Doggy Motel

Inspiration

Doggy Motel was inspired by cozy management games like Diner Dash, Hotel Dash, and room-based layouts like Fallout Shelter. I wanted players to do more than “take care of dogs”—I wanted them to build and manage an entire motel designed for pups. The goal was to combine the fun of assigning guests, upgrading rooms, and chasing better ratings with the charm of cute dog guests and dog-friendly customization.

What it does

Doggy Motel is a mobile-friendly simulation/management prototype where you run a motel for dogs. Dogs arrive in the lobby, and you assign each dog to a room based on its needs. Each room can be improved by buying and placing decor items (beds, bowls, toys, bath/spa items, premium upgrades). Dogs stay for a short time with timers, mood emojis, and need icons showing how happy they are. Better matches lead to better reviews, more rewards, and more upgrades as you grow toward a “five‑paw” dog motel.

How we built it

We built Doggy Motel as a playable web prototype centered on a clear core loop: dog arrives, assign to room, manage stay, earn rewards, upgrade motel. The game runs as a single-page browser build using Three.js for the 3D stacked motel presentation and HTML/CSS overlays for the UI. Decor items are data-driven (pricing/placement/scale and gameplay effects are controlled via JSON), which made iteration fast while keeping the experience readable: one dog per room, short timers, and clear icon feedback for comfort, fun, cleanliness, and luxury.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was narrowing the idea down. Early versions drifted toward a broad dog-sim, so we refocused everything around a stronger management loop. Another challenge was keeping the room layout readable on both desktop and mobile without making the screen feel crowded. We also had to ensure decor wasn’t just cosmetic—it needed to connect directly to gameplay through needs, mood feedback, and review/reward outcomes, while still being quick to understand.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I’m proud that Doggy Motel became a clear, focused, playable prototype with a strong core loop and a charming presentation. The stacked room layout quickly communicates the fantasy—run a cozy dog motel—and the trait-based decor system ties customization to meaningful outcomes. I’m also proud of the mobile polish work: camera behavior, UI layout fixes, and scaling adjustments that make the game feel playable and readable on phones.

What we learned

We learned that a strong game idea needs a focused loop. A cute theme helps, but the game becomes stronger when every system supports the main repeated decision the player makes. We also learned that visuals must serve gameplay: timers, mood emojis, and need icons make the state of the motel instantly understandable. Prototyping also reinforced how important it is to cut features that don’t support the main experience.

What's next for Doggy Motel

Next, Doggy Motel would continue expanding from this prototype MVP: more breeds and personalities, rare VIP guests, additional floors/room themes, larger decor sets, daily goals, and special events. With the core loop validated, we could add longer-term progression (collections, unlock trees, upgrades) and optional mini-games—without losing the fast, cozy management feel.

Built With

• chatgpt
• devin
• meshy
• windsurf