Inspiration
I wanted to make a game about the decisions people face when a data center starts to fail. For example, cooling stops, temperatures rise, and the team has to work out what happened while keeping services running.
I think the communication side is the most important. During an incident, a useful answer may depend on who checked the equipment, what they saw, and when their report arrived. I wanted the player to experience that uncertainty firsthand.
What it does
In Blackout, you direct a small team through a data center incident. Alex is the cooling staff, Jules is the power staff, and Sam works on IT. You can ask them questions or take orders, then watch them carry out work and report back!
The first scenario begins with a cooling failure. You need to reduce the heat load, find the cause, repair it, and make sure the facility has recovered before returning to normal operations.
How I built it
I built Blackout with React, TypeScript, Phaser, and a simulation that tracks equipment, temperature, workload, and the team's tasks. The game uses OpenAI for coworker conversations, while the simulation checks orders and decides what happens in the facility.
I also built saved runs and replay tools so players can look back at their decisions. The pixel-art world and character portraits were created with AI-generated source art and adapted for the game's grid.
Challenges and what I learned
The first interface asked players to manage movement, dispatch controls, and several separate panels. When I tried it, the game was hard to understand even when I knew what needed fixing. I changed the direction toward conversations and suggested orders, with characters traveling automatically when assigned work.
Getting the AI and simulation to work together was another challenge. A coworker needs enough context to give a useful answer, but the game also needs to keep observations, task progress, and outcomes consistent. I separated conversation from execution: the player can authorize an action, and the simulation validates it.
Building Blackout has taught me how much a game depends on making the next decision clear, especially when the situation itself is meant to feel uncertain.
