Dino's Last Run: Real-time Interactive Satire
An adaptive AI-storytelling side-scroller where you decide how the dinosaurs went extinct.
Summary
Quick Facts
Solo Project by Shawki
My Role(s): Designer, Developer
Tools Used: Gemini 3 Pro, Vercel
Release: March 2026
Timeline: 5 Hours
Description
Dino’s Last Run is a satirical, AI-powered evolution of a Google cultural icon. By bridging the Gemini 3 Pro with a custom 2D game engine, I’ve created a system that translates human imagination into interactive visuals and narration.
Inspiration
We all know the meteor wiped them out, but Dino’s Last Run fills the gaps with satire. It’s a story-driven exploration of the final moments of the world’s most famous offline icon (The dinosaur from Google's no internet connect screen). I wanted to see if I could use AI vibe coding tools to turn a simple 1-bit side-scroller into a personalized digital tragedy.
The Design Process
AI Logic
Instead of static obstacles, I built a "Narrative Engine" using Google AI Studio and Gemini 3 Pro.
The Input: Users describe Dino’s final day (e.g., "Dino was a corporate lawyer", "Dino was on Hinge", "Dino was in a reboot of 'The Godfather'").
The Processor: The LLM categorizes the input into thematic "buckets" and returns a structured JSON object.
The Output: The game engine instantly swaps the Dino’s accessories and obstacles to match the vibe—turning a run through the desert into a frantic dash through a cubicle maze or a movie set.
Vibe-Coding and Rapid Prototyping
This project was built through rapid, iterative prototyping. I focused on:
Low-Latency Interactivity: Ensuring the transition from text input to game start felt seamless.
Modular Asset Design: Creating a library of 1-bit 2D sprites that can be dynamically called by the AI logic.
Narrative Timing: Mapping the AI’s generated "Internal Monologue" to the game’s pacing, drawing from my background in stand-up comedy to ensure the "punchline" hits right as the meteor does.
Prototype 1
Final Game and User Journey Samples
Final Screens
"Dino was at a rave party."
"Dino was on a SRK movie marathon."
"Dino was having an affair."
Reflection
I built this project as part of a Creative Technologist application, and it was a major milestone for me: my first time coding entirely with Gemini and deploying via Vercel. I’m excited to keep iterating on it—next steps include adding leaderboards, experimenting with multiplayer mechanics (dual-user input, anyone?), and hardening the codebase to make it more robust.