An alarm app that only stops when you beat a mini-game
A solo developer built an alarm app where the only way to turn it off is to complete a small game. It's a simple but relatable solution to the habit of dismissing alarms without fully waking up.
Most people hit snooze or dismiss an alarm while still half asleep. This developer's fix: make the alarm impossible to stop until you actually do something that requires brain activity — like solving a puzzle or mini-game.
The concept isn't brand new, but building and shipping it as a finished side project is the notable part. For solo internet business builders, this is a clean example of the 'spot an annoyance, build a small tool, share it publicly' loop — a low-cost way to test whether an idea resonates with an audience.
Key points
- The alarm won't stop until you clear a mini-game
- Forces your brain to wake up before you can go back to sleep
- Built and released solo as a side project
- Classic example of turning a personal frustration into a small product
- Idea is simple — the value is in actually finishing and shipping it
Quick term guide
- build
- A chosen set of in-game abilities or items a player equips for their character.
- ping
- The time (in milliseconds) it takes for a signal to travel from your device to another and back — lower means faster response.
- side project
- A small project someone builds outside their main job or main business.
- business
- An activity where you provide value to others in exchange for money.
- Lean
- Software that rigorously checks whether a mathematical proof is logically correct.
- share
- A server folder made available to apps or other devices.
- persona
- A specific personality or role that an AI agent is set to play.
- Rust
- A programming language known for speed and reliability; OpenAI is rewriting Codex CLI in Rust to improve performance.