PICNIC RIVALRY · SIX MINUTES TO HATCH
BanaBuzz
The picnic is yours.
The flies have opinions.
Lure flies onto your watermelon. Invite a friend or meet an online rival, then hatch more in six minutes.
No install. No game account. English & Korean.
The iOS app, submitted as 향기리그 for South Korea, is not released.
Additional review information requested by Apple is being prepared.
6 minOne little rivalry
3 mapsBig 3D arenas
1–4Online, AI or local practice
FROM CONNECTOMES TO PLAY
It started with
a fruit-fly brain map.
How does an invisible scent become a movement? BanaBuzz grew out of a project exploring the fruit-fly connectome: a map of connections between neurons.
A separate sweet-taste neural experiment in this project used a reduced network derived from public FlyWire v630 data: 474 neurons and 23,151 directed connections, simulated with a simplified spiking model.
That exploration inspired a playful question: what happens when you change what a fly can sense? Put down fruit, change the scent, and discover how a six-minute match unfolds.
WHAT RUNS IN THE GAME
Sense. Turn. Fly.
Sense again.
- 01Left and right scent signals
- 02Simplified sensory steering rules
- 03Movement and fresh sensory input
The game and the research model are different. Current gameplay does not run the FlyWire connection matrix. It uses scent differences, obstacle avoidance and search rules; its six sensory state values are not six biological neurons. This is not a whole-brain replica or a biologically validated behavior predictor.
FlyWire connectome paper ↗Original neural-model repository ↗Computational brain-model paper ↗
FRUIT. SCENT. A LITTLE RIVALRY.
One watermelon.
A lot of opinions.
Tempt the flies with banana, strawberry and fermented berries. Where you put the fruit changes their path toward your watermelon.
Fill the nesting spots and give the eggs time to hatch. When six minutes are up, the side with the most offspring wins.
Try a match against the AI ↗GET STARTED
Your first match
- 01
Pick a map and a mode
Choose online 1v1 or 2v2. Create an invitation room or enter a code; quick matchmaking starts when two or four real players join the same mode. Solo? Try AI practice.
- 02
Place fruit. Follow the scent.
Select a fruit and tap empty ground between your side and the center. Watch the flies respond, then adapt your next placement.
- 03
Grow your team’s score
Lead flies to your watermelon. Up to ten adults can occupy its nesting slots. After 30 seconds they lay eggs, which hatch 60 seconds later. The most offspring wins.
QUICK HELP
Good to know
Do I need to install anything or sign up?
No install or game account needed. Choose a nickname to play online. An internet connection is needed to load the game and throughout online matches. Refreshing the same tab can restore a valid online room; AI/local practice is lost on refresh. There are no ads or in-game purchases.
Can I play with friends on other phones?
Yes. Choose online 1v1 or 2v2 and share an invitation code or link. The room creator starts once two or four players have joined. Quick matchmaking waits for real players; empty seats are not silently filled by AI. On itch.io, the online option opens this hosted game separately. The submitted offline iOS 1.0 app does not yet include online play.
Why can’t I place fruit?
Choose a fruit, then tap empty ground between your territory and the center. Dragging moves the camera, so use a short tap. Check your remaining charges and recharge timer.
How do I move the camera?
Drag to rotate. Use the zoom buttons or a two-finger gesture to change distance. The camera shortcuts take you to either team’s territory, the center, or a fly.
Why did the game pause when I switched apps?
AI and local practice pause when you switch away; press Resume when you return. An online match keeps running for everyone while your tab is away. Returning reconnects to a still-valid room.
Does this simulate a complete fruit-fly brain?
No. This project began with connectome research, including a separate simulation using a reduced real-data network. The game uses simplified sensory steering rules. Read the research story and model limits.
Can international players join?
Yes: the public web game is open without a game account, with English and Korean interfaces. Join BanaBuzz Playroom on Discord to chat and share feedback in English or Korean. The submitted iOS app is not yet released and currently targets the South Korean App Store.
ALL PLAYERS WELCOME
Let’s make a better buzz.
Right now we’re putting reliable gameplay and real player feedback first. Tell us about a bug, a confusing control, or your favorite comeback. English and Korean are both welcome.
Share a bug or an idea ↗Take the six-minute playtest ↗
Share a match, ask a question, or report a bug in BanaBuzz Playroom. English and Korean players are welcome.