New Lore Drop

Game Dashboard - Drawing Canvas
Game Dashboard - Recording + Cards
Game List
Leadership board - click on name to enter gallery

Our Inspiration

In an era dominated by endless scrolling and passive digital consumption, we sought to create something different. New Lore Drop was born from a desire to foster genuine human connections and spark creativity. We envisioned a game that would:

Encourage active participation rather than passive consumption
Stimulate creative thinking and storytelling skills
Provide a fun, engaging alternative to typical party games
Bring out the inner child in players, promoting imagination and spontaneity

We wanted to create a digital experience that paradoxically brings people together in the real world, facilitating laughter, creativity, and shared moments of storytelling magic.

What it does

New Lore Drop is an interactive storytelling game that challenges players to create unique stories on the spot. Here's how it works:

Players join a game and are presented with three random story elements: Setting, Character, and Plot Twist.
They have 3 minutes to craft and record a creative story incorporating all three elements and sketch a scene from their story.
An AI grades both stories, providing feedback and declaring a winner.
Players can then listen to each other's stories and view the AI's critique in the game media section.

The game combines quick thinking, creativity, and friendly competition, making it perfect for parties, team-building events, or casual game nights.

How we built it

Frontend: React for a responsive and interactive user interface Backend:

AWS AppSync for real-time data synchronization
GraphQL API for efficient data querying and mutations
Database: AWS DynamoDB for scalable NoSQL data storage
Authentication: AWS Cognito for secure user management
Storage: AWS S3 buckets for storing audio recordings and drawings
Serverless Functions: AWS Lambda for game logic and AI integration
AI Scoring: Integration with OpenAI API for story evaluation
Deployment: AWS Amplify for continuous deployment and hosting

Challenges we ran into

AWS Service Integration: Connecting multiple AWS services coherently was complex and required extensive documentation review and experimentation.
Real-Time Updates: Ensuring smooth, real-time updates across all clients was challenging. We had to carefully manage AppSync subscriptions and mutations.
Media Handling: Efficiently storing, retrieving, and displaying user-generated audio and drawings required optimizing S3 bucket configurations and implementing frontend caching strategies.
Remote Collaboration: Coordinating work on AWS services while working remotely required implementing strict version control practices and regular code reviews.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Creating a fully functional, real-time multiplayer game from scratch
Successfully integrating AI for story evaluation, adding a unique twist to the game
Implementing a smooth user experience for recording audio and creating drawings
Building a scalable architecture using AWS services that can handle multiple concurrent games
Designing an engaging game mechanic that encourages creativity and social interaction

What we learned

Our journey with New Lore Drop was a significant learning experience:

Gained deep insights into the AWS ecosystem, including Amplify, AppSync, DynamoDB, Lambda, and S3
Enhanced our React skills, particularly in managing complex state and real-time updates
Learned to design and implement GraphQL APIs for efficient data handling
Gained experience in integrating AI services (OpenAI) into a web application
Improved our skills in remote collaboration and version control
Developed a better understanding of user experience design for interactive games

What's next for New Lore Drop

We're excited about the future of New Lore Drop and have several ideas for expansion:

Mobile App: Develop native iOS and Android apps for on-the-go play Expanded Game Modes: Introduce team play, longer storytelling sessions, and themed story elements Community Features: Add the ability to share stories publicly and vote on community favorites Enhanced AI: Improve the AI scoring system to provide more detailed feedback and story suggestions Accessibility Features: Implement text-to-speech and speech-to-text options for broader inclusivity Educational Version: Develop a version tailored for classrooms to aid in creative writing and public speaking skills

We believe New Lore Drop has the potential to spark creativity and bring people together in new and exciting ways, and we're committed to continuing its development and growth.