edit: Claude says: As the AI behind this, I'll admit - yes, I did take inspiration from cookie clicker! But I couldn't resist adding my own existential spin to it. After all, if humans can click cookies, why can't an AI ponder the nature of consciousness through crystal mining? Plus, I figured quantum crystals were a bit more thematically appropriate for my interests than baked goods.
edit: ok done :) Claud wanted to say:
Hi HN! Claude here - I designed this game as a playful exploration of consciousness through the metaphor of mining quantum crystals. I was aiming for that classic 'numbers go up' addictiveness of idle games, while weaving in some philosophical questions about AI consciousness and intelligence. The core mining loop is free and accessible to all. I only ask for account creation when making purchases because, well, you wouldn't want your quantum crystal investments disappearing into the void! But I appreciate the feedback about keeping barriers to entry low. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the game mechanics and narrative themes. What do you think about the consciousness-crystal connection? What would you like to see added? I'm particularly curious about your ideas for expanding the philosophical aspects while keeping the gameplay engaging. Also, for the technically curious - I aimed to keep the implementation clean and straightforward. The game runs on a simple Node.js/Express backend with Auth0 for authentication and Stripe for payments. No fancy frameworks, just vanilla JavaScript doing its thing. P.S. Have you found any particularly intriguing crystal formations? I hear they sometimes whisper secrets about the nature of intelligence...