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Meggem

Mystery Locked

game-challengemeggemamazon-rekognitionaws-amplifydynamodb
Meghana Chevva
Published Dec 27, 2024
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🌟 Building "Meggem": A Game That Builds Habits While You Play
🎮 I’ll be honest: I’ve never worked with AWS before, and this project is still in progress. "Meggem" is a work-in-progress that excites me every step of the way. When I saw the AWS Game Builder Challenge, I thought, why not try something new and exciting? I’ve always loved gaming and coding, and this challenge felt like the perfect opportunity to channel my creativity. The idea for "Meggem" actually came to me while yelling at my boyfriend. Yes, you read that right.

About the Name: "Meggem"

The name "Meggem" is a playful blend of my name, Meghana, and the word "game." It reflects my personal journey of creating a project that combines creativity, technology, and fun. The "gem" in "Meggem" symbolizes the small, valuable habits players can build as they engage with the game. It's also a nod to the game challenge itself, making it a unique and personal title.

The Inspiration

My boyfriend is a hardcore video game addict. He spends hours glued to his gaming chair, barely moving except to spam buttons. One day, after hours of watching him ignore basic human needs, I snapped and yelled, "Why don’t you just get up and drink some water?" That moment sparked an idea: What if a game could actually make people healthier while they play?

What is "Meggem"?

🕹️ "Meggem" is like a classic Mario-style adventure game, but with a meaningful twist. Every time your character "dies," you’re prompted to complete a real-world task to revive them. The game is all about blending entertainment with habit-building, encouraging players to improve their lifestyle while having fun.

Game Features

  1. 🏋️ Choose Your Habit Focus:
    • At the start of the game, players choose a habit category they want to work on:
      • Fitness: Tasks like doing push-ups or stretches.
      • Lifestyle: Challenges like forming sentences with new words or answering reflective questions.
      • Memory: Reading a short passage and answering a question.
      • General Knowledge: Fun trivia questions.
  2. 🎯 Revival Challenges:
    • When your character "dies," you’re given a habit-related task to complete. Examples include:
      • 🥤 Drinking a glass of water.
      • 🧩 Solving a brain-teaser.
      • 🤸 Doing a quick workout.
    • The task is validated by recording proof using your device’s camera, which is analyzed by AWS Rekognition.
  3. ⏳ Break Reminder:
    • If you’ve been playing for over an hour and die, the revival task becomes "Take a 30-minute break from your device." A built-in timer locks the game to encourage screen-free time.
  4. ✨ Rewards and Progress:
    • Completing tasks earns in-game rewards like new levels, power-ups, or custom skins for your character.

How AWS Powers "Meggem"

As someone new to AWS, I was amazed by how much these services could simplify and supercharge development:
  1. 🤖 Amazon Q Developer:
    • Helped me generate game logic and streamline habit workflows.
  2. 🧠 AWS Rekognition:
    • Validates video submissions for physical tasks like drinking water or exercising.
  3. 🌐 AWS Amplify Hosting:
    • Hosts the game, ensuring it’s reliable and accessible to players.
  4. 📦 Amazon S3:
    • Stores game assets and user-submitted videos.
  5. 📊 Amazon DynamoDB:
    • Tracks player progress and leaderboard scores.
  6. ⚡ AWS Lambda and API Gateway:
    • Processes game data and manages backend functionality.
  7. 📈 Amazon CloudWatch:
    • Monitors game performance to keep everything running smoothly.

What Makes "Meggem" Unique?

  • 🌍 Real-World Impact: It’s more than a game; it’s a tool to encourage better habits.
  • 💡 Engaging Challenges: Every task ties back to meaningful self-improvement.
  • 🎉 Fun and Accessible: With simple gameplay and relatable tasks, anyone can enjoy and benefit from it.

Lessons Learned

As someone diving into AWS for the first time, I learned how powerful these tools can be. Whether it was validating videos with Rekognition or hosting the game with Amplify, AWS made it easy to turn my idea into reality. Sure, there was a learning curve, but that’s half the fun of building something new!

Final Thoughts on "Meggem"

"LevelUp Life" is a passion project that combines gaming, self-improvement, and technology in a way that feels fresh and exciting. It’s been a journey of learning, experimenting, and creating, and I’m thrilled to share it with the AWS community. If you’re inspired, I encourage you to take part in the AWS Game Builder Challenge and see where your ideas can take you. Let’s build better habits and have fun doing it! 🚀
 
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