Clulo | Smart fun, every day

Clulo transforms Reddit into a pixelated adventure — a nostalgic, fun-filled, AI-powered mystery game that engages communities, challenges minds, and rewards every player's quest.

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Inspiration

I was inspired to create Clulo by my love for classic 8-bit games like Super Mario combined with a passion for learning and community. I wanted to build a game that brings nostalgia to life, while harnessing modern AI to offer daily brain-teasing mysteries that Reddit communities could enjoy together.

What it Does

Clulo delivers a daily mystery challenge where players receive progressive AI-powered clues across categories like movies, history, science, and music. It provides instant hot/cold feedback on guesses using Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite AI, tracks community progress, and employs nostalgic pixel-art aesthetics to create a retro gaming experience. It’s fully mobile-optimized for smooth play anywhere.

How I Built It

I built Clulo using Reddit’s Devvit Web framework with React and TypeScript. I hardcoded a bank of 100 mysteries loaded into Redis to ensure instant gameplay with zero dependency on live API calls at runtime. I integrated Gemini for semantic guess scoring and additional learning hints. Kiro helped me structure requirements, design, and automated testing to maintain polish and reliable deployment.

Challenges I Ran Into

Balancing AI integration with rate limits while maintaining smooth real-time gameplay was challenging. Designing a retro 8-bit look that is also modern and fully responsive took thoughtful UI work. Ensuring automated daily mystery posting with fallback mechanisms demanded careful orchestration of Redis, schedulers, and Reddit’s posting API.

Accomplishments that I'm Proud Of

I created a fully playable game that ships with a complete 100-mystery bank ready at install. The game incorporates AI-powered dynamic feedback and engaging community unlock features with polished retro visuals. I successfully integrated Kiro to generate specs and assist testing, dramatically speeding up development while ensuring quality.

What I Learned

I learned to blend nostalgic pixel aesthetics with cutting-edge AI within a real-world social platform. I mastered Devvit’s React-based framework, Redis data stores, and schedulers for persistent gameplay on Reddit. I gained experience designing for mobile-first with engaging animations and creating simple yet effective AI prompts for real-time feedback.

What's Next for Clulo | Smart fun, every day

Next, I plan to expand Clulo with localized mystery packs for global communities, enhance AI explanations for deeper learning, and add new aesthetic themes inspired by other retro games. I'll refine social features like player chat and collaborative puzzle modes to make knowledge sharing even more immersive, keeping the daily experience fresh, smart, and fun.

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