TheFlames
The paper-and-pencil FLAMES game every Indian schoolkid knows — two names in, shared letters crossed out, and the leftover count cycles F-L-A-M-E-S until one destiny remains. An old hobby idea, finally finished as a small, fast, free web toy.
Role
Design + build, solo
Stack
Next.js · TS · Framer Motion
Status
Live · free · no account
Scope
Small toy, production care
01 · Premise
IndexChapter 01
Premise
FLAMES compares two names to reveal one of six playful outcomes. It is nostalgia, computed: the classic notebook game rebuilt so it runs instantly, works on a phone, and shares cleanly — without losing the hand-counted ritual that made it fun.
- FFriends
- LLove
- AAffection
- MMarriage
- EEnemies
- SSiblings
Chapter 02
Why rebuild it
This was one of the first playful projects I wanted to build, but it sat unfinished for years. Shipping it properly became the point: take a tiny memory-lane idea and give it the same care I would give a serious product — TypeScript, proper SEO, responsive motion, and a result flow that feels playful without becoming noisy.
Chapter 03
Play it
Step through the elimination the way it worked in the back of a notebook: cross the shared letters, count what remains, then run the F-L-A-M-E-S countdown. Everything below happens on your device.
- 1. Names
- 2. Cross shared letters
- 3. Count what is left
- 4. Run F·L·A·M·E·S
- 5. Result
Chapter 04
Auto and manual
Automatic mode does the counting instantly with an animated reveal — the quick hit. But there is a Manual Mode that lets you cross out the shared letters yourself and walk the count step by step. The point of the app is the ritual, not just the result.
- Auto mode — instant animated reveal for the quick answer.
- Manual mode — cross out letters yourself and count it down, notebook-style.
- Anonymous global charts, plus share and download options for results.
Chapter 05
Privacy
There is no account wall. Names are used to calculate the result in the moment; the site keeps only anonymous statistics for its charts and trends, not personal profiles. The interactive explainer on this page goes further — it runs entirely in your browser and sends nothing at all.
Lessons
What it taught me
- Playful software still deserves production-grade care.
- The ritual is the product — the manual mode matters more than the instant answer.
- Privacy is a feature you can state plainly: “names stay on your device”.