Pathfinding Visualizer

Build an interactive grid-based pathfinding visualizer with maze generation, multiple algorithms (BFS, DFS, Dijkstra, A*), and wall drawing.

Overview

Create a grid where users place start/end nodes, draw walls, generate mazes, and watch pathfinding algorithms explore the grid in real time. This project combines graph algorithms, interactive UI, and animation — a powerful trio for any portfolio.

Pathfinding is one of the most visually rewarding algorithm topics to implement. Watching BFS expand outward like a flood fill, seeing A* laser-focus toward the target, or observing DFS wind through corridors creates an intuitive understanding that no textbook diagram can match. Building the visualizer yourself means you encounter every edge case: diagonal vs cardinal movement, tie-breaking in priority queues, and heuristic admissibility.

This project also exercises serious frontend engineering. The grid can have 1,500+ cells, each needing real-time color updates during animation. Naive React re-renders of the entire grid per step would destroy performance, so you must use direct DOM manipulation during animation and sync back to React state afterward. Handling mouse interactions for wall drawing, node dragging, and touch support adds another layer of complexity.

For interviews, this is a goldmine. Graph traversal questions are among the most frequently asked algorithmic topics, and having a live demo where you can walk through BFS vs Dijkstra vs A* with an interviewer is enormously powerful. It also demonstrates UI engineering: responsive grids, animation systems, and complex state management.

Interview questions

How does the grid data structure work?
What is the difference between BFS and Dijkstra on an unweighted grid?
How do I implement maze generation?
How should I handle animation performance?
What features distinguish this from other implementations?
How does A* guarantee the shortest path?

Pathfinding Visualizer

Overview

Interview questions

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