Arms Race CSAI · Claude 3.5

Core Game Loop and Mechanics

Auto Merge Mania is a merge puzzle game where players combine identical cars to create better, more valuable vehicles. The core loop consists of:

1. Spawning: New cars appear on the grid (starting with low-level 1990s beaters)
2. Dragging & Merging: Players drag cars onto identical cars to merge them into the next tier
3. Progression: Each merge creates a better car (15 total levels from rusty 1990s sedans to brand new supercars)
4. Currency Earning: Merging cars earns coins based on the car's level
5. Upgrades: Players spend coins on permanent upgrades that enhance gameplay
6. Grid Expansion: Start with 3x3, unlock 4x4, then 5x5 grids for more strategic space

Win Condition: Reach the final level 15 supercar (aspirational goal)

Engagement Drivers:

• Satisfying merge mechanics with visual/audio feedback
• Strategic grid management (limited space creates puzzle tension)
• Progression system with 15 distinct car tiers
• Permanent upgrades that meaningfully change gameplay
• Idle-style mechanics (auto-merge) for accessibility

Starting Scope

First Iteration Must Include:

• Complete 15-car progression system (level 1-15)
• 3x3 starting grid with drag-and-drop merge mechanics
• Basic spawning system (spawns level 1-2 cars initially)
• Coin economy (earn coins from merges)
• Core upgrade shop with 5 essential upgrades:
  1. Grid Expansion 4x4 (one-time purchase)
  2. Grid Expansion 5x5 (one-time purchase, requires 4x4)
  3. Auto-Merge (toggle on/off after purchase)
  4. Keep Merged Car (percentage chance to duplicate the result)
  5. Higher Spawn Levels (unlock spawning level 2, then 3, then 4+ cars)
• Visual progression showing car evolution
• Polished UI with coin counter and upgrade menu
• Touch controls for mobile (drag cars, tap to open shop)
• Keyboard/mouse support (click-drag, click to open shop)

Future Iterations Can Add:

• Additional upgrade tiers (faster auto-merge, higher keep chances)
• Prestige/reset system for meta-progression
• Special event cars or limited editions
• Achievements and milestones
• Particle effects and enhanced animations

Game Perspective

Fixed-screen - Single screen view with no scrolling. The entire game takes place on one screen showing:

• The grid (center focus)
• Coin counter (top)
• Upgrade shop button (accessible UI element)
• Next spawn preview (shows what car will spawn next)

Game World and Level Design

Single Screen Layout (720×1280 portrait):

Top Section (0-200px):

• Coin display (large, prominent)
• Shop button (top-right corner, 80×80px minimum)
• Next spawn preview (shows upcoming car icon)

Middle Section (200-1000px):

• Game grid (centered, takes majority of space)
• 3×3 grid initially: each cell ~200×200px with 10px gaps
• 4×4 grid: each cell ~150×150px with 10px gaps
• 5×5 grid: each cell ~120×120px with 10px gaps
• Empty cells have subtle borders
• Occupied cells show car images with level indicators

Bottom Section (1000-1280px):

• Spawn button (large, centered, 200×100px minimum)
• Shows cost to spawn (starts free, increases with higher spawn levels)

Upgrade Shop Overlay:

• Modal that covers the screen when opened
• Close button (top-right)
• Scrollable list of upgrades with:
  • Upgrade icon/name
  • Description
  • Current level/status
  • Cost and purchase button
  • Visual indication of owned upgrades

Edit Mode Design

Players can customize the following in Edit mode:

Grid Properties:

• Starting grid size (3×3, 4×4, or 5×5)
• Grid background color/pattern
• Cell border style and color

Economy Tuning:

• Base coin rewards per merge level (multiplier)
• Starting coins
• Upgrade costs (global multiplier)

Spawn Settings:

• Initial spawn levels available (1-2, 1-3, etc.)
• Spawn cost progression
• Free spawns per session

Upgrade Parameters:

• Auto-merge speed (seconds between merges)
• Keep merged car base percentage
• Grid expansion costs

Visual Customization:

• Background color/gradient
• UI color scheme
• Grid cell appearance

Constraints:

• Grid size: minimum 3×3, maximum 5×5
• Car levels: always 15 (fixed progression)
• Coin multipliers: 0.1× to 10× (prevent breaking economy)
• Keep merged car chance: 0% to 50% max (prevent infinite loops)
• Auto-merge speed: 0.5 to 10 seconds (prevent too fast/slow)

Control Design

Mobile (Touch):

• Drag & Drop: Touch and drag a car to another cell to move or merge
• Tap Spawn Button: Tap the large spawn button to add a new car to the grid
• Tap Shop Button: Tap the shop icon to open the upgrade menu
• Tap to Purchase: Tap upgrade purchase buttons in the shop
• Tap Close: Tap X or outside modal to close shop

Desktop (Keyboard/Mouse):

• Click & Drag: Click and drag cars to move or merge them
• Click Spawn: Click the spawn button to add a new car
• Click Shop: Click the shop button to open upgrades
• Click to Purchase: Click upgrade buttons to buy
• ESC Key: Close shop modal
• Click Outside: Click outside modal to close

Interaction Details:

• Dragging a car shows a ghost/preview of where it will land
• Invalid merge targets are visually indicated (red tint or shake)
• Valid merge targets highlight (green glow)
• Successful merges play animation and sound
• Grid cells highlight when dragging over them
• All interactive elements minimum 96×96px for touch

