Case Study

Algae Cleaner: Tank Sim

DeveloperArtist

p5.js

GLSL

WebGL

Procreate

You are a snail suctioned to the inside of a fish tank. Move your mouse to steer and eat the algae before it takes over — left-click to blow a few bubbles.

Overview: Algae Cleaner is an interactive fish tank simulation built in p5.js where players control a snail eating procedurally growing algae blobs before they overtake the environment. The project combines custom generative art systems, player-driven interaction, and original hand-drawn assets into a cohesive, contained ecosystem.

Open Full Sketch on p5.js

Key Features

Procedural metaball algae growth
Dynamic algae vignette feedback
L-system seaweed with boundary detection
Click-spawned bubble particles
Original 2D assets
Contained tank environment

Gallery

Snail character steering through the Algae Cleaner tank simulation

Algae Cleaner tank scene with procedural metaball algae growth

Original pixel-art fish design for Algae Cleaner

Original pixel-art fish design for Algae Cleaner, alternate variant

Original pixel-art fish design for Algae Cleaner, second alternate variant

Contributions

Art & Design

Implemented a metaball system where algae blobs grow, oscillate, and bridge neighboring blobs with bezier curves to create organic fluid shapes.
Built a radial gradient vignette that grows greener as the algae array fills, providing passive feedback on tank cleanliness without UI elements.
Drew original fish, snail, and environmental assets across a full layered tank scene.

Development

Integrated an L-system seaweed renderer with boundary detection to prevent branches from escaping tank walls.
Added click-to-spawn bubble particles and a persistent snail trail to reinforce the player's presence on the glass.
Wrote a reusable parametric star function supporting straight-edged and bezier-curved styles for decorative particle details.

Impact

Delivered a fully playable, self-contained ecosystem simulation in the browser with no external game engine.
Combined several procedural techniques — metaballs, L-systems, and reactive color feedback — into one cohesive interactive experience.