Escape the Glitch

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Inspiration

Escape the Glitch started with a simple question: what if internet safety did not feel like a lecture?

Most kids are told rules like “don’t click suspicious links” or “don’t share your password,” but real online risks usually happen in fast, tempting, social moments. Someone offers a fake prize. A stranger sends a suspicious link. A path looks safe but turns out to be a trap. We wanted to build a Roblox world where players could practice those choices through play.

Our goal was to make digital safety feel like an adventure, not homework.

What it does

Escape the Glitch is a Roblox adventure game where a peaceful island has been corrupted by the Glitch, a force unleashed by Robux Ricky, a scammer who uses fake rewards and suspicious messages to trap players.

Players complete trials, earn Glow Coins, and work to relight the Harmony Shrine before the island falls apart.

The game includes:

• The Elder’s Warning, where Elder Hikari teaches players to collect the correct safe signals and avoid corrupted ones
• An obby-style challenge where unsafe online choices collapse beneath the player
• A Robux Ricky encounter where players respond to scam messages in their own words
• Gemini-powered response analysis that checks whether the player safely refuses, calls out the scam, or suggests reporting/blocking
• Coins, quests, and hidden interactions that reward exploration and safe choices

The main idea is simple:

Don’t click. Don’t fall. Escape the Glitch.

How we built it

We built the game in Roblox Studio using Luau for the core gameplay systems, including quests, collectibles, NPC interactions, GUI elements, obby mechanics, and coin rewards.

We used the Gemini API to analyze player-written responses during the Robux Ricky encounter. Instead of relying only on multiple choice, players can write their own response to a scam message. Gemini helps evaluate whether the response is safe, whether it refuses the scam, and whether it mentions actions like reporting, blocking, or asking for help.

We designed the world around a peaceful island being slowly corrupted by glitch effects, fake rewards, broken paths, and unsafe choices. The educational content is built directly into the mechanics: scams become traps, safe choices become stable paths, and good responses help the player progress.

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was making the game feel fun first and educational second. Early versions felt too much like a quiz, so we kept reworking the design until the lessons became part of the gameplay.

We also had to balance scope. We had ideas for a larger open world, multiple zones, side quests, Easter eggs, AI-powered NPCs, and more, but we needed to focus on what would be clear and playable for a hackathon demo.

Another challenge was integrating AI in a way that felt meaningful. We did not want Gemini to just be a gimmick or a chatbot. We wanted it to support the actual learning goal by helping evaluate how players respond to risky online situations in their own words.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that the game feels like an actual Roblox experience rather than a classroom worksheet.

Some moments we are especially proud of:

• Turning online safety decisions into physical obby mechanics
• Creating Robux Ricky as a memorable scam villain
• Using Gemini to analyze player-written scam responses
• Building a cohesive story around the Glitch, the Harmony Shrine, and the corrupted island
• Creating a game loop where players learn by doing instead of just reading rules

We are also proud of how much the concept evolved. What started as a simple safety game became a more complete adventure about scams, choices, and restoring trust in an online world.

What we learned

We learned that educational games work best when the lesson is built into the action.

Telling a player “do not click fake rewards” is one thing. Letting them jump onto a fake reward platform and watch it collapse is much more memorable.

We also learned how important it is to keep the player journey simple. A good hackathon demo needs a clear goal, a clear villain, and a clear reason to keep playing. For us, that became: complete the trials, outsmart Robux Ricky, and relight the Harmony Shrine.

On the technical side, we learned more about Roblox Studio, Luau scripting, UI design, quest systems, and how to connect AI-powered analysis to gameplay.

What's next for Escape the Glitch

Next, we would love to expand Escape the Glitch into a fuller island adventure with more trials and more AI-powered moments.

Future ideas include:

• More scam scenarios and red flag types
• Additional zones focused on privacy, rumors, and AI-generated misinformation
• More Hidden Sparks, including optional kindness and exploration quests
• Cosmetic rewards players can buy with Glow Coins
• A stronger final Robux Ricky boss encounter
• More Gemini-powered feedback that helps players reflect on their choices
• Multiplayer co-op challenges where players work together to restore the island

Our long-term goal is to make Escape the Glitch a Roblox experience where kids practice digital safety, civility, and online judgment in a way that feels exciting, social, and fun.

Built With

• claude
• codex
• gemini
• luau
• roblox