Side Quest Slayer

Onboarding screen when you download Side Quest Slayer
Example Quest, raising a puppy named Oba
Users can have multiple quests
From then to now, see how far you've came
Widget that I created with Chat GPT 5.6 Sol, relive moments from your quest on your home screen

Inspiration

Side Quest Slayer started because of my own acting journey.

There have been so many moments where I've questioned whether I was making any progress in this industry at all. In acting, you can go on 100 auditions, have 17 callbacks, and then not book anything. Even though I loved acting, I wondered if it was something I should keep giving energy to.

Meanwhile, when I looked back at other successes I've had in my life, I realized I had found a way to visualize progress, trust the journey, and celebrate the smaller moments.

That's why I built Side Quest Slayer.

I wanted a place where people could collect proof of their journey—not just the finish line. Whether you're learning a skill, getting healthier, building a business, or chasing a creative dream, I wanted people to be able to document and celebrate the journey towards whatever goal they have.

Sometimes that's all we need to keep going.

What it does

Side Quest Slayer is a private photo journal for your personal goals and dreams.

Instead of tracking streaks or checking off tasks, users document real moments with a photo and a short reflection. Over time, those moments become a visual reminder of how far they've come.

With Side Quest Slayer, you can:

Create multiple quests for different parts of your life
Capture or upload a photo as proof you showed up
Add a short reflection
Browse your memories in a visual timeline
Compare where you started with where you are today
Receive optional daily reminders
Add an iPhone widget that surfaces your memories throughout the day
Finish a quest and save it in your Trophy Room

Everything stays on your device, so your journey remains private.

How I built it

Side Quest Slayer is built with React Native, TypeScript, and Expo so the same codebase works across iOS and Android.

I use SQLite to store quests, journal entries, reflections, and settings, while Expo FileSystem stores photos locally on the device.

The app also uses Expo Camera, Image Picker, Notifications, and a native Swift WidgetKit extension for the iPhone widget. I built an App Group bridge so the widget can safely display local photos and deep link users directly back into the correct quest.

Throughout development I worked alongside OpenAI Codex. I used it to brainstorm features, plan implementations, build UI, debug native iOS issues, review code, and iterate much faster while I stayed responsible for the product vision, design decisions, and final implementation.

Challenges I ran into

One of the biggest challenges was making the app feel warm and personal without sacrificing usability.

I love great design, however I have no design experience, so there has been a lot of iteration on refining layouts so photos, reflections, and controls felt balanced across different screen sizes and that the app didn't look vibecoded.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I'm so proud that I have created an app! 18-year old me who struggled in her Computer Science classes, now has created an app that she wished she had back then.

What I learned

I am not an app developer, so I've learned so much throughout this whole process. Codex wrote every single line of code in this app so I really take the time to read Codex's plan, challenge things and ask questions, and use chat to look up any terms I'm not familiar with.