. Show results should appear on the show page and the horse page. 10. Moderation and Admin Dashboard Moderators and admins need a dashboard where they can: * Review reports * Remove content * Warn users * Suspend users * Ban users * Review flagged images * Lock forum threads * Manage recognized crossbreed names * Review previous moderation actions All moderation actions should be recorded in a log. Because the game may attract younger users, privacy, safety, reporting, and moderation should be considered from the beginning. Technical Expectations The proposed database uses PostgreSQL. The main data areas include: * Users * Horses * Breeds * Horse breed relationships * Recognized crosses * Images * Messages * Forums * Shows * Show entries * Currency transactions * Reports * Moderation logs The current database model is only a starting point. The developer should review it and recommend improvements. The following actions must be handled by the server: * Currency transactions * Breeding eligibility * Breed inheritance * Horse ownership * Show results * Moderation actions I am open to different technologies. A possible stack could include: * React or Next.js * TypeScript * PostgreSQL * A reliable backend framework Please explain which stack you recommend and why. Expected Deliverables * Review the current feature plan and database model * Recommend the technical architecture * Build secure authentication and user roles * Build responsive player profile pages * Build horse creation and horse pages * Build breeding and breed inheritance * Build recognized crossbreed logic * Build the custom HTML and CSS system * Add image handling * Add private messaging * Add basic forums * Add in-game currency and transaction history * Add shows and results * Build reporting and moderation tools * Create database migrations * Add basic automated tests * Deploy the MVP * Provide setup and maintenance documentation * Provide source code in a private repository Not Required for the First Release The following features are planned for later: * Horse marketplace * Player-to-player horse sales * Paid stud services * Clubs and groups * Achievements * Seasonal content * Advanced notifications * Mobile applications * Horse genetics * Horse performance statistics The MVP should leave room for these future features without making the first version too complicated. Required Experience You should have experience with: * Full-stack web development * PostgreSQL * Database design * Authentication and permissions * User-generated content * HTML and CSS sanitization * Content Security Policy * Image uploads * Moderation systems * Transaction history or ledger systems * Server-side validation * Automated testing * Production deployment Experience with online games, virtual pet websites, forums, social platforms, or customizable profile systems would be helpful. When Applying Please include: 1. Two or three similar projects you have completed. 2. Your recommended frontend and backend stack. 3. Your approach to safely supporting custom HTML and CSS. 4. Your recommendation for image uploads or external image links. 5. Any risks or problems you see in the MVP plan. 6. Your estimated timeline and project milestones. Please do not send a generic proposal. I am especially interested in your experience with custom layouts, user-generated content, breeding logic, database integrity, moderation, and community platforms. There may be more work after the MVP. The first goal is to build a focused and secure version that can be tested with real players.