Dark Mirror - AI Lobbyist Simulator

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  Dark Mirror - AI Lobbyist Simulator

Inspiration

I was inspired by what democracy in America has been reduced to. It no longer matters and no one follows the rule of law - so I created an app that gamifies the whole process of a corporate lobbyist influencing the U.S. political system.

What it does

This is Dark Mirror: AI Lobbyist Simulator - a dystopian political simulation game that puts you in the role of a corporate lobbyist influencing the U.S. political system.

Lobby Tab (Main Hub) Start with $1,000,000 in corporate funds Lobby Congress members to gain influence points Track your overall progress and game statistics

👥 Congress Tab Target specific senators like Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders, Mitch McConnell, AOC, Marco Rubio, and Elizabeth Warren Each senator has different costs and influence values Republicans typically cost less, Democrats are more expensive Build relationships across party lines for better success rates

💰 Bills Tab Push corporate-friendly legislation through Congress Available bills include: Corporate Tax Reduction Act Environmental Deregulation Bill Healthcare Privatization Act Financial Services Reform Energy Sector Subsidies Each bill requires specific influence levels and funding Successful bills provide significant financial returns

📊 Analytics Tab Track your lobbying performance with detailed metrics Monitor success rates, profit/loss, and influence growth View recent activity and strategic insights Get optimization tips for better gameplay

Game Mechanics: Risk vs Reward: Higher-cost bills offer bigger payouts but require more influence Strategy: Build influence before pushing expensive legislation Probability: Success rates vary based on your influence level Resource Management: Balance spending on lobbying vs. bill pushing

How I built it

Core Framework Expo SDK 52.0.30 with Expo Router 4.0.17 for file-based routing React Native 0.76.3 for cross-platform mobile development TypeScript for type safety and better developer experience

Architecture & Navigation Tab-based navigation as the primary structure using Expo Router's built-in tabs File-based routing with routes organized in the /app directory: app/(tabs)/ - Main tab screens (Lobby, Congress, Bills, Analytics) app/_layout.tsx - Root layout with Stack navigator app/+not-found.tsx - 404 error handling

Challenges we ran into

I had the most difficulty implementing the wheel of democracy. Still not super excited about the design, but it is functional and takes care of the job.

Accomplishments that I am proud of

I am first and foremost, proud that I actually got this to work and my coworker found it somewhat entertaining. He said that he messed around with it for about an hour. So there is definitely a hook there.

What I learned

I learned what it takes to make a simple game and what it takes to engage a user to play the game repeatedly. The element of a different out if the user plays again and again.

What's next for Dark Mirror

Excellent question indeed! I really have no idea - I didn't think that far and at the time of this writing - the only working (original) copy that I have is on Netlify, not on Bolt.new. I tried really unsuccessfully to revert my project on Bolt.new, but I couldn't figure it - so please access the Netlify one.

Built With

• build
• css
• development
• dom
• eslint
• framework:
• frontend
• icons:
• lucide
• postcss
• react
• router
• routing:
• styling:
• tailwind
• tool:
• tools:
• typescript
• vite