BuddyBot! (b ᵔ▽ᵔ)b

BuddyBot is an AI-powered virtual pet that evolves! Starting as an egg, BuddyBot develops its own personality, memories, and evolution path through real time interactions. I was inspired by virtual pet and browser games of the early internet! I wanted to reimagine it with modern AI by creating a pet that doesn't follow scripted interaction, but learns, remembers, and evolves based on the players choices: ex: there isn't a set amount of XP the pet gets from each action, but Gemini will choose the amount based on what the player does.

It has 5 stages, egg -> baby -> teen -> adult -> legendary!

I am proud of creating a game where each player's experience is unique. BuddyBot does not have a fixed personality or evolution path, the player and AI shapes the outcome. I also loved the idea of combining the nostalgic feeling of classic browser games with AI technology to create an interactive experience to enhance the games!

Features

Players can:

• Feed, play, talk, and sleep
• Create memories that influence future conversations
• Watch BuddyBot evolve from an egg into a legendary pet

Unlike traditional virtual pets, BuddyBot uses Gemini to generate responses, adapt its personality, and create a different journey for every player.

Tech Stack

BuddyBot was built as a full-stack web application.

Frontend:

• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

Backend:

• Node.js + Express server
• Gemini API integration

AI System:

• Gemini acts as BuddyBot's personality engine
• Each interaction sends the pet's current stats, personality traits, and recent memories to Gemini
• Gemini generates responses, updates trust and XP, creates memories, and determines possible evolution changes

Pet data is stored locally so each player's BuddyBot maintains its unique journey.

Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

2. Add your Gemini API key. Copy .env.example to .env (already provided as .env — just edit it):

   GEMINI_API_KEY=your_real_key_here
   PORT=3000
   

   Get a free key at Google AI Studio.

3. Start the server:

   npm start

4. Open your browser to:

   http://localhost:3000
   

Project Structure

BuddyBot/
├── public/
│   ├── index.html        
│   ├── style.css         
│   ├── script.js         
│   └── images/                    
│
├── server.js           
├── package.json        
├── .env
├── .gitignore               
└── README.md