OpenAI 2026 hackathon

The Tenth Witness: Moonshadow Manor

Move the flashlight. Read what the manor erased. Survive ten rooms where every clue invites the thing watching you.

Solo project by TAEHOON KIM · 0 likes · 0 comments

Archive position — measured, not model output

0 likes on Devpost

2,264 of the 7,856 archived projects have more likes, and 5,592 share exactly 0 — so this project's #7,258 place in the like-ranked listing is a tie-break inside that group, not a ranking.

Projects (log scale)

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Likes on Devpost. ▲ marks this project's group.

Show the figures
LikesProjectsShare of archive
05,59271.2%
11,75822.4%
22853.6%
3–41321.7%
5–9751.0%
10+140.2%
Devpost like counts for all 7,856 archived projects, captured when this archive was built.

Executive Summary

The Tenth Witness: Moonshadow Manor is a self-reported point-and-click psychological horror game for desktop and mobile browsers, built as a hackathon submission by one developer (TAEHOON KIM). The project description states it uses semantic HTML, CSS3, vanilla JavaScript, and Codex with GPT-5.6 in its development process. It is described as a bilingual (Korean/English) game with ten rooms, each containing physical clues and supernatural encounters tied to player actions. The author claims the game was built entirely using AI tools like Codex and GPT-5.6, without runtime calls to OpenAI models.

Key commercial due-diligence read: There is no evidence of revenue, customers, or traction beyond the self-reported project description. The game appears to be a prototype or proof-of-concept submitted for a hackathon, with no indication of commercial viability, market demand, or monetization strategy.

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What The Product Actually Is

The description states that The Tenth Witness: Moonshadow Manor is:

  • A bilingual point-and-click psychological horror game
  • For desktop and mobile browsers
  • Built using semantic HTML, responsive CSS3, vanilla JavaScript
  • Developed with Codex and GPT-5.6 (not running OpenAI models during gameplay)
  • Contains ten distorted rooms where players guide four teenage characters through puzzles involving flashlight-based discovery and physical clues

The game is described as having:

  • 40 ordered interactions across 10 rooms
  • 30 separate clue props
  • 10 physical keys
  • 10 code locks
  • 10 required sightings
  • A final iron gate that opens upon completion

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Positioning & Claim Evolution

The description states the author's original idea was to have four teenagers enter an abandoned manor for a courage test, but the photograph at the gate contains a fifth child they don't remember. The project evolved from:

  • An early prototype relying heavily on frequent jumpscare mechanics
  • A rebuilt experience focused on deliberate rhythm: silence, voluntary action, physical clue, impossible change, decisive encounter

The author claims this rhythm became the story, where "the manor is not merely haunted. It is erasing a girl from photographs, names, and memories."

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Target Customer & ICP

Not evidenced. The description does not state who the target customer or ideal customer profile (ICP) is beyond the general audience of psychological horror game players.

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Business Model & Pricing Evidence

Not evidenced. There is no mention of pricing, monetization strategy, revenue model, or any commercial aspect beyond the fact that it's a game submitted to a hackathon.

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Technical & Delivery Signals

The description states:

  • Built with semantic HTML, responsive CSS3, vanilla JavaScript
  • Uses data-driven architecture separating story elements from runtime
  • Implements flashlight mechanics using pointer/touch position, radial mask, brighter room copy, proximity-based glints
  • Evidence inspector supports rotation, zoom, flip, saved camera state
  • Audio system uses Web Audio under HTTPS with stereo panning and distance filtering
  • Hosted as HTTPS web application with server-side judge access gate
  • Localization includes UI, dialogue, accessibility labels, clue descriptions, answer aliases, and embedded text in clue images

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Traction & Maturity Signals

Not evidenced. The description does not provide any data on user engagement, downloads, retention, or usage metrics beyond the fact that it's a hackathon submission.

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Competitive Context

Not evidenced. No information is provided about competitors, market positioning, or competitive landscape.

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Key Risks & Red Flags

  • The project is described as a hackathon submission with no evidence of commercial traction or revenue
  • The author states they are the only team member (1 person)
  • The game uses Codex and GPT-5.6 for development but does not call OpenAI models during gameplay, suggesting limited AI integration in final product
  • No mention of monetization strategy, user acquisition, or business model beyond being a game
  • The project appears to be a prototype rather than a finished commercial product

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Diligence Questions To Ask The Founders

  1. What is the intended monetization strategy for this game?
  2. Are there any plans for commercial distribution or sales channels?
  3. How does the team plan to scale beyond a single-person development effort?
  4. What are the specific user acquisition and marketing plans?
  5. Is there any intention to expand the game beyond its current scope (e.g., additional rooms, features)?
  6. What is the long-term vision for this project beyond the hackathon submission?

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Investment/Partnership Verdict

Not evidenced. There is no evidence of any investment or partnership activity related to this project beyond it being a hackathon submission. The description does not indicate any commercial traction, revenue, or business development activities that would suggest an investment opportunity or partnership potential.

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Source

Submitted to the OpenAI 2026 hackathon on Devpost. Project home on DevPost.

The analysis above was generated by a language model from the project's own one-line description. It is not independent research and contains no verified traction, revenue or customer data.