Hack-Princeton Fall 2023

Tech Stack

Project Overview

Hack-Princeton is one of the largest student-run hackathons, where participants are given 32 hours to build a project from scratch. It gathers innovators from various fields—software developers, engineers to collaborate and create something unique. Like most hackathons, the event is fast-paced, requiring teams to work around the clock with little to no sleep, solving complex problems under tight deadlines. It provides an incredible environment for learning how to work as a team, honing technical skills, and managing time effectively.

Process

The idea for our project was driven by our shared interest in building something both fun and educational. We wanted to create a game that could inspire younger generations to learn valuable lessons while playing. Inspired by similar successful educational games and our passion for environmental conservation, we set out to create a project that combines these two aspects.

Challenges and Solutions

One major challenge we encountered during the development process was with the game’s artwork. Halfway through the build, we realized that many of our sprites lacked transparent backgrounds, leading to visual glitches in the game. This required us to go back and redraw several assets, costing us valuable time. However, this also helped us learn to adapt quickly under pressure.

Lessons Learned

Through this project, we learned the importance of planning and communication in a team environment. Setting clear objectives and defining roles helped us stay on track. We also discovered how essential it is to ensure assets like sprites are created with their final use in mind, as fixing problems late in the process can be time-consuming.

Conclusion

Despite working on little to no sleep, our team managed to come together and deliver a functioning game within the tight timeframe which earned us the award of Best Beginner hack. The experience of collaborating with each team member and merging our different skills into one cohesive project was incredibly rewarding. We are especially proud of overcoming the hurdles and working together to create something unique.