WildCatch

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  WildCatch Logo

Project Story

Inspiration

We wanted to fix a problem we all felt: studying is static, boring, and forgettable. You sit in one place, cram information, and forget it days later. At the same time, research like Smith (1979) shows that spatial memory and mental navigation can significantly improve recall. That led us to a simple idea: what if studying felt like exploring, and your environment became part of your memory?

WildCatch was born from combining the method of loci with modern tools like AR, maps, and AI-generated content.

How We Built It

We built WildCatch as a full-stack web app that turns a real campus into an interactive study environment. The frontend handles the map, camera interactions, and user flow, allowing users to walk around and discover characters in real time.

The frontend communicates with a Node.js + Express backend, which manages game logic, question generation requests, and capture mechanics. When a user starts a session, the backend calls the Google Gemini API to dynamically generate study questions based on the chosen topic.

All persistent data - including users, questions, character locations, and capture states - is stored in Supabase (PostgreSQL). We designed relational tables to link characters with questions and track user progress across sessions.

What We Learned

This project pushed us to integrate multiple systems quickly under hackathon constraints. We learned how to connect a real-time frontend experience with a structured backend API, design a relational schema that supports dynamic content generation, work with AI APIs in a production-style flow, and coordinate geolocation, game logic, and database state in sync.

We also gained a deeper appreciation for how software can reinforce human cognition, not just deliver content.

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges was syncing location-based gameplay with consistent backend state. Ensuring that characters spawned correctly, remained tied to users, and updated properly after interactions required careful API and database design.

Another challenge was balancing speed and structure. We had to quickly integrate Gemini-generated questions while ensuring they mapped cleanly into our schema and gameplay loop.

Finally, building an engaging experience in a short time meant constantly prioritizing what actually mattered: making the core loop feel smooth and rewarding.

Conclusion

WildCatch transforms studying from something passive into something physical and memorable. By combining spatial memory techniques with modern web technologies, we built a system where learning is tied to movement, imagination, and interaction, not just repetition.

Built With

• express.js
• html
• node.js
• supabase