BargApps

The Apps

Many apps today take people away from each other. We find people staring at their phones, instead of engaged in each other's company. I wanted to create apps that bring community--that engage you with the people around you.

There was also another challenge I was seeking to meet. As I was learning to code, and developed my first app--Song Warrior--I realized that the same design could apply to multiple games with distinct purposes. By changing a few minor details in the code, I could make something entirely new.

With these general principles in mind, I built the four main apps that would become the centerpiece of BargApps:

Song Warrior

Song Warrior was in the world long before it became an app. A friend of mine would often play "the song game," where a group of us would hang out on the porch adding songs one at a time to a playlist, each choice taking the vibe in a slightly different direction. It wasn't a game in the traditional sense, but brought a kind of purpose to the act of listening to the music, something often in the background, out of sight.

I thought of a way to gamify the experience, coming up with a list of about 150 prompts, which I added to a random choice generator. In this way, we would spin a wheel, get a song prompt, and use that prompt in a head to head round, voting at the end who won. Depending on what type of game you want to play, the winner could get a point, or win a bet, or just get a pat on the back. I even envision this game at bars, similar to bar trivia night, where the wheel is spun for all and the bar votes on the winner, who receives a free round. But you can play how you like. (Responsibly).

FutureBob

Magic 8 balls are fun, but may hold a little too much mysticism for some. What if, instead of a magical pool ball, a man from the future arrived, with an antenna in his head, a CPU implanted into his brain, connected to some database where he could reveal events of the future--either your future, or the future of humanity. Between the music, and the glow, and the spinning Bob head, I found this mesmerizing. Even though I made it by swapping out elements of the Song Warrior code, it felt like I had made something unique and fun, and maybe a little more addictive than the kind of apps I had sought out to make. But sometimes we need a little help making decisions, and FutureBob can help with that. When the stakes are low, at least.

Bookworm Bonnie

Yes, I have heard rumors about Bonnie's resemblance to a certain object you may have seen or heard about. But, let me tell you, Bonnie is proud of herself, and focused on the magic of reading. And if she can get you to read, she doesn't mind what you think about her. Book clubs can be magical places, and I hope Bonnie can give you good suggestions about how to approach and discuss the books, with about 50 prompts in her repertoire.

Only FanFacts

Yes, it is a joke. And yes, I do think it would be funny if someone tried to download OnlyFans and got this app instead. That would be on them for not reading the description. With a reasonable collection of facts from various Wikipedia pages about fans, and a spinning fan drawn by my 8-year-old nephew (who happens to be obsessed with fans and other things that spin), this app is not particularly useful. But it's always good to learn something new.

Privacy Policy

BargApps Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Last Updated: May 29, 2025
This privacy policy applies to all mobile apps developed by BargApps, including those above (and any similar future apps released under the BargApps name)

Privacy Policy

No Personal Data Collected Our apps do not collect, store, or share any personal information from users. We respect your privacy and design our apps to function entirely without collecting sensitive data.

No Analytics or Tracking We do not use any third-party analytics tools, advertising services, or tracking SDKs. Your app usage is private and not monitored in any way.
No Account Required None of our apps require you to create an account, log in, or provide personal details of any kind.
Internet Permissions Some apps may include links to external websites or videos (e.g., YouTube, browser-based content). These links are optional and open in a browser if tapped. We do not monitor or record usage.

Terms of Use

The apps are provided "as is", without warranties of any kind.
BargApps is not liable for any damages or losses related to the use or performance of the apps.
You agree not to misuse the apps or attempt to reverse engineer them.

Other Games

Masters of Storytime

As an English teacher, I sought to make games that inspire creativity. The following game--Masters of Storytime--used Freytag's Pyramid as a model for inspiring storytelling. Friends can play together, making up characters together, then taking turns coming up with a story based on a series of prompts.

I designed it so prompts get slightly more intense halfway through the building of the action. This is a codepen project so, in addition to playing the game, you can alter and play with the code.

Vocabulary Ghost Challenge

A similar idea was behind the Vocabulary Ghost Challenge. Players are provided with a word along with the definition, synonyms, etymology, and usage example. They then take turns using the word in an original sentence. Whoever's turn it is when the scary ghost appears and laughs at them loses the round.

Both of these games, to be honest, were created with a lot of help from Chat GTP. I'd communicate with the AI, describe the features of the game I wanted, and keep adjusting and making changes and suggestions. As a teacher, I see a lot of papers written using AI. I think these tools can harm or help, like any tool. They help when they give us a means to expand our creativity, and they hinder when they are a substitute for it. I learned a lot from this exchange, and wanted to learn more about coding. So these projects were a jumping off point down a deep rabbit hole.