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Show HN: Waiting for LLMs Suck – Give your user a game

read original get AI-Powered Trivia Game → more articles
Why This Matters

This innovative mini-arcade offers a fun and engaging way for users to pass the time during long wait periods, such as when waiting for large language models or other lengthy processes. By integrating simple, colorful, and addictive games into waiting screens, it enhances user experience and reduces frustration, making waiting more enjoyable for consumers and developers alike.

Key Takeaways

A tiny one-button mini-arcade for filling the void while a long task runs (LLMs, builds, uploads, you name it). Every game is monocolor, pure 1-bit pixel art, single canvas, zero runtime dependencies, and shares the same combo / power-up / high-score / achievement framework.

Pick a game with a single prop: <WaitingArcade game="runner" />

One button: keyboard, pointer, and touch all map to the same primary action

Tints to any colour via the color prop (defaults to currentColor )

prop (defaults to ) SSR-safe; auto-pauses when the tab is hidden

Optional localStorage -backed best score and achievements, namespaced per game

-backed best score and achievements, namespaced per game Same component still ships as <WaitingGame /> for backward compatibility

The games

Game id Mechanic Skins Jellyfish Drift jellyfish Hold to swim up, release to sink. Avoid coral & stalactites. jellyfish , octopus , paperBoat Pixel Runner runner Tap to jump, hold for higher jumps. Hop cacti, dodge birds. dino , ninja , frog Gravity Flip gravity Tap to invert gravity. Arc between floor and ceiling, dodge spikes. cube , triangle , diamond Invaders invaders Auto-fires bullets to the right. Tap to swap lane — be in the alien's lane to shoot it, out of it when it arrives. ship , fighter , saucer Rhythm Tap rhythm Notes scroll into a hit zone. Tap on the beat for short notes, hold for long ones. 3 lives. bar , dot , arrow

All five games share the same set of features: combo multiplier, near-miss bonus (or its game-specific equivalent), milestone flashes, tier ramp, screen shake, parallax background, three power-ups, and a five-achievement set. Death model varies: most games are one-hit, rhythm uses 3 lives.

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