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Collaborative Pokémon over a decentralized network, no internet required!

7 starsPython

MeshCore Plays Pokémon: Collaborative Pokémon, no internet required

by IdreesInc·Apr 24, 2026·3 points·0 comments

AI Analysis

●●SolidNiche GemWizardry

Tile preprocessor makes VLMs accurately parse Pokémon screenshots for 130-char mesh messages.

Strengths
  • Preprocessor replaces game tiles with templates, dramatically improving local VLM accuracy on pixel art.
  • Actually runs on Bay Area MeshCore network right now—no internet required for gameplay.
  • Fits full game state summaries into 138 characters while keeping processing under 15 seconds.
Weaknesses
  • Twitch Plays Pokémon concept isn't new; mesh constraint is novel but limits practical audience.
  • Single laptop server creates central point of failure despite decentralized messaging layer.
Category
Target Audience

Mesh network enthusiasts, retro gaming fans, distributed systems hobbyists

Similar To

Twitch Plays Pokémon · Distributed gaming experiments

Post Description

I recently got into MeshCore, a decentralized LoRa based messaging system with a pretty solid network in the Bay Area, and decided I wanted to try and shoehorn Pokémon into it. PokeMesh is basically "Twitch Plays Pokémon" but over a mesh network. MeshCore only allows for message lengths around ~130 characters and no images, so this projects main focus is turning a live game of Pokémon FireRed into a text based adventure. I use a local VLM running off of an old laptop for the summaries, but the important bit is the preprocessor which makes the screenshots more "digestible" for the otherwise highly inaccurate local model. The preprocessor replaces certain important tiles like doors/grass/items with easier to parse templates which helps the VLM more accurately identify things. I'm sure a fine tuned model would also make things more accurate, but overall it was a fun mini-project and it will be interesting to see if anyone even makes it to getting a starter.

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