This Vape-Powered Tamagotchi Pet Dies If You Stop Puffing: NYC-based creators

This Vape-Powered Tamagotchi Pet Dies If You Stop Puffing:

NYC-based creators Rebecca Xun and Lucia Camacho introduced the “Vape-o-Gotchi” at an NYU Hackathon.

It’s a Tamagotchi-style digital pet that survives only if you keep vaping.

Originally designed to discourage nicotine use by guilt-tripping users with a dying pet, the project took a turn for the diabolical when the duo decided it would be “funnier to be evil.”

So now, instead, the device rewards puffing playing into absurd tech culture and the gamification of habits.

Built with hobby electronics, 3D-printed parts, and $80 worth of vape hardware, the prototype is both clunky and oddly charming — an egg-shaped device with a needy digital critter and wires spilling from its shell.

While the concept is rooted in satire, it reflects a deeper commentary on tech, addiction, and self-control.

With Xun’s background in software and Camacho’s experience in hardware (including a stint at defense tech firm Anduril), the pair engineered a fully functional prototype that could evolve into a tool for either harm or help.

They still hope to add a “good mode” that limits use, but for now, the Vape-o-Gotchi remains a bizarre digital companion that thrives on your worst impulses.