SOLS-RUNNER: My first educational game with AI to learn about Summer Solstice

Hung Hoang — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 19:56:00 +0000

SOLS-Runner

This is a submission for the June Solstice Game Jam

What I Built

SOLS-Runner is a narrative puzzle adventure inspired by the June Solstice and the idea that growth often comes through periods of darkness, uncertainty, and change.

Players take on the role of Leo, a young runner who feels disconnected from the world around him. During an evening run through Greenwood Park, he discovers a mysterious cosmic crystal that challenges him with a series of puzzles centered around astronomy, balance, and seasonal change.

As each challenge is solved, the world gradually regains its color. The gray landscape transforms into a vibrant environment, visually representing Leo's journey from stagnation toward hope and self-discovery.

The game combines storytelling, environmental progression, educational puzzles, and AI-assisted learning into a short experience that can be completed in a single sitting.

Key Features

Solstice-themed puzzle challenges
Environmental restoration system
World saturation progression (0% → 100%)
Interactive narrative experience
Gemini Crystal AI Tutor
Educational astronomy concepts integrated into gameplay

The core message of the game is simple:

Just as the Earth moves through cycles of darkness and light, people also move through periods of uncertainty, growth, and renewal.

Video Demo

https://youtu.be/4v1556bRoHU

The demo video showcases:

Leo's introduction and discovery of the cosmic crystal
Puzzle progression through all challenge stages
The Caesar cipher / Enigma-inspired puzzle
World saturation increasing as challenges are completed
Gemini Crystal AI Tutor explanations
The final reflection ending sequence

Code

GitHub Repository:

https://github.com/HungH206/sols-survivor

Live Demo:

https://sols-runner-640174174409.us-central1.run.app

How I Built It

I intentionally kept the scope small so that I could create a polished and complete experience within the game jam timeline.

Frontend

The game was built using:

Phaser.js
React
TypeScript
Vite
Tailwind CSS

Phaser was used to manage gameplay scenes and world interactions, while React handled interface elements such as challenge panels, dialogue systems, and puzzle interactions.

Environmental Progression

One of the central mechanics is the World Saturation system.

The game begins in a nearly colorless state. Every successful puzzle completion increases world saturation and transforms the environment. This visual progression reinforces both the solstice theme and Leo's emotional journey.

Puzzle Design

The puzzles introduce astronomy concepts such as:

Solstice
Equinox
Seasonal balance
Earth's relationship to sunlight

To make the experience more interactive, one of the puzzles was redesigned into a Caesar cipher / Enigma-inspired challenge where players rotate encoded letters to reveal the correct answer.

AI Integration

A custom Gemini Crystal AI Tutor was added to provide educational explanations after puzzle completion.

Players can ask the crystal why an answer is correct, why alternative answers are incorrect, and how the concept relates to seasons, light, and balance.

The game sends requests through a secure server endpoint that communicates with Gemini 2.5 Flash, ensuring API keys remain protected.

Prize Category

Best Google AI Usage

Google AI played a significant role throughout the project.

During development, Google AI Studio was used for:

Story brainstorming
Character development
Puzzle ideation
Scope refinement
Narrative writing
Educational content generation

In the final game, Gemini powers the Gemini Crystal AI Tutor, an in-game learning assistant that provides contextual explanations for puzzle answers and transforms educational content into an interactive experience.

Rather than using AI solely during development, I wanted AI to become part of the gameplay itself.

Best Ode to Alan Turing

One of the game's challenge sequences is inspired by classical cryptography and codebreaking concepts associated with Alan Turing's work.

The Caesar cipher / Enigma-inspired puzzle encourages players to decode hidden messages while learning about astronomical concepts related to the solstice.

This mechanic serves as a small tribute to Turing's contributions to computing, cryptography, and problem-solving.

Lessons Learned

This was an exercise in balancing creativity with scope.

I began with a much larger vision involving multiple locations, expanded puzzle systems, and additional mechanics. During development, I learned that reducing scope often leads to a stronger final experience.

By focusing on a single environment, a clear emotional journey, and a small set of polished mechanics, I was able to create a complete game that aligns closely with the theme of the jam.

Final Thoughts

SOLS-Runner is ultimately a story about movement.

Not just the movement of the Earth around the Sun, but the movement people experience as they navigate uncertainty, growth, and change.

Sometimes the longest journey begins with a single step into the unknown.

SOLS-RUNNER: My first educational game with AI to learn about Summer Solstice

Hung Hoang — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 19:47:25 +0000

This is a submission for the June Solstice Game Jam

This is SOLS-Runner, an educational and interactive text-based game with AI.

For the June Solstice Game Jam, I built a narrative puzzle game about light, change, and self-discovery.

You play as Leo, a young runner trapped in a gray and repetitive world. During an evening run, he discovers a mysterious cosmic crystal that challenges him with puzzles inspired by the June Solstice, seasonal balance, and Earth's relationship with sunlight.

As each puzzle is solved, the world gradually regains its color, reflecting Leo's own journey from uncertainty to hope.

✨ Features
• Solstice-themed puzzles
• Environmental transformation system
• Interactive story-driven gameplay
• Gemini Crystal AI Tutor powered by Gemini 2.5 Flash
• Educational astronomy concepts woven into the narrative

One of my favorite additions is the Gemini Crystal AI Tutor. After solving a puzzle, players can ask the crystal to explain why the answer is correct, why the other choices are wrong, and how the lesson connects to themes of light, balance, and growth.

🛠 Built With
• Phaser.js
• React + TypeScript
• Tailwind CSS
• Google AI Studio
• Gemini 2.5 Flash
• Google Cloud Run

This project started as a simple game jam idea, as my first approach building with Google AI Studio, and evolved into a small interactive experience about moving forward through life's changing seasons.

Just as the Earth moves between darkness and light, people do too.

Here's the game demo: https://youtu.be/4v1556bRoHU
Github: https://github.com/HungH206/sols-survivor
The game: https://sols-runner-640174174409.us-central1.run.app

GameDev #IndieDev #GameJam #JuneSolstice #GoogleAI #GeminiAPI #PhaserJS #TypeScript #ReactJS #BuildInPublic #LearnInPublic

DEV Community: Hung Hoang

SOLS-RUNNER: My first educational game with AI to learn about Summer Solstice

SOLS-Runner

What I Built

Key Features

Video Demo

Code

How I Built It

Frontend

Environmental Progression

Puzzle Design

AI Integration

Prize Category

Best Google AI Usage

Best Ode to Alan Turing

Lessons Learned

Final Thoughts

SOLS-RUNNER: My first educational game with AI to learn about Summer Solstice

GameDev #IndieDev #GameJam #JuneSolstice #GoogleAI #GeminiAPI #PhaserJS #TypeScript #ReactJS #BuildInPublic #LearnInPublic