PromptBreak: Bug Sweepers

Inspiration

Generative AI saves time overall, but each run creates a small waiting pocket. That pause is too short for meaningful work and long enough to break concentration. PromptBreak turns that unavoidable pause into a bounded, satisfying debugging break with a clear start and stopping point.

What it does

PromptBreak is a bilingual 2.5D browser action game for desktop and mobile. Players choose one of nine original Patchlings, enter a software-themed mission, move while attacks fire automatically, and select upgrades as the run escalates through a bug outbreak and two bosses. The build includes twenty stages, a harder second run, fourteen upgrades, ten enemy types, destructible props, pickups, procedural audio, local progression, Japanese/English UI, and the PATCH PARADE team attack.

The game is local-first: no account, API key, analytics, or remote leaderboard is required. A future desktop companion could listen for AI-task completion and offer to pause a run, but that integration is not part of this submission.

How we built it

The project uses React, TypeScript, Three.js, Vite, and a Cloudflare-compatible deployment. Codex with GPT-5.6 was the implementation and iteration partner. Human direction defined the problem, product concept, visual direction, character identities, stage themes, and release priorities. Codex helped implement and debug the Three.js game loop, directional sprite atlases, combat and progression systems, responsive desktop/touch UI, local persistence, security controls, and regression checks.

The workflow was iterative: playtest feedback became focused engineering tasks, followed by code inspection and verification. The submitted browser game itself does not call the OpenAI API at runtime; GPT-5.6 and Codex were used to build it.

Challenges

The hardest challenge was keeping combat, boss timing, upgrade choices, and controls readable on both a wide display and a small touch screen. We addressed this through compact mobile layouts, clearer boss progression, shared collision rules, distinct silhouettes, directional atlases, and signature effects that remain readable during PATCH PARADE.

Meaningful Build Week extension

This standalone Build Week edition meaningfully extends an earlier prototype. Build Week work includes the PromptBreak waiting-time framing, independent identity, nine original Patchlings, bilingual experience, twenty-stage progression, expanded combat and boss structure, mobile UX improvements, security hardening, release documentation, and demo materials.

Built With

• cloudflare-workers
• codex
• gpt-5.6
• react
• three.js
• typescript
• vite