Arcana

Accuracy matters more than power.

I wanted to show my kids that software isn’t magic. It’s just a series of decisions you make, one after another.

We built Arcana to test that theory. It’s a trick-taking game based on prediction. You don't win by having the strongest hand - you win by knowing exactly how strong you are. If you bid two tricks, you have to win exactly two.

We used AI to build the architecture, but the soul of the game came from our dinner table debates. We realized that a computer opponent that plays perfectly is actually boring. So we gave them flaws. We built bots with distinct personalities - like Nero, who takes risks he shouldn't, or Aura, who plays it too safe.

It was a lesson in the difference between code and craft. The AI could write the rules, but we had to provide the taste. It’s a simple project, hosted on a quiet corner of the internet, and it’s ours.