Lil digi is a platformer game where you play as a digitized version of yourself. By uploading a photo, the game creates a personalized sprite that runs, jumps, and collects coins through various levels. The game emphasizes a simple, fun experience with nostalgic pixel art and chiptune music. It's designed to be easily accessible and playable directly in a web browser.
A novel online platformer game, titled "Lil digi," has been introduced, allowing players to quite literally insert themselves into the game world. Utilizing webcam input, the game captures the player's real-time movements and translates them into the actions of their in-game avatar. This creates an exceptionally immersive and personalized gaming experience, transforming the player's physical space into the game's control scheme. Instead of relying on traditional button presses or joystick movements, players control their digital representation by moving their own bodies. Jumping, ducking, and navigating the platformer's challenges are achieved through corresponding real-world actions, captured by the webcam and interpreted by the game's software. The visual aesthetic of "Lil digi" is charmingly simplistic, featuring brightly colored, pixelated graphics reminiscent of classic platformer games. This retro aesthetic, combined with the innovative control scheme, presents a unique blend of old-school gaming charm and cutting-edge technological integration. The game is hosted online and accessible through the developer's website, offering a readily available and easily accessible avenue for individuals to experience this novel approach to interactive entertainment. The core gameplay revolves around the established platformer genre conventions of navigating obstacles, collecting items, and progressing through levels. However, the method of control, through real-world movement captured by a webcam, significantly distinguishes "Lil digi" from traditional platformer experiences and promises a uniquely engaging and physically interactive gaming experience.
Summary of Comments ( 8 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43811736
Hacker News users generally praised the technical execution and novelty of Lil Digi, particularly the seamless integration of a user's photo into a platformer. Several commenters noted the impressive smoothness of the gameplay, especially given that it runs entirely in the browser. Some questioned the long-term appeal or replayability beyond the initial novelty of seeing oneself in the game. A few suggested potential enhancements like adding different character customizations or gameplay mechanics. Concerns about privacy related to uploading a photo were also briefly raised. Overall, the sentiment was positive with an appreciation for the creator's technical skills and the fun, albeit potentially fleeting, experience the game provides.
The Hacker News post "Show HN: Lil digi – play a platformer game as yourself" at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43811736 generated several comments discussing various aspects of the project.
Several commenters praised the project's creativity and execution. One user appreciated the unique concept of using a personalized avatar within a platformer game, calling it a "cool idea." Another commenter expressed enjoyment playing the game and finding all the collectibles. This positive feedback highlighted the engaging nature of the game and the successful implementation of the personalized avatar feature.
The technical aspects of the project also drew attention. One commenter inquired about the technologies used to create the game, specifically asking about the game engine and the process for generating the personalized avatars. The creator responded, detailing the use of the Phaser game engine and explaining that the avatars were generated from uploaded selfies using a machine learning model to extract poses and then applying those poses to a pre-made sprite sheet. This exchange provided insight into the development process and the underlying technology.
Further discussion revolved around the avatar creation process. A commenter noted the long processing time for generating the avatar, to which the creator acknowledged the issue and explained it was due to the model running on CPU. They further expressed their intention to optimize this process in the future. Another user questioned the privacy implications of uploading a selfie, wondering where the images were stored and how long they were kept. The creator addressed this concern by clarifying that the images were stored temporarily for processing and then deleted, ensuring user privacy.
The conversation also touched upon potential future developments and improvements. One suggestion involved adding multiplayer functionality, which the creator acknowledged as a potential future direction for the project. Other suggestions included improving the avatar generation process, possibly by allowing users to customize their avatar beyond the initial selfie upload.
Overall, the comments section reflected a generally positive reception of the project. Users appreciated the innovative concept and the technical execution. The discussion also addressed practical aspects such as performance, privacy, and potential future enhancements, indicating a genuine interest in the project's development.