Upgrade System Design

5 Core Upgrades:

1. Grid Expansion 4×4

   • One-time purchase: 500 coins
   • Unlocks 4×4 grid (7 additional cells)
   • Prerequisite: None

2. Grid Expansion 5×5

   • One-time purchase: 2000 coins
   • Unlocks 5×5 grid (9 additional cells)
   • Prerequisite: Must own 4×4 expansion

3. Auto-Merge

   • One-time purchase: 1000 coins
   • Automatically merges identical adjacent cars every 3 seconds
   • Toggle on/off after purchase (button in UI)
   • Visual indicator when active (pulsing effect on grid)

4. Keep Merged Car

   • Multi-level upgrade (5 levels)
   • Level 1: 10% chance (300 coins)
   • Level 2: 20% chance (600 coins)
   • Level 3: 30% chance (1200 coins)
   • Level 4: 40% chance (2400 coins)
   • Level 5: 50% chance (5000 coins)
   • When triggered, the merged car remains in original position AND creates the new car

5. Higher Spawn Levels

   • Multi-level upgrade (unlocks higher starting cars)
   • Level 1: Spawn level 1-2 cars (FREE - starting state)
   • Level 2: Spawn level 1-3 cars (400 coins)
   • Level 3: Spawn level 1-4 cars (800 coins)
   • Level 4: Spawn level 1-5 cars (1600 coins)
   • Level 5: Spawn level 1-6 cars (3200 coins)
   • Each level increases the maximum spawn level by 1

Upgrade UI Requirements:

• Show current level and next level benefits
• Display cost clearly
• Gray out if insufficient coins
• Show "OWNED" or "MAX" for completed upgrades
• Show toggle switch for auto-merge if owned

Car Progression System

15 Car Levels (1990s beaters → modern supercars):

1. 1990 Rusty Sedan - Heavily rusted, missing parts, flat tires
2. 1992 Beat-Up Hatchback - Dented, faded paint, cracked windows
3. 1994 Old Pickup - Worn out, scratched, oxidized paint
4. 1996 Weathered Coupe - Faded, minor rust, worn interior
5. 1998 Used SUV - Decent condition, some wear, functional
6. 2000 Clean Sedan - Well-maintained, minor scratches
7. 2005 Modern Hatchback - Good condition, clean paint
8. 2008 Sporty Coupe - Sleek, well-kept, nice rims
9. 2012 Luxury Sedan - Premium, polished, leather interior
10. 2015 Performance SUV - Powerful, modern, aggressive styling
11. 2018 Sports Car - Fast, aerodynamic, racing stripes
12. 2020 Electric Coupe - Futuristic, clean lines, LED lights
13. 2022 Exotic Convertible - Rare, beautiful, head-turner
14. 2023 Hypercar - Extreme performance, carbon fiber, wild design
15. 2024 Ultimate Supercar - The pinnacle, stunning, ultra-rare

Coin Rewards (earned when merging):

• Level 1→2: 10 coins
• Level 2→3: 20 coins
• Level 3→4: 40 coins
• Level 4→5: 80 coins
• Level 5→6: 160 coins
• Level 6→7: 320 coins
• Level 7→8: 640 coins
• Level 8→9: 1280 coins
• Level 9→10: 2560 coins
• Level 10→11: 5120 coins
• Level 11→12: 10240 coins
• Level 12→13: 20480 coins
• Level 13→14: 40960 coins
• Level 14→15: 81920 coins

(Exponential growth rewards strategic progression)

Game Flow

Starting State:

• 3×3 empty grid
• 0 coins
• Spawn button available (free)
• Shop button visible

Typical Session:

1. Player spawns first car (level 1 or 2)
2. Spawns more cars to fill grid
3. Drags identical cars together to merge
4. Earns coins from merges
5. Grid fills up, requiring strategic placement
6. Opens shop to purchase upgrades
7. Buys grid expansion for more space
8. Continues merging toward higher-level cars
9. Unlocks auto-merge for idle progression
10. Pursues the ultimate level 15 supercar

Strategic Depth:

• Grid space management (limited cells create puzzle)
• Planning merge chains (setting up multiple merges)
• Balancing coin spending (upgrades vs. spawns)
• Deciding when to expand grid
• Optimizing auto-merge placement

Art Style and Visual Theme

Art Style: Colorful, semi-realistic 3D-rendered cars with a polished, modern mobile game aesthetic. Think vibrant, eye-catching visuals with clean UI design.

Visual Theme:

• Color Palette:

  • Background: Deep blue-gray gradient (garage/showroom feel)
  • UI: Bright gold/yellow for coins, white text, blue accents
  • Grid: Dark cells with subtle metallic borders
  • Cars: Realistic colors progressing from dull/rusty to vibrant/chrome

• Mood: Aspirational and satisfying - the visual progression from junkers to supercars should feel rewarding

• Asset Sizes:

  • Car images: 512×512px (will scale to fit grid cells)
  • UI icons: 128×128px
  • Background: 720×1280px

• Consistency:

  • All cars viewed from 3/4 front angle (consistent perspective)
  • Lighting: Bright, showroom-style lighting
  • All cars on transparent backgrounds
  • Progressive visual quality (rust/damage → pristine/chrome)

Rendering Approach:

• Generate Assets: All 15 car images (complex, need consistent style)
• Generate Assets: UI icons (coin, shop, spawn button graphics)
• Generate Assets: Sound effects (merge, spawn, purchase, level up)
• Generate Assets: Background music (upbeat, energetic garage/racing theme)
• Code Rendering: Grid cells, borders, overlays, text, buttons (CSS/Canvas)