Pixel Number Paint Project Report
1. The Concept
Pixel Number Paint is a portrait-first color-by-number browser game for children and casual players. Players choose a numbered color, paint matching pixel squares, watch their progress increase, and reveal a completed picture. The experience is intentionally calm, forgiving, responsive, and easy to start without an account or installation.
2. The Stack
The Stack: One self-contained index.html using vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The project uses local image assets and browser localStorage for per-puzzle progress. There are no frameworks, dependencies, backend services, APIs, build tools, or remote resources.
The AI Assist: Codex supported source inspection, implementation, validation, responsive layout adjustments, puzzle-data creation, documentation, and scope protection against unapproved features.
3. The 1 Day Sprint
Morning (Hours 1–3): Established the single-file game foundation: the numbered pixel grid, palette selection, correct-cell validation, progress tracking, reset flow, completion state, and pointer support for mouse and touch input.
Afternoon (Hours 4–6): Expanded the approved puzzle collection, added Puzzle Selection with independent saved progress, refined the child-friendly visual system, and integrated the approved local logo, banner, star, and paintbrush assets.
The Finish Line (Hours 7–8): Added the Pretty Butterfly as the sixth playable 12 × 16 puzzle, balanced the six-card Puzzle Selection layout for the full-height 9:16 container, and completed the project documentation.
4. The Roadblocks
Roadblocks: The project documents include an original one-puzzle MVP and a later five-puzzle Version 2 scope. The explicitly approved Pretty Butterfly prompt resolved that narrow conflict by authorizing exactly six puzzles. The sixth card also exposed a layout issue: fixed card heights clipped the final row on shorter mobile screens. The grid now divides the remaining viewport height evenly across three card rows. Finally, automated browser access to the local file:// page was blocked by the browser security policy, so code-level validation and static checks were used where live automation was unavailable.
5. Key Takeaways
A strict one-file architecture can still support clear state, validation, pointer input, reusable puzzle data, and saved progress when the code stays data-driven.
Responsive design must account for both width and height. A card layout that looks correct with five items can require a different sizing strategy when a sixth item is added.
My final thought: Pixel Number Paint stays focused on a satisfying, low-pressure core loop: choose a color, paint matching squares, and enjoy seeing a friendly pixel picture appear.