AI Tamagotchi : Our 3-Day Hackathon Adventure with Grumlins

I wanted to share a fun and intense experience my teammate, Jimmy Madrigal, and I had recently. We participated in a 3-day hackathon where we developed an AI Tamagotchi for a project called Grumlins. It was a whirlwind of designing, coding, and a fair share of challenges, but we came out with something we're pretty proud of!

The Big Idea

Our goal was to create an interactive AI character that users could engage with in various ways:

• Name your character: Personalization is key!

• Choose its habitat: Where does your Grumlin call home?

• Play ball and feed it: Just like the classic Tamagotchi experience.

• Chat using AI: Have real conversations with your Grumlin.

• Level up mechanics: Take chances to help your character grow.

• Artistic flair: Have your Grumlin "draw" a picture you could mint as an NFT.

Ambitious, right? Especially for just three days!

Hitting the Roadblocks

We quickly realized that time wasn't our only constraint. We decided to embed our AI character within an advanced iFrame called Frames, which came with its own set of limitations:

• Limited to four buttons: We had to be very selective about the features we could include.

• Non-interactive screen: This restricted how users could interact with the character.

These constraints forced us to prioritize and adapt our original plans.

Making the Most of It

Despite the hurdles, we managed to pull off some cool features:

• Design and Assets: I focused on creating the design and assets. We chose one character with limited animations to keep things manageable.

• Color Customization: Since we couldn't implement the level-up system in time, we added a feature that allowed users to color their Grumlin. It was a fun way to let users personalize their character.

• AI Chat Integration: We concentrated on integrating AI to enable users to chat with their Grumlin. This added a layer of interaction that made the character feel alive.

• Setting an Example: We also wanted to pave the way for future features, like the character drawing a picture to mint as an NFT. While we didn't get to implement this, we laid the groundwork for it.

Lessons Learned

Working under tight constraints taught us a lot:

• Prioritization is crucial: With limited time and resources, we had to decide what features were most important.

• Adaptability: Constraints can spark creativity. We found new ways to engage users within our limitations.

• Teamwork makes the dream work: Collaborating closely with Jimmy was a highlight. We bounced ideas off each other and kept the energy high, even when we hit snags.

What We Hoped to Add

We were excited about the potential of this project. With more time, we had hoped to:

• Expand interactions: Implement the full range of features we initially planned.

• Enhance the AI: Make conversations with the Grumlin even more engaging.

• Bring art to life: Develop the feature where the Grumlin can draw and mint NFTs.

Final Thoughts

Hackathons are a wild ride, but they're incredibly rewarding. Despite the challenges, we managed to create something that we're excited about, and we can't wait to see where we can take it next.