Terminal of Babel

Inspiration

We were inspired by the chaos and beauty of language barriers. Just like the Tower of Babel scattered humanity across different tongues, we wanted to create a coding experience where programmers face a similar challenge. What if you started writing Python, but mid-way through, your code suddenly became Rust? We thought this would be hilarious and annoying at the same time.

What it does

Terminal of Babel is a retro arcade-style terminal coding game where you solve LeetCode-style problems while racing against a 30-second timer that randomly converts your code to a different programming language.

How we built it

We built the entire application in Rust using the stack:

Ratatui: A TUI framework for the interface.

Piston API: Used for code running and compiling.

Gemini API: Used for code translation logic.

Crossterm: A terminal module to provide underlying functionality.

Challenges we ran into

Code translation accuracy: Getting an LLM to reliably translate code while preserving logic was tricky.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a fully functional terminal text editor from scratch within 24 hours.

Achieved real code execution with proper test case validation.

What we learned

In-depth knowledge of Rust's ownership model and patterns.

How to build a responsive TUI application with proper animations and event handling.

What's next for Terminal of Babel

Multiplayer mode: Let friends code and race in real-time.

Difficulty Scaling: Add punishments for wrong syntax and hardcore esoteric languages.

Let everyone from NUS Hack & Roll try this out.

Built With

• crossterm
• geminiapi
• piston
• ratatui
• rust