Phrase Origins: Guess the Source & Year

Inspiration

As a senior data engineer and a self-proclaimed pop culture enthusiast, I find my solace in the lyrics of a good song, the dialogue of a classic movie, and the immersive worlds of well-crafted books. It's these passions that sparked the idea for my game, "Phrase Origins: Guess the Source & Year". I wanted to create something fun, challenging, and steeped in the entertainment pieces that color my free time.

What it does

The game is a lively test of knowledge and memory, inviting players to match phrases to their origins—be it a movie, song, book, or a famous voice. It’s not just about knowing the phrase; it’s about recalling the when and the where, making it a thrilling dive into our collective cultural past.

Exciting news for all gamers and trivia enthusiasts—Phrase Origins is not just confined to your web browsers. Thanks to our versatile design, you can also challenge your phrase-guessing skills right from Slack!

How we built it

Crafting this game was a balancing act between my technical know-how and the nuanced art of prompt engineering. I stitched together a rich tapestry of AI responses using the very technology I’ve honed my career on. It was about teaching the AI the subtleties of human culture.

Challenges we ran into

The real test came with the AI's understanding. It was a persistent cycle of prompt, test, tweak, repeat. I spent countless hours refining the prompts, ensuring the AI could grasp the vast and varied nuances of cultural references. The challenge was to create an AI companion that was as knowledgeable as it was engaging.

Challenges vary from person to person; what's difficult for me might not be the same for someone else. In my case, English is my second language. I began learning it from scratch in my late twenties as a means of survival. Now, at nearly 38, living in Costa Rica where Spanish is the official language, my journey with English has been under a decade. I've been in the United States for the last two years, which means I've been actively speaking English for less than ten years. I'm sharing this because, given the age at which I started learning English, prompt engineering in this language presents an additional layer of complexity, especially compared to native speakers or those who learned the language early in life.

No being allowed to use statics images, enhanced markdown capabilities could help a little with this, inserting images would greatly improve content presentation. I can do this in markdown since I have used this before, I tried to do the same here without success. This is important for adding personality to my project , to infuse my apps with life.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I poured my soul into this game, and I cherish it with the pride and affection one would have for their own child. There's a unique pride in seeing the game not just function but flourish. Every correct guess the AI nails, every chuckle from a player when they get a phrase right—it's a win. The seamless experience players now enjoy is a testament to the countless iterations and refinements that turned a personal passion into a shared joy.

What we learned

Through this journey, I've gained a deeper appreciation for the art behind the algorithms. Prompt engineering is a field of endless potential, and it’s shaped my understanding of how machines can learn our language and culture. It's reinforced my belief that the intersection of technology and human creativity is a space ripe for innovation and fun.

What's next for Phrase Origins: Guess the Source & Year

Continue analyzing the game performance to improve the same.

Built With

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