josh
6cf5bf76b3
The frontend builds with VITE_API_URL=/api so all API calls target the same origin. Without a proxy rule, nginx was serving index.html for API paths, causing JSON parse errors. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
AI Tycoon
A browser-based incremental/idle game where you manage an AI company from a garage startup to building AGI. Navigate the real tensions of the AI industry: scaling compute, training frontier models, balancing safety vs capability, hiring talent, and competing with rival labs.
Target: 4-8 hour single playthrough | Platform: Desktop browser | Price: Free
Quick Start
# Prerequisites: Node.js 18+, pnpm 10+
pnpm install
pnpm dev
The web app starts at http://localhost:5173 (or the next available port). The backend server starts alongside it for cloud saves and leaderboards.
Tech Stack
| Layer | Choice |
|---|---|
| Frontend | React 19 + TypeScript, Vite |
| State | Zustand (slice pattern, localStorage persistence) |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS (custom dark theme) |
| Charts | Recharts |
| Backend | Hono (Node.js) |
| Database | PostgreSQL + Drizzle ORM |
| Monorepo | Turborepo + pnpm workspaces |
Project Structure
ai-tycoon/
├── apps/
│ ├── web/ # React frontend (Vite)
│ └── server/ # Hono API backend
└── packages/
├── shared/ # Types, constants, formatters
└── game-engine/ # Pure TS simulation (no DOM dependencies)
The game engine is fully decoupled from React. It runs identically for real-time ticks, offline catch-up, and testing.
Game Overview
Four Eras
- Startup (~30 min) — First datacenter, first model, first customers
- Scale-up (~2 hr) — Growth, multiple datacenters, specializations
- Big Tech (~4 hr) — Global operations, regulation, IPO
- AGI (~8 hr) — Endgame push, AI agents, custom chips
Core Loop
Buy GPUs → Allocate compute → Train models → Deploy → Earn revenue → Expand
Key Systems
- Infrastructure — Datacenters across 7 global regions with different costs, latency, and risks
- Research — Tech tree with generation upgrades and specialization branches
- Models — Train, tune, and deploy models with capability scores across reasoning, coding, creative, multimodal, and agents
- Market — Consumer subscriptions and B2B API with token-based pricing
- Talent — Four departments (Research, Engineering, Ops, Sales) with hiring and morale
- Competitors — AI rival labs with distinct personalities that react to your moves
- Events — 40+ events across industry, regulatory, PR, internal, market, and geopolitical categories
- Safety — Tradeoff between capability benchmarks and safety; low safety risks PR disasters
- Funding — VC rounds from Seed to IPO with dilution mechanics
- Achievements — 15 milestones tracking progression
Scripts
pnpm dev # Start all apps in development mode
pnpm build # Production build
pnpm typecheck # Type-check all packages
pnpm lint # Lint all packages
pnpm clean # Clean build artifacts
Backend Setup
The backend requires PostgreSQL for cloud saves and leaderboards. Set the connection string in apps/server/.env:
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/ai_tycoon
Run migrations:
cd apps/server
pnpm db:push
The game works fully offline without the backend — saves persist to localStorage.
Documentation
- Architecture Guide — Technical deep dive into the engine, state management, and simulation systems
- How to Play — Player guide with mechanics, strategies, and tips
License
All rights reserved.