WorkAdventure — Self-Hosted Virtual Office with Pixel Art Maps

Introduction

WorkAdventure brings spatial proximity to remote collaboration. Team members appear as avatars on a 2D pixel-art map and automatically enter video/audio calls when they walk close to each other. This recreates the informal hallway conversations and quick desk-side chats that remote teams miss, without the fatigue of scheduled video calls.

What WorkAdventure Does

• Renders a shared 2D pixel-art map where each user controls an avatar with keyboard or touch controls
• Automatically initiates video and audio calls via Jitsi when avatars are near each other
• Supports custom maps created with the Tiled map editor, allowing you to design offices, campuses, or event spaces
• Provides meeting rooms, presentation zones, and private conversation bubbles on the map
• Integrates embedded websites, iframes, and interactive objects directly into map tiles

Architecture Overview

WorkAdventure consists of several services: a front-end SPA (Svelte/TypeScript) that renders the map and handles avatar movement, a back service (Node.js) for authentication and room management, a pusher service that relays real-time position data via WebSockets, and a map-storage service for hosting Tiled JSON maps. Video conferencing is delegated to an external Jitsi Meet instance. TURN servers handle NAT traversal for peer-to-peer audio/video.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy with Docker Compose; requires configuring a Jitsi Meet instance for video calls
• Create custom maps using the free Tiled map editor and upload them to the map storage service
• Configure TURN/STUN servers for reliable video connectivity across networks
• Set up OpenID Connect or SAML authentication for enterprise single sign-on
• Customize the lobby, avatar selection, and branding through environment variables and theme files

Key Features

• Proximity-based video: walk near a colleague to talk, walk away to hang up — no meeting links needed
• Custom maps with the Tiled editor: design your own office layout, event venue, or social space
• Embeddable web content: place dashboards, documents, or tools directly on the map as interactive zones
• Meeting rooms with capacity limits and privacy: enter a room on the map to join a group call
• Open API for scripting map behavior, triggering events, and integrating with external services

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Gather.Town — similar concept but proprietary and SaaS-only; WorkAdventure is open source and self-hosted
• Kumospace — virtual office with spatial audio; commercial product without self-hosting option
• Mozilla Hubs — 3D virtual spaces via WebXR; WorkAdventure is 2D pixel-art which runs on any browser
• Jitsi Meet — video conferencing without spatial context; WorkAdventure adds the map layer on top of Jitsi
• Discord Stage Channels — audio rooms without spatial movement; WorkAdventure provides visual proximity interaction

FAQ

Q: Do I need a Jitsi server? A: Yes. WorkAdventure uses Jitsi Meet for video and audio. You can self-host Jitsi or use the public meet.jit.si instance for testing.

Q: How do I create custom maps? A: Use the free Tiled map editor to design maps with tilesets. WorkAdventure reads Tiled JSON format and supports special properties on tiles to define meeting zones, spawn points, and embedded content.

Q: How many users can a map support? A: A single map instance handles dozens of concurrent users comfortably. For large events, WorkAdventure supports splitting maps into rooms and distributing load across multiple pusher instances.

Q: Does it work on mobile? A: The web interface works on mobile browsers with touch controls for avatar movement. The experience is best on tablets or larger screens.

Sources

• https://github.com/workadventure/workadventure
• https://docs.workadventu.re/