Archivum Project Report
- The Concept
Archivum — The Living Library is an offline trivia RPG where players answer questions to build and preserve a magical archive. Correct answers provide knowledge, XP, collectibles, and streak rewards, while incorrect answers and neglected subjects can damage or destroy archive items. The project was selected to test whether an AI-generated product specification could be transformed into a complete, responsive, and gamified application using a second AI for development.
- The Stack
The Stack: HTML5, Vanilla CSS, JavaScript, SVG, and browser localStorage. The AI Assist: The planning phase produced a detailed handoff.md containing the gameplay rules, interface requirements, technical architecture, and acceptance criteria. OpenAI Codex then implemented, tested, and refined the application based on that document. The project uses no frameworks, external APIs, third-party libraries, backend, or build tools.
- The Development Sprint
Planning: The initial handoff defined the core trivia loop, progression system, archive collectibles, item damage, subject neglect, persistence, accessibility, and responsive behavior. Development: Codex implemented the complete application inside one index.html file. The first version included four subjects and the required gameplay systems. The project was later expanded to 10 subjects, 1,000 questions, difficulty levels, XP rewards, sound effects, SVG branding, and progression tracking. Polish and QA: The interface evolved from a parchment-style layout into a premium “astral archive” design. Correct and incorrect answer animations, confetti, milestone celebrations, responsive layouts, and accessibility improvements were added. Testing covered gameplay, saving, mobile widths, console errors, and horizontal overflow.
- The Roadblocks
The main challenge was balancing the original beginner-friendly, single-file requirement with the growing feature set. Adding 1,000 questions, progression systems, animations, sound, and premium visuals increased the size and complexity of index.html.
Responsive design also required several revisions. Long subject names, mobile typography, header sizing, and loading-screen behavior caused alignment or interaction issues at smaller widths. Browser testing helped identify and correct these problems.
Another challenge was preserving existing gameplay while repeatedly redesigning the interface. UI improvements had to remain separate from reward, damage, neglect, and save-state logic.
- Key Takeaways
What worked best? The detailed handoff document. It provided clear rules, acceptance criteria, and edge cases, allowing development to begin without major uncertainty.
What was most difficult? Managing feature growth inside a single HTML file. The application remained functional and portable, but maintaining a large question library and multiple systems in one file became less convenient. Final thought: With more development time, the question content should be reviewed and expanded with more unique advanced questions. The application could also be separated into dedicated data, style, and script files for easier maintenance—if the original single-file restriction is removed.