Pixling

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Inspiration

Every app on your phone is built to keep you scrolling. Streaks, notifications, loot boxes, a little red dot that won’t go away. We got petty about it and asked: what if we used those same tricks to get you off your phone instead?

What it does

Familiars gives you a tiny 16-bit pet, inspired by the familiars that followed witches around in old fairytales. It can’t grow on its own. The only way to feed it, evolve it, and hatch new friends is to go do real things.

Daily quests come from real places near you, written in your pet’s voice. Think “order the weirdest thing on the menu at the taco truck 200 meters away.”
Photo proof finishes the quest. Your pet reacts, and you earn coins, XP, and a shot at an egg.
Eggs come in five rarities, from a chunky 16-pixel axolotl to a 64-pixel Longhorn!
Friends live in your village. Bless them with double coins, curse them to do their next quest like a pirate, or challenge them to a minigame.

How we built it

SerpApi pulls nearby restaurants, parks, cafes, and events. Gemini turns those places into quests in your pet’s voice, then checks your photo when you finish. Each animal comes with its own icons, habitat, and sounds, and the background shifts from dawn to night based on your actual clock.

Challenges we ran into

-Making quests feel like a pet wrote them, not a to-do list.

-Verifying photos without making the app feel like a strict teacher.

-Fitting five rarities of detail into pixel art, from 16 to 64 pixels, while keeping every pet charming.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

-The egg opening actually gives you the pack-pull rush.

-We used the attention economy’s own tricks and pointed them in a completely different direction.

-We had a lot of fun making it!

What we learned

The loop isn’t the problem. Streaks, rewards, and surprise work on everyone. What matters is where they point. Aim them at a screen and you get doomscrolling. Aim them at a taco truck and you get a good Tuesday.

What's next for Pixling

More pets, more habitats, and more minigames. We want group quests with friends, seasonal events, and quests that adapt to your neighborhood and your schedule. The goal stays the same: more new places, new food, and time with friends, and less time on your phone.