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Cover image for ASCII Snake: Web Crawler
Aswin Behera
Aswin Behera

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ASCII Snake: Web Crawler

#devchallenge #googleaichallenge #ai #gemini

This is a submission for the Google AI Studio Multimodal Challenge

Demo Link: Ascii Snake Learning

What I Built

I created ASCII Snake: Web Crawler, a thematic reimagining of the classic Snake game for the modern web. This isn't just about growing a line on a grid; it's an interactive commentary on the battle for focus in an age of digital distraction.

In the game, you pilot a "snake" that represents a web crawler navigating deeper into a digital system, for this example: Learning Computer Science from Wikipedia.

  • Goal: Consume data packets (*), which increase your depth (score) and lengthen your URL path, simulating a journey into more profound knowledge.
  • Obstacles: Encounter X — pesky ads and short-form video temptations.
  • Distraction Mechanic: Hitting one triggers a pop-up window with an AI-generated image mimicking clickbait and memes. This collision:
    • Diverts your attention.
    • Penalizes your depth.
    • Forces you to refocus your journey.

The entire experience is wrapped in a CLI and ASCII aesthetic, with:

  • A dynamic data-stream background.
  • Procedural retro sound effects.
  • A deeply immersive, old-school hacker ambiance.

How I Used Google AI Studio

Google AI, specifically the Gemini API, powers the game's core “distraction” mechanic. A commentary on the increasing ai-generated content on the web, plus how gemini's guardrails on the latest gemini-2.5 flash image-preview are so good!!!

  • I used imagen-4.0-generate-001 to generate images on the fly.
  • This transformed what could have been repetitive obstacles into a dynamic, unpredictable element.

Implementation

  1. When a player hits an obstacle or loses a life, the game triggers an API call to Gemini.
  2. A curated list of text prompts produces images styled as:
    • Viral memes.
    • Clickbait thumbnails.
    • Bizarre, attention-grabbing media.
    • Example: > "Clickbait thumbnail, a person with a shocked face, giant red arrow pointing to something mundane"
  3. The API response — a freshly generated image — is rendered into a pop-up window on the game screen.

This makes the AI-generated content a central part of the gameplay loop, directly challenging the player.

Multimodal Features

The key multimodal feature is real-time, prompt-based image generation that responds to in-game events.

Instead of using static pre-loaded assets, the game leverages Gemini’s text-to-image capabilities to create unique visuals for every encounter.

Why This Matters

  • Authentic Distractions

    The novelty of each distraction feels real. Like scrolling a social media feed, players never know what absurd image will appear next.

  • Infinite Replayability

    Because images are generated live, every session is unique. Players won’t become desensitized to repeating content.

  • Thematic Reinforcement

    The AI-generated images embody the narrative: bizarre, surreal, and algorithmically optimized — mirroring modern digital media designed to hijack attention.

Summary

ASCII Snake: Web Crawler takes a classic arcade formula and retools it into a playable critique of distraction culture, where AI-generated clickbait doesn’t just decorate the experience — it is the challenge.

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