Welcome to Critter Break, an extension designed to encourage healthy screen habits by gamifying your break times! Whether you're working long hours on a project or binge-watching your favorite shows, our cute critters are here to remind you to take a breather. Let's turn those necessary breaks into fun moments! 🌟

1. ⏰ Automatic "Work" and "Break" Timers: Once you start the addon, it will cycle between "work" and "break" periods, with helpful captions reminding you when it's time to rest.
2. 🐾 Adorable Critter Animations: During breaks, summon a critter who interacts with your cursor! This helps track whether you're taking a break by staying in the window.
3. 🌓 Screen Dimming: When you hover your cursor over the break window, the screen dims, encouraging you to take a proper break away from your screen.
4. 🎯 Point System & Unlockable Critters: Earn points for every minute of break time and unlock new critters! The more breaks you take, the more adorable companions you'll collect.
5. ⚙️ Customizable Settings: Adjust your break durations, intervals, and screen dimming preferences. Your settings will sync across devices for a seamless experience.

Critter Break has been packed with robust technology to ensure it works smoothly and effectively across platforms:

• Content Scripts: HTML is injected into the webpage to create the timer and critter interactions.
• Service Workers: Our service workers handle timers and maintain persistence across tabs, keeping track of your work and break states.
• Chrome Storage API: Your settings are safely stored and synchronized across devices using the Chrome Storage API.

1. Download the code.
2. Open browser extension setting and click on pack unpacked
3. Install it on your browser (Chrome, Edge, etc.).
4. Open the extension and set your preferences for break duration and intervals.
5. Start working, and let Critter Break take care of the rest!

Research shows that extended screen time leads to various health risks, including:

• Eye Strain
• Sleep Deprivation
• Sedentary Lifestyle Risks: Obesity, cardiovascular diseases, etc.

Many existing browser extensions offer break timers, but most lack extrinsic motivation, making it easy to ignore or skip breaks. That's where Critter Break comes in with gamification—keeping breaks fun and rewarding.

I aimed for a cross-platform browser addon, which can run seamlessly across different browsers with minimal changes. Additionally, it has been designed with a point system and critter collection to give users a reason to stay engaged.

As animal lovers, I’ve seen the positive effect animals can have on people’s well-being. This inspired me to build a gamified break system centered around critters. By introducing new animals as rewards, users are encouraged to take regular breaks while enjoying interactions with their virtual companions.

• Code Editor: Visual Studio Code
• Version Control: GitHub
• Platform Tested: Google Chrome
  Due to its larger user base, I started by testing the addon on Google Chrome, with plans to expand compatibility.