July 6, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

Brentwood Beat: Brentwood Student Behind AI-Driven “Depicto” Game App

I’m always impressed by all the creativity we have here in Brentwood.  Everyone, it seems, is working on something cool – a new startup, a screenplay, a new nonprofit. 

It has been a pleasure to be able to report on all this ingenuity over the years.

Just recently, I learned of “Depicto,” a mobile app game developed by Andrew Wesel of Brentwood.  

While a junior at Harvard-Westlake, Andrew participated in a “hackathon” and came up with the idea for Depicto.  

Aided by Sam Pulaski, a fellow student at Harvard-Westlake, Mike McGinley, an entrepreneur and teacher at Harvard Westlake, and Greg Kucsan, a professional iOS developer, Andrew released Depicto in April of 2023.

Depicto starts by showing an image produced using AI.  Players are supposed to guess which two-word phrase was used to generate the image.  

The two-word phrases are usually a simple combination of words used widely. They can also be a pun or a play on words. 

The images get posted in the app, and then the user makes educated guesses as to what the original two-word phrase behind the graphic is.

Andrew said Depicto is kind of like “Wordle,” only it is AI-generated images, and not letters, that get the game started.  

In my first try playing Depicto, I saw an image of a guy working late at night at his desk.  There was a window behind the gentleman.  It was dark outside, but the moon was shining, revealing an oil rig off in the distance.

Can you guess what the two-word phrase was?

Right away, I said, “Midnight Oil!” 

Andrew said he was surprised I was so quick with my answer. He said this particular quiz usually stumps people for a while.  

It just came to me. What can I say?

Feeling cocky, I tried the second Depicto of the day.  

The next image I saw was a pig – from behind.  I tried several guesses and finally gave up, humbled.  My beginner’s luck had run out quickly. 

Andrew said he was surprised again.  He said this particular quiz is one people usually figure out pretty quickly.  

Andrew told me the phrase was “piggyback” – and right away, I felt dumb: OF COURSE it was “piggyback”!

Andrew Wesel and Sam Pulaski at the Harvard-Westlake Hackathon. 

The goal of the game is to identify the two-word phrase in as few guesses as possible.  Clues can be obtained along the way, and the user gets six tries. 

Andrew and his team just added a new feature, making the game less of a solo pastime, and more of a competition, with scorekeeping. The group will soon implement an official leaderboard to compare your scores with those of your friends.

We have a winner!

To learn more, go to Depicto’s website, depicto.ai.  An extensive description of the app’s features is available at the app store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/depicto/id6446225252.

Depicto has received 53 five-star ratings on the App Store so far. 

When he’s not working on Depicto, Andrew participates in Lincoln-Douglas debates and science competitions.  In his free time, he enjoys running, biking, cooking, and reading.

Anyone got another interesting story I should cover? Email me at jeffhall@mirrormediagroupla.com

Related Posts

Michael Madsen, Star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, Dies at 67 in Malibu

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Actor Remembered for His Intense Performances and as a Poet  Actor Michael Madsen, known for his distinctive gravelly voice and...

Los Angeles City Council Cracks Down on ‘Disaster Tours’ in Pacific Palisades

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

City Council Bans Commercial Bus Tours in Burn Zone Amid Community Backlash Tour buses that have been operating in fire-ravaged...

Tow Truck Scammers Target Crash Victims Across L.A.: Authorities Warn of Fraud at Accident Scenes

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Officials Urge Drivers to Stay Alert After Collisions as Rogue Operators Demand Inflated Fees  Motorists involved in vehicle accidents are...

Woman Dies After Melrose Store Altercation: LAPD Launches Homicide Investigation

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Critically Injured Young Woman Died July 2, After She was Badly Beaten at Work  The death of a woman critically...

CHP Officer Dies in Culver City Crash: Medical Emergency Suspected Behind Tragic Incident

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Officer lost consciousness while transporting a suspect before crashing into a tree California Highway Patrol Officer Miguel Cano died early...

L.A. Beaches Brace for Holiday Rush: Over 1 Million Visitors Expected This Fourth of July

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

County Officials Urge Beachgoers to Pack Out Their Trash and  Monitor Water Quality More than one million visitors are expected...

(Video) A visit to New York Bagel & Deli in Santa Monica

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Authentic NY Style Bagels with Extra Creamy Cream Cheese and Multi-Cultural Desserts. Located at 2216 Wilshire Blvd. A visit to...

Hot Dogs & Rosé: Something About Her and The Culver Hotel Roll Out Summer Specials

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Westside Venues to Serve Playful Bites and Seasonal Sips For the Holiday Weekend A bold new offering is making its...

NeueHouse Hosts Bold One-Night Dinner With Culinary Phenomenon Diego Argoti

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Acclaimed Chef Brings Culinary Mischief With a Five-Course Tasting Experience. NeueHouse Hollywood will host an exclusive, one-night-only dining event on...

(Video) Legacy, Reimagined: Architecture, Design & Construction by Home Front Build Los Angeles

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Go To Homefrontbuild.com For More Information @home_front_build Legacy, Reimagined: Architecture, Design & Construction by Home Front Build Los Angeles Go...

405 Crash Near the Getty Sends Three to Hospital: Two Seriously Hurt Near Site Where LAPD Sgt. Died

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Early Morning Multi-Vehicle Collision Shut Down Lanes Near Brentwood Three men were injured and traffic was snarled for hours following...

Brentwood School Students Explore Gene Editing with Hands-On CRISPR Workshop

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Science Program Gives Teens Hands-on Experience With Revolutionary Biotechnology Students at Brentwood School are getting a firsthand look at the...

Pentagon Orders Troop Drawdown in LA: 150 National Guard Members Reassigned to Wildfire Duty

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Federal Forces Begin Partial Withdrawal From Protest Response as California Leaders Push Back U.S. Northern Command announced Tuesday that 150...

California Highway Patrol Deploys for Independence Day Enforcement Surge

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

All Available Officers to Hit California Highways for Holiday Weekend As Californians gear up for Fourth of July festivities, the...

Court Postpones Arraignment for Driver in Malibu Crash That Killed Four Students

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Fraser Michael Bohm Faces Murder Charges in Fatal PCH Wreck  The arraignment for Fraser Michael Bohm, the 23-year-old man accused...