AI helps me to reimagine core ideas of alt.ctrl games

 

Living in Belarus, I know that due to financial, political, and physical barriers, I'll never make it to SF for alt.ctrl.GDC. Instead of getting upset about it, I've started thinking about how to help fellow alt.ctrl game enthusiasts like me find like-minded people worldwide, play  games online, and—who knows?—maybe even make a little money from it.

Just a couple of years ago, this was simply impossible. Now, thanks to AI, "the ice has broken"! Imagine a DIY alt.ctrl game controller that connects to the internet via your home WiFi router, links up with a Telegram bot, and joins online multiplayer games with other homemade game fans through a  remote game server. This isn't just an abstract idea! Right now, I already have the ESP32 controller code, a Telegram bot, and a working server for a one-dimensional golf game. In a couple of weeks, I'll assemble the controller into a case, and we can start testing it out.