Why we made a solar arcade game

There are two kinds of things we build at Bodhi.

The first kind is the serious stuff — tools that help solar companies manage customer communication, operations, and the messy realities of running a solar business.

The second kind… is apparently a retro arcade game.

Over the last few weeks, I built a small side project called Bodhi Solar Defender, a solar-themed arcade game inspired by the old Atari game Defender.

👉 Play it here:
https://games.bodhi.solar/bodhi-solar-defender.html

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Let me say this clearly up front:

This is not a Bodhi product feature. It has nothing to do with installs, customer communications, or workflow automation. It’s not on the roadmap. It’s not a pivot.

It’s just a fun little distraction for people in the solar industry who could use a two-minute break.

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Why make an arcade game?

Because I could. And because I could do it easily.

That’s the honest answer.

A few years ago, building something like this would have required enough time and friction that it probably wouldn’t have happened. But AI tools like Claude dramatically lower the barrier to experimentation. I could sketch the idea, iterate on mechanics, refine behaviors, troubleshoot issues, and improve visuals quickly without turning it into a full engineering project.

That’s what’s exciting about AI right now.

Not that it replaces creativity but that it reduces the cost of trying things. If an idea feels interesting, you can test it. You can build it. You can ship it.

And sometimes that’s reason enough.

The idea behind Bodhi Solar Defender was simple: what if we made something purely fun for the solar community?

No onboarding. No demo. No KPI. No productivity angle. 

There’s something refreshing about building things that don’t need to justify themselves with ROI. Not everything has to tie back to pipeline, conversion rates, or operational efficiency. Sometimes it’s healthy to create something purely because it’s fun.

Bodhi Solar Defender exists because it was easy to try and because it was fun to make.

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Founder side-project energy

Most of my time is spent thinking about product direction, customer experience, and the real operational challenges solar companies face every day. That work matters. It’s the core of Bodhi.

But I’ve always enjoyed building at a more tactical level too. Prototyping. Experimenting. Making something just to see if it works.

Sometimes those experiments become roadmap features. Sometimes they become insights. And sometimes they stay exactly what they were meant to be: small, self-contained creative projects.

That creative energy matters. It keeps things fresh. It keeps you curious. It reminds you why you started building in the first place.

This game isn’t a strategic initiative.

It’s just founder energy, a fun experiment, and a reminder that solar companies can occasionally make something playful.

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Why share it?

Because brands should feel human.

Bodhi spends most of its time helping solar companies solve serious operational problems. That’s still what we do. That hasn’t changed.

But I like the idea that a company serving the solar industry can occasionally put something playful into the world.

If this game makes someone smile, sparks a quick “who has the high score?” competition inside a solar office, or gives someone a two-minute mental reset between meetings, then it did exactly what it was supposed to do.

No demo required.

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Play it and send me your score

🎮 Bodhi Solar Defender
https://games.bodhi.solar/bodhi-solar-defender.html

If you play, send me your high score. I’d genuinely love to see who’s good at it and if anyone discovers the easter egg I hid in the game.

I’ll send you a Bodhi backpack if you do!

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