Bunker Lift Evac

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  Logo

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  Menu

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  Two rooms

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  Survivors

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  Stopping

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  Upgrades

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  Gas leak

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  Risk

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  Express

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  Fire

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  Results

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  Leaderboards

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  Evacuation

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  Room list

Inspiration

The competition inspired me to create a new concept instead of the game design I used for the last competition. I wanted the prototype to have a very simple control scheme but still offer meaningful choices.

What it does

You operate the last working lift in a burning bunker, taking what you can from the floors you pass and pulling people out while a fire climbs the shaft behind you. The default mode for the prototype is Endless, where you climb as high as you can for as long as you can. There is also an Evacuation mode where you start 90 floors down and win the game after around five minutes by reaching the surface with at least one survivor banked or aboard.

Every few floors, two rooms appear on either side of the elevator shaft. You tap the left or right half of the screen to stop at one of the rooms. Stopping at a room is the only way to gather resources, rescue anyone, or improve the lift—and every stop lets the fire gain some ground.

How I built it

The initial game design idea and a comprehensive overview document were created with the help of ChatGPT, which also generated a complete handoff package containing all instructions, rules, and build phases. I decided to test a couple of AIs for the implementation and fed the handoff package into both Claude Code and Codex. Claude Code ended up being the better choice for this project, and I used it to build the actual game. Everything visual is drawn in code, and everything audible is synthesized with the Web Audio API. A local leaderboard is implemented using the browser's built-in Web Storage API.

Challenges I ran into

Balancing the game, in general, was challenging and took a lot of iteration before everything felt good, especially when the AI's bots and my own playtesting were showing different results.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

• During playtesting, I found that Endless mode was more fun, so I changed it to be the default mode of the prototype over Evacuation. The other mode still has its place, but a first-time user will likely find Endless mode to be more fun and rewarding in this prototype build.
• The input for the game is extremely simple, but the game itself has depth.

What I learned

• I learned a lot about building a game with AI.

What's next for Bunker Lift Evac

Difficulty settings, achievements, and an expanded Evacuation mode.

Built With

• chatgpt
• claude
• three.js