Hostel Buddy
Your Money Game Companion
The problem Hostel Buddy solves
Hostel Buddy is a gamified expense-sharing app made for Gen Z hostel life — where fun is unlimited but money tracking is a mess.
From food orders and cab rides to trips and late-night snacks, students are always splitting costs. But remembering who paid and who still owes? Total confusion. Hostel Buddy fixes that by letting users add expenses, choose who was involved, and automatically split the bill — no maths, no arguments.
What makes it different is the gamified twist. Users can earn streaks for paying on time, unlock badges like “Fast Settler,” and keep things competitive while staying financially responsible. It feels more like a game with friends than a boring money app.
All expenses stay in one place, balances are clear, and reminders remove the awkward “you still owe me” conversations.
In short, Hostel Buddy turns messy hostel money management into a fun, organized, and stress-free experience — because Gen Z would rather earn badges than fight over ₹50. 🎮💸
Challenges we ran into
One major challenge was balancing simplicity and functionality. Expense-splitting involves numbers, multiple users, and different payment situations, which can easily make the interface confusing. In the beginning, the dashboard had too much information on one screen, making the app feel cluttered and overwhelming.
🚧 Key Hurdle: Designing the “Add Expense” Flow
The hardest part was making expense entry simple and mistake-free. I had to figure out how users would select friends, split amounts, and understand the results without too much text.
I solved this by breaking the process into small, clear steps — enter amount, select people, choose split type, and confirm. Using clean layout, icons, and proper spacing made the flow more intuitive.
🎮 Challenge with Gamification
Adding fun elements like badges and streaks without distracting users was also tricky. I handled this by keeping the gamification subtle, so the app stays engaging but still feels practical.
🌟 What I Learned
This project taught me that good UI/UX is about simplifying complex tasks and guiding users step by step, rather than adding too many features at once.
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