The Coder's Dungeon

The Coder’s Dungeon turns your GitHub repository into a fantasy-themed, offline text adventure — explore code like a dungeon, uncover artifacts, and learn with AI-powered insights.

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Inspiration

We were inspired by the nostalgic charm of classic MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) games and wanted to reimagine the way developers interact with code. Instead of scrolling through endless directories, what if exploring a GitHub repo felt like crawling through a dungeon, with files as artifacts and functions as ancient scrolls?

What it does

The Coder’s Dungeon transforms any local GitHub repository into a fantasy-style, text-based adventure game. Players navigate directories (chambers), examine files (artifacts), read functions (scrolls), and receive AI-powered code explanations — all through a magical command-line interface.

How we built it

  • Frontend: React + TypeScript for an immersive terminal-style UI
  • Backend: Node.js + Express to parse repos and handle game logic
  • AI: Gemini API for intelligent file and function summaries
  • GitHub API: For repo structure

Challenges we ran into

  • Parsing deeply nested repo structures while preserving a narrative flow
  • Connecting gemini to the project kept us awake till 3 at midnight ...
  • Balancing simplicity of commands with the richness of exploration
  • Ensuring smooth communication between frontend and backend terminals

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Built a fully offline, single-player dungeon crawler for codebases
  • Integrated Gemini AI for natural language explanations of real-world code
  • Crafted a fun, gamified learning environment for developers
  • Achieved stable cross-directory navigation and inventory tracking of explored code

What we learned

  • How to turn boring dev tools into engaging learning games
  • The importance of abstraction when gamifying technical workflows
  • Integrating LLMs into narrative-driven interfaces
  • Designing command structures that feel both intuitive and roleplay-friendly

What's next for The Coder’s Dungeon

  • Add support for multiplayer co-op dungeon raids (collaborative code reviews)
  • Save game progress and allow loading checkpoints
  • Add combat mechanics where bugs are monsters you must debug to defeat
  • Support for more AI models and custom code challenges
  • Export inventory as a documentation artifact
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