Waddle

Landing Page
Dashboard
Shop
Flock Party
Flock Party Room
Pictionary Minigame
Maze Minigame
Breadcrumb Minigame

What Inspired Us

We have all stared at our pending assignments, unsure where to start, or sitting at the PCL trying to convince ourselves we can finish everything. We wanted to build something that makes productivity feel like a game you want to play. Incorporating Harnold the goose, we built a social productivity web app that incentivizes users to complete their tasks and take care of themselves to raise their goose and have effective group study sessions alongside their flock.

What We Learned

We learned how to use Vite, Express, and Socket.io to build and connect a full-stack app with real-time features. We also explored building something fun for the first time, with Waddle having three minigames (which appear during breaks in study rooms) and the ability to dress up your goose with different accessories.

How We Built Our Project

We built Waddle with a React and Vite frontend, an Express and Socket.io backend, and Supabase handling auth and database. We integrated the Gemini API into the daily task flow where users can upload their tasks and receive a structured to-do list with mental health breaks integrated throughout. Real-time study rooms run over Socket.io, syncing timers and minigame state across all connected users. We also implemented security through Supabase, preserving users' points (to spend, total earned, and evolution) and accessories.

Challenges We Faced

A challenge we faced was implementing real-time synchronization across accounts and devices. Keeping timers, game state, chat, and points consistent while handling reconnects and latency pushed us to rethink how we structured our backend. Another challenge was designing the point system: figuring out how points convert to food, how food drives evolution, and how to balance the progression from egg to hatchling to gosling to goose in a way that felt rewarding but achievable.

ALT ABOUT

Problem Statement

Students struggle to start on assignments and stay productive without burning out. Most productivity tools focus on task management but ignore motivation, mental health, and social accountability. There is no existing tool that makes studying feel rewarding while encouraging healthy habits alongside getting work done.

Solution Overview

Waddle is a social productivity web app that turns studying into a game you want to play. Users upload their assignments and receive an AI-structured to-do list with mental health breaks built in. They study alongside friends in real-time study rooms, earn points for completing tasks, and use those points to feed and evolve their personal goose companion, Harnold.

Key Features

AI-powered task planning. Upload your assignments and Waddle structures them into a prioritized to-do list with mental health breaks integrated throughout.

Real-time study rooms. Join a flock with friends for synchronized group study sessions. Timers, chat, and game state stay in sync across all connected users.

Minigames during breaks. Three minigames appear during break time, making rest feel like a reward rather than a distraction.

Goose progression. Completing tasks earns points that convert to food, which feeds Harnold through four stages: egg, hatchling, gosling, and goose. Customize him with accessories along the way.

Persistent progress. Your points, evolution stage, and accessories are saved and waiting for you every time you return.

Technologies Used

Layer	Technology
Frontend	React, Vite
Backend	Express, Socket.io
Database and Auth	Supabase
AI	Google Gemini API

Target Users

College students who want to study more effectively, stay accountable with friends, and feel genuinely motivated to complete their work and take care of themselves.

Social Impact Statement

Waddle addresses two interconnected problems in student life: academic overwhelm and neglected mental health. By making productivity feel social and rewarding, Waddle encourages students to build healthier study habits, take regular breaks, and support each other through shared accountability. The goose progression system gives users a low-stakes, playful reason to keep showing up, making consistency feel achievable rather than exhausting.