Alligator Taxi

A wild open-world taxi game where a giant alligator delivers passengers at insane speeds.

Comment

Inspiration

It all started with a domain name: AlligatorTaxi.com.

While brainstorming what to build around it, I realized that "Alligator Taxi" already sounded like a video game. The image of a giant alligator driving a taxi through a city was so ridiculous and memorable that I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I grew up playing arcade games that focused on fun rather than realism, and I wanted to create something with that same energy. Instead of building another realistic driving simulator, I decided to create a chaotic arcade experience where players race around a city, pick up passengers, and earn tips while being driven by the most unlikely taxi driver imaginable—a giant alligator.

What it does

Alligator Taxi is a browser-based 3D arcade taxi game inspired by classic pick-up-and-deliver gameplay.

Players drive a yellow taxi through a Chicago-inspired city, pick up passengers, race against the clock, and deliver them to destinations for cash rewards.

The twist? The taxi is driven by a giant alligator.

The faster players drive and the more passengers they transport, the more money they earn. The game focuses on speed, chaos, exploration, and fun rather than realism.

How we built it

The game was built using:

  • Three.js for 3D rendering
  • React and TypeScript for gameplay and UI
  • Modular city generation systems
  • Custom game logic for passengers, destinations, navigation, and scoring
  • AI-assisted asset generation for characters and vehicles

The city is built from reusable building blocks and optimized assets, allowing us to create a large urban environment while keeping the game playable in the browser.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was balancing visual quality with performance.

A city game requires:

  • Buildings
  • Roads
  • Traffic
  • Passengers
  • User interface
  • Navigation systems

Rendering all of these efficiently in a browser was challenging.

Another challenge was establishing a unique visual identity. Many driving games look similar, so we leaned heavily into the alligator theme and built the entire experience around the idea of a giant reptile driving a taxi through a busy downtown environment.

We also spent a significant amount of time refining the city layout to make it feel alive while remaining performant.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Turning a simple domain name into a complete game concept
  • Building a fully playable browser-based 3D game
  • Creating a memorable alligator mascot
  • Designing an expandable city system
  • Delivering an experience that is immediately understandable and fun

What we learned

Through this project we learned:

  • Real-time 3D rendering techniques with Three.js
  • Performance optimization for browser games
  • Asset creation workflows
  • Arcade game design principles
  • The importance of strong visual identity

Most importantly, we learned that a simple idea executed well can be more memorable than a complex idea executed poorly.

What's next for Alligator Taxi

Future plans include:

  • Dynamic traffic systems
  • Pedestrian AI
  • Multiple city districts
  • Taxi upgrades and customization
  • Special passenger missions
  • Leaderboards and achievements
  • More alligator-themed vehicles and cosmetics

Our long-term goal is to transform Alligator Taxi into a fast, chaotic, and highly replayable arcade experience where every ride feels different.

Drive fast. Cause chaos. Get tips.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates

Submission history