diff --git a/src/plays/custom-form-engine/CustomFormEngine.jsx b/src/plays/custom-form-engine/CustomFormEngine.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..91ac6613a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plays/custom-form-engine/CustomFormEngine.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,281 @@
+import PlayHeader from 'common/playlists/PlayHeader';
+import { useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import './styles.css';
+
+const FORM_SCHEMA = [
+  {
+    id: 'fullName',
+    label: 'Full Name',
+    type: 'text',
+    placeholder: 'Ada Lovelace',
+    validators: [
+      { type: 'required', message: 'Name is required.' },
+      { type: 'minLength', value: 3, message: 'Name must be at least 3 characters.' }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'email',
+    label: 'Email',
+    type: 'email',
+    placeholder: 'ada@example.com',
+    validators: [
+      { type: 'required', message: 'Email is required.' },
+      { type: 'email', message: 'Enter a valid email address.' }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'age',
+    label: 'Age',
+    type: 'number',
+    placeholder: '25',
+    validators: [
+      { type: 'required', message: 'Age is required.' },
+      { type: 'numberRange', min: 18, max: 120, message: 'Age must be between 18 and 120.' }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'country',
+    label: 'Country',
+    type: 'select',
+    options: ['', 'India', 'United States', 'Germany', 'Japan'],
+    validators: [{ type: 'required', message: 'Please select a country.' }]
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'subscribe',
+    label: 'Subscribe to updates',
+    type: 'checkbox',
+    validators: []
+  }
+];
+
+const createInitialValues = (schema) => {
+  const result = {};
+  schema.forEach((field) => {
+    if (field.type === 'checkbox') {
+      result[field.id] = false;
+      return;
+    }
+    result[field.id] = '';
+  });
+  return result;
+};
+
+const validators = {
+  required: (value, field) => {
+    if (field.type === 'checkbox') {
+      return value === true;
+    }
+    return String(value || '').trim().length > 0;
+  },
+  minLength: (value, rule) => String(value || '').trim().length >= rule.value,
+  email: (value) => /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(String(value || '').trim()),
+  numberRange: (value, rule) => {
+    const parsed = Number(value);
+    if (Number.isNaN(parsed)) return false;
+    return parsed >= rule.min && parsed <= rule.max;
+  }
+};
+
+function CustomFormEngine(props) {
+  const [schema, setSchema] = useState(FORM_SCHEMA);
+  const [values, setValues] = useState(() => createInitialValues(FORM_SCHEMA));
+  const [errors, setErrors] = useState({});
+  const [submittedData, setSubmittedData] = useState(null);
+  const inputRefs = useRef({});
+
+  const requiredCount = useMemo(() => {
+    return schema.filter((field) => field.validators.some((rule) => rule.type === 'required')).length;
+  }, [schema]);
+
+  const getFieldError = (field, value, allValues) => {
+    const rules = field.validators || [];
+    for (let i = 0; i < rules.length; i += 1) {
+      const rule = rules[i];
+      if (rule.type === 'required') {
+        const ok = validators.required(value, field, allValues);
+        if (!ok) return rule.message;
+        continue;
+      }
+      const validator = validators[rule.type];
+      if (!validator) continue;
+      if (!validator(value, rule, allValues)) {
+        return rule.message;
+      }
+    }
+    return '';
+  };
+
+  const validateField = (fieldId, allValues) => {
+    const field = schema.find((item) => item.id === fieldId);
+    if (!field) return '';
+    return getFieldError(field, allValues[fieldId], allValues);
+  };
+
+  const validateForm = (allValues) => {
+    const nextErrors = {};
+    schema.forEach((field) => {
+      const message = getFieldError(field, allValues[field.id], allValues);
+      if (message) {
+        nextErrors[field.id] = message;
+      }
+    });
+    return nextErrors;
+  };
+
+  const handleChange = (field, event) => {
+    const nextValue = field.type === 'checkbox' ? event.target.checked : event.target.value;
+    setValues((prev) => {
+      const nextValues = { ...prev, [field.id]: nextValue };
+      const message = validateField(field.id, nextValues);
+      setErrors((prevErrors) => ({ ...prevErrors, [field.id]: message }));
+      return nextValues;
+    });
+  };
+
+  const addDynamicField = () => {
+    const fieldId = `skill_${schema.length + 1}`;
+    const newField = {
+      id: fieldId,
+      label: `Skill ${schema.length - 3}`,
+      type: 'text',
+      placeholder: 'React, TypeScript, Testing...',
