Save Jeanie

Save Jeanie is a hide-and-seek game, except that you hunt down radioactive aliens before their toxic aura kills you.

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Inspiration This project marks my first-ever attempt at game development. I originally entered the hackathon with a completely different software project in mind, but my direction shifted during a game development workshop. The workshop opened my eyes to how much fun creating interactive worlds could be, leading me to pivot mid-event toward a silly, high-stakes version of hide-and-seek.

How I Built It I utilized the Godot 4.6 engine to bring the vision to life. The technical core of the game relies on several key components:

Forward Plus Renderer: For high-quality lighting and atmosphere.

Jolt Physics Engine: To ensure smooth player movement and collision detection.

Gemini 2.5 API: Integrated via a standard web request system (HTTPRequest). This allows players to have a short, typed conversation with Jeanie before the game begins, adding humor and letting player messages set the tone for the rescue mission.

What I Learned As a first-time game developer, I had to learn the fundamentals on the fly—from understanding node hierarchies to implementing 3D movement logic. I gained valuable experience in managing asynchronous API responses to ensure the AI chat felt seamless within the game loop. I also learned how to use a HUD (Heads-Up Display) to communicate goofy but lethal mechanics, such as the "radioactive glow" emitted by the aliens.

Challenges Faced The most significant hurdle was the 24-hour time limit. Working as a solo developer while simultaneously learning a new game engine meant every minute counted.

I initially envisioned a feature where players could scan a QR code to transform their phone into a custom touch-joystick. However, building the necessary web interface and connection logic solo within the 24-hour window proved too ambitious. I made the strategic choice to set that aside and focus on making the core "radioactive hide-and-seek" loop as polished and playable as possible.

What's Next for Save Jeanie New NPCs and Maps I plan to expand the universe with more diverse levels and a cast of unique NPCs. This includes adding secondary characters—like fellow survivors or specialized droids—to provide comic relief and tactical intel as you hunt through new environments.

Voice Integration (STT + LLM + TTS) I aim to move beyond typed text by implementing a full voice loop. Players will be able to speak naturally to Jeanie; her responses will be generated by Gemini and spoken back in real-time using text-to-speech, making the silly interactions feel truly immersive.

QR Remote Joystick I intend to finish the feature I started: a scannable QR code system. This will turn any smartphone into a dedicated touch-controller via a responsive web UI, allowing for a more accessible joystick experience on any screen.

Built With

  • animationplayer
  • canvaslayer-hud
  • forward-plus
  • gdscript
  • gemini-2.5-api
  • gltf
  • godot-4.6
  • httprequest
  • jolt-physics-engine
  • json
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Markdown:

Save Jeanie: Radioactive Game of Hide-and-Seek

Inspiration

This project marks my first-ever attempt at game development. I originally entered the hackathon with a completely different software project in mind, but my direction shifted during a game development workshop. The workshop opened my eyes to how much fun creating interactive worlds could be, leading me to pivot mid-event toward a silly, high-stakes version of hide-and-seek.

How I Built It

I utilized the Godot 4.6 engine to bring the vision to life. The technical core of the game relies on several key components:

  • Forward Plus Renderer: For high-quality lighting and atmosphere.
  • Jolt Physics Engine: To ensure smooth player movement and collision detection.
  • Gemini 2.5 API: Integrated via a standard web request system (HTTPRequest). This allows players to have a short, typed conversation with Jeanie before the game begins, adding humor and letting player messages set the tone for the rescue mission.

What I Learned

As a first-time game developer, I had to learn the fundamentals on the fly—from understanding node hierarchies to implementing 3D movement logic. I gained valuable experience in managing asynchronous API responses to ensure the AI chat felt seamless within the game loop. I also learned how to use a HUD (Heads-Up Display) to communicate goofy but lethal mechanics, such as the "radioactive glow" emitted by the aliens.

Challenges Faced

The most significant hurdle was the 24-hour time limit. Working as a solo developer while simultaneously learning a new game engine meant every minute counted.

I initially envisioned a feature where players could scan a QR code to transform their phone into a custom touch-joystick. However, building the necessary web interface and connection logic solo within the 24-hour window proved too ambitious. I made the strategic choice to set that aside and focus on making the core "radioactive hide-and-seek" loop as polished and playable as possible.

What's Next for Save Jeanie

New NPCs and Maps

I plan to expand the universe with more diverse levels and a cast of unique NPCs. This includes adding secondary characters—like fellow survivors or specialized droids—to provide comic relief and tactical intel as you hunt through new environments.

Voice Integration (STT + LLM + TTS)

I aim to move beyond typed text by implementing a full voice loop. Players will be able to speak naturally to Jeanie; her responses will be generated by Gemini and spoken back in real-time using text-to-speech, making the silly interactions feel truly immersive.

QR Remote Joystick

I intend to finish the feature I started: a scannable QR code system. This will turn any smartphone into a dedicated touch-controller via a responsive web UI, allowing for a more accessible joystick experience on any screen.

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