A Spark in the Dark

Inspiration

The inspiration for the art style of this game came from Hollow Knight, since we wanted more of an Indie feel to the game. Additionally, we wanted to have a more interactive experience for the user, which is why we chose MediaPipe and hand motion to control the platform. We also wanted to incorporate a complete story, so we used Gemini and ElevenLabs to have an AI-powered narrator.

What it does

This game tracks hand movements to control a platform, which can be used to carry a sprite around the map. The user has to dodge obstacles and jump at the right time in order to make it to the end of the level.

How we built it

We built this game mainly using JavaScript, with some use of CSS and HTML. Additionally, we used Gemini API and ElevenLabs API in Tandem to build the AI narrator. Finally, all the art seen in the game was hand-drawn, giving it an extremely homey feel and making it truly an indie game.

Challenges we ran into

We ran into many challenges throughout the process, such as the API's running out of credits, having exposed keys, and trouble choosing the art style and characters, just to name a few. However, our teamwork shone in this challenge, allowing us to work together well and help each other on our separate parts within the team, giving us a final product that we are all proud of.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

It was our first time using an API at all, so being able to integrate both Gemini and ElevenLabs in a way which keeps the keys secure and allows them to work together extremely well was a major accomplishment. Furthermore, we were able to utilize motion technology, which is something none of us had experience building with at all.

What we learned

We learned a great deal during this hackathon. First and foremost, we learned the importance of teamwork. Working well together while separating tasks allowed us to have a product which looked, felt and behaved complete. We also learned not to be afraid of new things, as it was our first time using API's and MediaPipe for motion.

What's next for A Spark in the Dark

There is a great deal of opportunity for this game, and this is just the start for A Spark in the Dark. We hope to incorporate additional hand motions which could control different aspects of the game, along with building more worlds and levels. Finally, a better integrated Gemini and Eleven Labs API would allow the user's immersion in the game to be extremely high.

Built With

• css
• elevenlabs
• gemini
• html
• javascript
• mediapipe