JINX! -                                        JAN 2019

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My Role: Designer, Engineer

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To create Jinx!, I self-taught Node.Js. It took me about two days.

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Jinx! is a Twitter bot that is constantly patrolling Twitter for two users who tweet with the exact same hashtag at the exact same time. If it finds two users who meet these conditions, it tells them they've won! 

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The hope was to create a game along the lines of the popular folk game "The Game" which is played all the time by people who are unaware that they are playing. 

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My biggest gripe with "The Game," is that whenever one becomes aware they are playing, they are met with the negative feedback of losing. Jinx! works the opposite way, in that the vast majority of users are unaware they are playing until they have won!

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Jinx! was designed with the central question, "is it possible to build a game that breaks Huizinga's "Magic Circle"?

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I'm proud of Jinx! because I think it proves that it is possible. Jinx!  breaks the "Magic Circle" by pervading into the real world - people, as long as they are using Twitter, are always playing Jinx! even though they are unaware of it.

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Additionally, I'm proud of Jinx! because it rewards players for the sake of being rewarded. I think the world can be harsh, and it's beyond important to have little, unexpected, moments of joy.

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Follow Jinx! on Twitter here: @JinxTheGame