Bananimon is a caring-focused digital pet game where consistency drives evolution. Create a unique Bananimon from your selfie and a spirit animal, then nurture it through daily care rituals.
- Age & Consent: 13+ age gate with transparent privacy policy
- Fast Account Creation: Play instantly without email (optional linking)
- Selfie Capture: AI-guided photo capture with helpful tips
- Spirit Animal Selection: Choose from 12 curated animals
- Banana Fusion: AI generates 3 unique character variants
- Name & Temperament: Personalize with name and personality traits
- Feed: Timing-based rhythm game (6 pulses, perfect timing rewards)
- Groom: Simple arc-tracing interaction (2 areas to clean)
- Train: Rotating daily mini-games (timing, reflex, rhythm)
- Rest Schedule: Set quiet hours for efficiency bonuses
- 4 Stages: Hatchling → Juvenile → Adept → Kindred
- Bond-Based: Progression through caring consistency, not time spent
- Care Streaks: Daily ritual completion builds streaks (compassionate decay)
- Visual Evolution: Each stage unlocks new appearance elements
- 4 Core Needs: Hunger, Rest, Cleanliness, Mood (0-100%)
- Hourly Decay: Gradual stat reduction with grace periods
- Bond System: Grows through perfect care actions and consistency
- Focus Points: Training builds skills for future battle system
- Node.js 16+
- A Gemini API key from Google AI Studio
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Clone and Install
git clone <your-repo> cd bananimon npm install
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Environment Setup Create a
.envfile:GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key_here SESSION_SECRET=your_secure_session_secret
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Database Setup
npm run setup-db
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Start the Server
npm start # or for development npm run dev -
Visit the App Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser
- Backend: Node.js + Express
- Database: SQLite with custom ORM models
- AI Generation: Google Gemini 2.5 Flash
- Frontend: Vanilla HTML/CSS/JS (mobile-optimized)
- Sessions: Express-session with secure cookies
- Scheduling: Node-cron for decay/streak management
- Users: Account management (anonymous + email linking)
- Bananimon: Core pet data, stats, evolution stage
- Care Activities: Activity logging for analytics
- Battles: Future PvE/PvP system foundation
- Quests: Daily goals and achievements
- Short, Certain, Satisfying: <6 minutes to first interaction
- One-handed, Glanceable: Mobile-first design, big touch targets
- Caring = Power: Consistency beats time investment
- No Pay-to-Win: Premium features enhance experience, never provide advantages
- Splash screen with value proposition
- Age verification and privacy consent
- Fast account creation (anonymous or email)
- Selfie capture with guidance
- Animal selection from curated grid
- AI generation with 3 preview variants
- Naming and temperament selection
- Welcome celebration and first care tutorial
- Check current needs and care streak
- Complete 3-action ritual: Feed → Groom → Train
- Optional: Adjust rest schedule or play practice bout
- Track daily quests and evolution progress
- Days 1-7: Learn care mechanics, build first streak
- Week 2: First evolution (Hatchling → Juvenile)
- Month 1: Develop care habits, reach Adept stage
- Month 3+: Master-level care, achieve Kindred bond
npm start: Production servernpm run dev: Development with nodemonnpm run setup-db: Initialize databasenpm test: Run test suite (when implemented)
# User Management
POST /api/user/create
GET /api/user/profile
# Bananimon Management
POST /api/bananimon/create
GET /api/bananimon/:id
GET /api/home
# Care System
POST /api/care/:action (feed|groom|train)
POST /api/rest-schedule
# AI Generation
POST /api/generate-bananimon
POST /generate-pet (legacy)
- Primary: Teal gradient (#11998e → #38ef7d)
- Secondary: Purple gradient (#667eea → #764ba2)
- Evolution Stages:
- Stage 0: Green gradient (Hatchling)
- Stage 1: Purple gradient (Juvenile)
- Stage 2: Pink gradient (Adept)
- Stage 3: Gold gradient (Kindred)
- Headers: Segoe UI, clean and friendly
- Body: System fonts for optimal legibility
- Sizes: Responsive scaling, mobile-optimized
- Subtle and Purposeful: No gratuitous effects
- Performance First: 60fps on mobile devices
- Accessibility: Respects motion reduction preferences
- Responsive Design: Fluid layouts, no horizontal scrolling
- Touch Targets: Minimum 44px for accessibility
- Offline Graceful: Basic functionality without connection
- Performance: <3s initial load, smooth interactions
- Selfies: Processed server-side, deleted immediately after generation
- Account Data: Minimal collection, anonymous by default
- Sessions: Secure HTTP-only cookies, 30-day expiry
- Analytics: Usage patterns only, no personal data
- Consent: Clear opt-in for all data collection
- Deletion: Full account deletion available
- Portability: Export user data on request
- Transparency: Plain-language privacy policy
- Set secure SESSION_SECRET
- Configure HTTPS (set cookie.secure = true)
- Set up proper logging (Winston/similar)
- Configure rate limiting
- Set up monitoring (health checks)
- Configure backup strategy for user data
- Database: SQLite → PostgreSQL for >1000 concurrent users
- File Storage: Local → S3/CloudFlare for generated images
- Caching: Redis for session storage and API responses
- CDN: Static asset delivery optimization
- PvE training bouts with AI opponents
- Ghost PvP using battle replays
- Move sets based on animal + evolution stage
- Simple 4-action combat with AP management
- Friend systems and visiting
- Care streak competitions
- Community challenges and events
- User-generated content sharing
- Seasonal events and special items
- Advanced training mini-games
- Personality development through choices
- Environmental interaction systems
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.
- Google Gemini: AI generation capabilities
- Unsplash: Animal reference imagery
- Design Inspiration: Tamagotchi, Animal Crossing, Neko Atsume
- Community: Early testers and feedback providers
Built with ❤️ for the joy of digital companionship
"Make a Bananimon that's part you, part spirit-animal."