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Make it guess!
A fast-paced word guessing game where you describe words to make an AI guess as many as possible in 60 seconds!
Game Objective
Your goal is to get the AI to guess as many words as possible within the 60-second time limit by providing creative descriptions, clues, and hints.
How to Play
- See the Word – A target word appears that you need to describe.
- Describe It – Type clues and hints to help the AI guess the word.
- Score Points – Earn points when the AI guesses correctly, then move to the next word.
Game Flow
- Start the Game: Click the play button to begin your 60-second challenge
- Describe the Word: You'll see a target word that you need to describe to the AI
- Give Clues: Type descriptions, synonyms, examples, or any hints that might help the AI guess the word
- AI Guesses: The AI will analyze your description and make guesses
- Score Points: When the AI guesses correctly, you earn a point and move to the next word
- Beat the Clock: Keep going until the 60-second timer runs out
- View Results: See your final score and compare it with other players on the leaderboard
Inspiration
The idea came from wanting to create a fun, fast-paced game that tests how well humans can communicate with AI. We wanted to flip the usual dynamic - instead of asking AI questions, players challenge the AI to guess words based on their descriptions.
How we built it
- Platform: Reddit Devvit application
- Frontend: React/TypeScript with modern, responsive UI
- Backend: Node.js/TypeScript with Express
- AI: Google Gemini API via OpenRouter for intelligent guessing
- Database: Redis for persistent leaderboard and score tracking
- Features: Real-time gameplay, cheat detection, skip functionality, and animated feedback
Challenges we ran into
- Cheat prevention: Players could easily reveal the word directly, so we built a smart detection system that catches various cheating attempts
- AI consistency: Getting the AI to respond with exactly one word instead of phrases or explanations
- Real-time gameplay: Balancing smooth user experience with API response times during the fast-paced 60-second rounds
- Leaderboard design: Creating a scoring system that groups players by score levels and displays them meaningfully
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Smart cheat detection: Our system catches multiple types of cheating (spelling out words, using other languages, giving letter hints)
- Seamless AI integration: The game feels natural and responsive despite relying on external AI APIs
- Beautiful, game-focused UI: Clean card-based design that works perfectly on both desktop and mobile
- Persistent leaderboard: Players can compete globally with scores stored permanently in Redis
What we learned
- Reddit Devvit Development: Learning Devvit's unique architecture with separate client/server builds and its web-based app system. Understanding how to structure projects with
src/client,src/server, andsrc/shareddirectories - Devvit Settings Management: Working with Devvit's settings system for secure API key storage and configuration management across development and production environments
- Redis Integration in Devvit: Leveraging Devvit's built-in Redis support for persistent data storage, specifically implementing sorted sets for leaderboard functionality
- Devvit Deployment Pipeline: Mastering the
devvit uploadanddevvit publishworkflow, and understanding how Devvit handles build processes and asset management - AI API Integration: How to integrate external AI APIs effectively in real-time gaming scenarios within Devvit's serverless architecture
What's next for Make It Guess!
- Word categories: Let players choose themes like "Animals," "Movies," or "Science"
- AI difficulty levels: Different AI models for varying challenge levels
- Achievement system: Badges for reaching certain milestones or creative descriptions
- Community features: Player profiles, friend challenges, and shareable results
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