FaceArena

Hello Product Hunt 👋

I’m Miras, a 16-year-old high school student from Kazakhstan, and I’m so excited to share what I spent my summer building.

Like many of you, my friends and I love online party games. But they always felt like they were missing something... that chaotic, hilarious energy of playing together in the same room. We were just clicking buttons and typing in chat, totally disconnected from each other's real reactions.

So, during my time at the nFactorial Incubator this year, I gave myself a one-month challenge:

What if I could build a game where your face is the controller?

That’s how FaceArena was born.

It’s a real-time party game that uses your webcam to detect your emotions. The "Don't Laugh Challenge" is a fan favorite, the game shows you memes and your only goal is to keep a straight face. The magic isn't just in the memes; it's in the unfiltered chaos of watching your friends desperately try not to laugh.

Here’s how it works:

• Your Face is the Controller: Using a JavaScript library, the game detects your facial expressions. Your smile, laugh, or poker face becomes the input.

• Hilarious Challenges: Try the "Don't Laugh Challenge," where the game literally knows if you crack a smile at a meme. The real magic is watching your friends try to keep a straight face!

• 100% Private by Design: This was critical for me. All emotion detection happens locally in your browser. Your facial data is never stored or sent anywhere.
  

In just the first 10 days since a soft launch, over 260 people have joined in! The best part has been hearing about the genuine laughter and spontaneous moments people are having.

I’ve poured my heart into this project and would be incredibly grateful for your support. Please jump in, give it a try with a friend, and let me know what you think.

👉 Play FaceArena here: https://facearena.games

I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments. What other emotion-driven challenges should I build next?

Thank you for checking it out!

Nice work, Miras. I really like it

This is so cool, Miras - huge congrats on the launch! 🎉

Love how you turned a simple insight (“we’re missing the real reactions”) into something so playful and technically creative. Using the webcam for emotional input is genius — and honestly, the “Don’t Laugh Challenge” sounds like instant viral fun

Massive respect for building this at 16 - and during the summer too! Can’t wait to try FaceArena with friends.

Really interesting product. Keep it up!

I am all in for this @miras808

Just tried the 'Don't Laugh Challenge' and it's hilarious!

The emotion detection is surprisingly accurate. As a developer, I really appreciate the 'private by design' approach-running the detection locally in the browser is the right call and builds a lot of trust.This is a fantastic use of that JS library.

Can't wait to see more challenges. Maybe a 'Try to Look Surprised' challenge with boring facts?
Congrats on the launch!

Tried FaceArena and it’s hilarious! 😂

Controlling the game with your facial expressions is such a fresh twist—no buttons, just emotions. The “Don’t Laugh Challenge” had me cracking up. Love that it’s privacy-friendly too (all face detection happens in-browser).

Built by a solo 16-year-old dev—huge respect 👏

Excited to see where this goes!