Personal vibe-coded prototype game. Learn about energy load balancing through city building.
SNAPSHOT
Solo designed · (vibe)coded · pixel art
Built for beginners to sense supply / demand / cost / pollution / reliability
Status: private prototype (self‑playtested)
Next: small class pilot?
ROLE & TOOLS
WHAT IT IS
A one‑screen browser simulation where you plan and expand a city of residential, industrial, and commercials plots, powered with various energy sources, dispatch a battery, and decide when to fire a peaker as weather and demand shift. A simple dial shows how each choice moves cost, carbon, and stability in real time.
WHY IT MATTERS
Most energy grid lessons are abstract and difficult to relate to, and no way to teach with a hands on approach. This simulation addresses that: learn through play by strategizing the energy infrastructure around the needs of the population you grow.
Learners grasp three ideas quickly:
Renewables are variable. The sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow. We need backup solutions.
Batteries shift energy over time. Having that reserve of energy at night is pretty great, and avoids the dreaded blackouts.
Reliable isn’t always clean, or cheap. Pollution is a trade-off, but a balance of renewables helps smooth things out.
INCLUDES:
Easy / Hard / Sandbox modes for varying challenge
Solar/wind with mild randomness (no solar at night; wind is variable)
Demand curve with morning/evening peaks
Batteries as backup storage, including degradation over time
Gas-powered peakers and coal plants for instant, costly fallback
Weather events that affect energy sources and storage
On-hover data infographics for detailed status and values
Research system to upgrade your energy sources and batteries
Minimal, readable UI with hand‑made graphics
STATUS
Today: Private build; balanced via my own playtests
Next: Pilot test in a class or workshop, develop scenarios for teachers (over-abundance of polluting sources, constant bad weather), and a pause‑to‑explain overlay for more directed learning moments