+      validators: [
+        { type: 'required', message: 'Skill is required.' },
+        { type: 'minLength', value: 2, message: 'Skill should be at least 2 characters.' }
+      ]
+    };
+
+    setSchema((prev) => [...prev, newField]);
+    setValues((prev) => ({ ...prev, [fieldId]: '' }));
+    setErrors((prev) => ({ ...prev, [fieldId]: '' }));
+  };
+
+  const focusFirstInvalid = (nextErrors) => {
+    const firstInvalid = schema.find((field) => nextErrors[field.id]);
+    if (!firstInvalid) return;
+    const element = inputRefs.current[firstInvalid.id];
+    if (element && typeof element.focus === 'function') {
+      element.focus();
+    }
+  };
+
+  const handleSubmit = (event) => {
+    event.preventDefault();
+    const nextErrors = validateForm(values);
+    setErrors(nextErrors);
+    if (Object.keys(nextErrors).length > 0) {
+      focusFirstInvalid(nextErrors);
+      return;
+    }
+    setSubmittedData(values);
+  };
+
+  const renderField = (field) => {
+    if (field.type === 'select') {
+      return (
+        <select
+          id={field.id}
+          name={field.id}
+          ref={(el) => {
+            inputRefs.current[field.id] = el;
+          }}
+          value={values[field.id]}
+          onChange={(event) => handleChange(field, event)}
+        >
+          {field.options.map((option) => (
+            <option key={`${field.id}-${option || 'default'}`} value={option}>
+              {option || 'Select an option'}
+            </option>
+          ))}
+        </select>
+      );
+    }
+
+    if (field.type === 'checkbox') {
+      return (
+        <input
+          id={field.id}
+          name={field.id}
+          ref={(el) => {
+            inputRefs.current[field.id] = el;
+          }}
+          type="checkbox"
+          checked={values[field.id]}
+          onChange={(event) => handleChange(field, event)}
+        />
+      );
+    }
+
+    return (
+      <input
+        id={field.id}
+        name={field.id}
+        ref={(el) => {
+          inputRefs.current[field.id] = el;
+        }}
+        type={field.type}
+        placeholder={field.placeholder || ''}
+        value={values[field.id]}
+        onChange={(event) => handleChange(field, event)}
+      />
+    );
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <div className="play-details">
+      <PlayHeader play={props} />
+      <div className="play-details-body">
+        <section className="custom-form-engine">
+          <div className="custom-form-engine__intro">
+            <h2>Custom Form Engine</h2>
+            <p>
+              Schema-driven, dynamic fields, and a validation engine with focus management using
+              refs.
+            </p>
+            <button type="button" className="add-field-btn" onClick={addDynamicField}>
+              Add Dynamic Skill Field
+            </button>
+          </div>
+
+          <form className="custom-form-engine__form" onSubmit={handleSubmit} noValidate>
+            {schema.map((field) => {
+              const error = errors[field.id];
+              return (
+                <div key={field.id} className="form-row">
+                  <label htmlFor={field.id}>
+                    {field.label}
+                    {field.validators.some((rule) => rule.type === 'required') ? ' *' : ''}
+                  </label>
+                  {renderField(field)}
+                  {error ? <span className="error-text">{error}</span> : null}
+                </div>
+              );
+            })}
+
+            <button type="submit" className="submit-btn">
+              Validate and Submit
+            </button>
+          </form>
+
+          <div className="custom-form-engine__meta">
+            <p>
+              <strong>Required fields:</strong> {requiredCount}
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              <strong>Total fields:</strong> {schema.length}
+            </p>
+          </div>
+
+          {submittedData ? (
+            <div className="custom-form-engine__result">
+              <h3>Submitted Data</h3>
+              <pre>{JSON.stringify(submittedData, null, 2)}</pre>
+            </div>
+          ) : null}
+        </section>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+export default CustomFormEngine;
diff --git a/src/plays/custom-form-engine/Readme.md b/src/plays/custom-form-engine/Readme.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..68a4b13f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plays/custom-form-engine/Readme.md
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# custom-form-engine
+
+A hard-level play that builds a schema-based custom form engine from scratch.
