Cosmos Web Game

Title Page
Mode Options
Game in action
Game Over screen
Group Members
Hacking away
#IHackBecause
Phone demo

Inspiration

The Cal Hacks environment was incredibly motivating. Even with so much ample opportunity to play around, we all were really motivated to successfully complete a project. Working as a team is the best feeling in the world. We've never experienced such an event where people concentrate on one thing without sufficient sleep. Being emerged in such an enviroment and wanting to become better selves pushed us to spend two whole days in a crowded kitchen.

What it does

Cosmos is a web game. You are a ball in the galaxy that can be moved via keyboard arrow keys (or WASD keys). You survive by avoiding contact with any bouncing white bubbles that continously appear. Playing in the 'SNIPER' mode has increased difficulty but comes with the abiltity to shoot and defeat the bubbles. The game theoretically goes on for infinity but after a certain high score is reached, the user has won. If the user wins, they enter a new cosmos (new levels to be implemented in the future).

How we built it

We built it through collaborative and supportive teamwork, self-discipline and persistent productivity, gradual loss of patience after we ran into a million bugs, constant search for Sun chips, boba, and oreos, never-stopping desire for showering, the next meal, and sleep, and humans' intelligent brains. Cramming JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Google search skills, we've been learning, practicing, improvising at the same time. We have become more bug-indifferent programmers (not confident to call ourselves computer scientists yet).

Challenges we ran into

Too much creativity - so many ideas and goals!
Sleepiness
Long Lines
Solving bugs aka learning a new programming language
Escapism
Not waking up to alarms
Why is everyone else so pro?
Mixing different programming languages together - embedding javascript and CSS within HTML

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Mostly, we are most satisfied that we thought of an idea and successfully completed our goal project in time! We are proud that we figured out animations work within a game and how to manipulate these objects; we are proud that we can sleep for only 3 hours per day; we are proud that we can survive off a never-ending supply of snacks; we are proud that we have come out as better selves and a stronger team.

What we learned

As novice hackers, we came in just wanting to successfully complete a project. We decided to code in JavaScript due to its accessability via the web and ease of use, even though no one on the team had prior experience with the language. Thus, we not only created a fresh app but learned the basics of a new programming language! We are all gamers in our own ways, whether it be on our imaginations, internet, phone, or gaming system. We wanted to build our first game and we did it.

What's next for Cosmos?

Next, we plan to include new levels that are based on the same foundations but with added obstacles and maze-like features. Instead of being restricted to one rectanglular world, the user will have to go through a pathway-like maze and encounter fresh obstacles. In addition, we want to convert it into a mobile app or better mobile-web support, as we were very inspired by the fact that our web app can function on a mobile device! Other improvements we plan to include are better animations, develop better interfaces, and add touchscreen and gyroscope features. We would for sure develop this game much further. Who knows what's the next trendy game.