Dino Debt Dash

Tired of dense finance readings? Try Dino Debt Dash—a fast-paced way to learn finance and investing while outrunning pesky debt dinos! With adaptive AI, every adrenaline-fueled run is unique.

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Inspiration

We drew inspiration from Pokémon games, Bitlife, the Konami Code, and our shared love of finance. We wanted to create something fun, nostalgic, and educational that makes complex concepts in finance approachable and exciting.

What it does

Dino Debt Dash gamifies learning finance. Players race to escape “debt dinos” while answering finance questions. An adaptive AI tailors questions to each player’s performance, ensuring every adrenaline-fueled run is unique and meaningful.

How we built it

Game Engine: Built with Kaplay, a JavaScript/TypeScript-friendly 2D game engine

Frontend: React + TypeScript with Tailwind CSS for fast, responsive styling

Backend: TypeScript server that handles question generation, adaptive difficulty, and state management

Extras: Custom sprites, UI layout, and sound design to keep gameplay engaging

Challenges we ran into

Merge conflicts when collaborating on Git

Fine-tuning sprite animations and movements to feel natural

Maintaining a large, growing codebase with consistent structure and organization

Accomplishments we’re proud of

A unique layout that blends learning with gameplay

An on-theme UI with polished visuals

Fantastic music and sound design that enhance immersion

What we learned

Better Git collaboration practices (branching, resolving conflicts)

The importance of game loop optimization for smooth performance

How to integrate adaptive learning into a fun environment

Practical finance concepts we encoded into the game

What’s next for Dino Debt Dash

Expanding the question bank with deeper finance topics

Adding multiplayer and cooperative modes

Integrating leaderboards to encourage competition

Exploring a mobile version for broader accessibility

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