+
+## Play Demographic
+
+- Language: JavaScript
+- Level: Hard
+
+## What You Will Learn
+
+- How to build a dynamic form from a schema config.
+- How to create a custom validation engine without form libraries.
+- How to use `useRef` for focus management on invalid fields.
+- How to add fields dynamically at runtime while preserving validation behavior.
+
+## Features
+
+- Schema-driven rendering (`text`, `email`, `number`, `select`, `checkbox`)
+- Validation rules (`required`, `minLength`, `email`, `numberRange`)
+- Real-time field validation and on-submit full validation
+- Focus first invalid input with refs
+- Dynamic field addition (`Skill` fields)
+
+## Implementation Details
+
+The main logic is in `CustomFormEngine.jsx` and is split into:
+
+- `FORM_SCHEMA`: Declarative field definitions.
+- `validators`: Small rule functions that form a validation engine.
+- `validateField` and `validateForm`: Rule executor helpers.
+- `inputRefs`: Ref registry keyed by field id for error focus handling.
+
+## Resources
+
+- React docs on refs: https://react.dev/reference/react/useRef
+- React docs on forms: https://react.dev/learn/sharing-state-between-components
diff --git a/src/plays/custom-form-engine/styles.css b/src/plays/custom-form-engine/styles.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46c965853
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plays/custom-form-engine/styles.css
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+.custom-form-engine {
+  max-width: 900px;
+  margin: 0 auto;
+  padding: 1rem;
+}
+
+.custom-form-engine__intro {
+  background: #f6f9ff;
+  border: 1px solid #dbe5ff;
+  border-radius: 0.75rem;
+  padding: 1rem;
+  margin-bottom: 1rem;
+}
+
+.custom-form-engine__intro h2 {
+  margin: 0 0 0.5rem;
+}
+
+.custom-form-engine__intro p {
+  margin: 0 0 1rem;
+}
+
+.add-field-btn,
+.submit-btn {
+  border: none;
+  border-radius: 0.5rem;
+  padding: 0.65rem 1rem;
+  font-size: 0.95rem;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+.add-field-btn {
+  background: #1f4dd8;
+  color: #fff;
+}
+
+.submit-btn {
+  background: #0d9488;
+  color: #fff;
+  margin-top: 0.25rem;
+}
+
+.custom-form-engine__form {
+  display: grid;
+  gap: 0.75rem;
+}
+
+.form-row {
+  display: grid;
+  gap: 0.35rem;
+}
+
+.form-row label {
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+.form-row input,
+.form-row select {
+  border: 1px solid #cdd5e1;
+  border-radius: 0.5rem;
+  padding: 0.6rem 0.7rem;
+  font-size: 0.95rem;
+}
+
+.form-row input[type='checkbox'] {
+  width: 20px;
+  height: 20px;
+}
+
+.error-text {
+  color: #b91c1c;
+  font-size: 0.85rem;
+}
+
+.custom-form-engine__meta {
+  margin-top: 1rem;
+  background: #f8fafc;
+  border-radius: 0.75rem;
+  padding: 0.85rem 1rem;
+}
+
+.custom-form-engine__meta p {
+  margin: 0.25rem 0;
+}
+
+.custom-form-engine__result {
+  margin-top: 1rem;
+  border: 1px solid #d1d5db;
+  border-radius: 0.75rem;
+  padding: 0.75rem;
+  background: #fff;
+}
+
+.custom-form-engine__result pre {
+  margin: 0;
+  overflow-x: auto;
+  background: #0f172a;
+  color: #f8fafc;
+  border-radius: 0.5rem;
+  padding: 0.75rem;
+}