Solstice Sync: A Dynamic Gemini AI Alignment Puzzle

This is a submission for the June Solstice Game Jam

What I Built

Solstice Sync is a fast-paced cosmic puzzle game where players must balance the light and shadow forces of the June Solstice. The goal is to achieve the highest synchronization score possible within a strict 30-second countdown. Every 6 seconds, the game delivers a cryptic text prompt representing either intense daylight or deep twilight, and players must quickly align the energy core to match the theme before time runs out.

Video Demo

Here is the complete 34-second gameplay loop demonstration showcasing the start screen, live gameplay mechanics, rapid synchronization scoring, and the final stabilization sequence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfIvIQ7KimU

Code

You can explore the full React architecture, state management lifecycle, and component scripts in my repository here:

[View GitHub Repository] https://github.com/j85219826-star/june-solstice-game-jam
🌐 [Play Live Game Here] https://j85219826-star.github.io/june-solstice-game-jam/

How I Built It

The application is architected entirely using React 19 and bundled via Vite for optimized fast-refresh compilation.

• State & Lifecycle Management: Built using robust React core hooks (useState, useEffect, useRef). I utilized refs to cleanly synchronize the independent 1-second countdown interval with the 6-second cosmic prompt rotation cadence.
• Resilient Fallback Design: To prevent the user experience from degrading due to live browser network restrictions or client-side CORS barriers on public hosts, I engineered a structural fail-safe array containing 16 unique, pre-composed light/shadow riddles. If a backend request encounters an origin block, the application gracefully flags the catch-block and continuously serves random variations to guarantee 100% gameplay uptime.
• UI Design System: Designed with a custom inline layout mimicking a modern dark-mode terminal framework. It utilizes stark blue-slate variations (#0F172A, #1E293B) combined with glowing neon indicators to create a highly responsive, atmospheric aesthetic.

Prize Category

Best Google AI Usage

This project is configured directly with the official @google/genai SDK and utilizes the Gemini 2.5-Flash model. In local runtime environments, the system completely bypasses hardcoded text arrays to execute live zero-shot prompt requests, treating Gemini as a dynamic "Celestial Narrator" that generates completely unique, poetic statements about light or dark alignments on the fly.