Front cover of our game.
CONCEPTION AND DESIGN
My project concept was to highlight the importance of communication. Initially, my partner and I planned to create a game similar to the “Bomb game,” where players would collaboratively strategize to solve each case. However, during trials with our testers, we noticed that it was easy for them to see each other’s controllers, which defeated the purpose of collaborative problem-solving. Consequently, we decided to introduce a barrier between the testers to emphasize the importance of communication. During our user testing sessions, the feedback we received suggested making the games more challenging than our original plan. We ultimately planned a total of six games, with three displayed on each of the two screens. The controllers are connected to the opposite side of the tester, necessitating communication. Players must describe the directions and what they see on their screen to help an alien escape. We chose to use a cute alien character to convey innocence and appeal to both children and adults, as aliens are a widely recognized and enjoyable theme.
For starters, we drew out our plan (what type of games we wanted to include).
We wanted to try laser the cardboard first for practice.
After carefully reviewing the measurements we started to laser cut.
FABRICATION AND PRODUCTION
Using the hot clue we started to assemble and test it out by inputting the controllers.
Alien head 3D printed: Hour 1.45 mins. After it was done printing I spray painted it green.
For me, the most significant steps in our project process were definitely the coding stages. Coding proved to be generally difficult, requiring us to navigate through numerous trials and errors. Overcoming these challenges marked a significant milestone for us. Additionally, we decided to include sounds, which I believe showcased a great improvement. It made us realize how far we’ve progressed in terms of coding proficiency. I’ve also made GIF myself and drew all of the components that goes into the game like the visual representation.
In line with our goals, we aimed to prioritize the interaction between the motors and the testers. Our objective was to ensure that testers felt engaged not only with their opposite partners but also with the controllers themselves. The materials that we mainly used for our controllers included a joystick, number pad, slider sensor, buttons, toggle switches, and potentiometer.
Inside of the Red Controller
Inside of the Purple Controller
Once the controller boxes were fabricated, the next step was wiring the components to the Arduino board. While not overly complex, this process required considerable time and effort to ensure proper wire placement and organization. A significant challenge arose from the cardboard mounts we had created to support some of the controls within the box. These mounts were crucial for securing the controls against the lid while allowing it to open smoothly, necessitating careful navigation of the wires through them. Creative solutions were employed to ensure both functionality and connectivity to the Arduino board.
Upon completing the controllers, we transitioned to developing the individual puzzles in processing. Initially, we approached coding by creating separate sketches for each game, treating them as distinct projects before integrating them into the final product. This approach helped simplify the task and break it down into manageable steps. Instead of designing all the game graphics within processing, we utilized Autodesk on the iPad to draw various screens. This decision facilitated easier control over different puzzle aspects, especially considering our limited coding knowledge. Minimizing code complexity was paramount to project success, leading us through a phase of trial and error as we revised and edited numerous files to ensure seamless integration.
The red controller was almost done, I added more designs to the controller later.
CONCLUSIONS
Everything was drawn on my ipad.
This shows the process of making the maze.
I worked on Confetti GIF to give the “complete page” more excitement by adding individual layers.
Our goal was to create a game that was both easy to approach yet challenging with communication. Through the interaction of the two testers, we aimed to emphasize the importance of communication. Our audience responded positively to our project, appreciating its accessibility and self-explanatory nature while still fostering meaningful interaction between partners.
Interaction extends beyond engaging with users; it also involves familiarizing testers with the tools provided for gameplay. Given more time, we would have incorporated sound into our project. Unfortunately, we were unable to do so, but we did manage to add sound effects inspired by “Among Us” into our game code. These audio elements complemented our game well, as we found sounds that were relevant to our gameplay scenarios.
Reflecting on this project, we recognize the significant improvement we’ve made. For instance, in our midterm project, WALL-E, we struggled with emphasizing the main theme of interaction between WALL-E and humans. However, in the Save The Alien Game, we successfully addressed this aspect, underscoring the importance of communication.
Final page of the game.
VIDEO
Visual representation of testers playing.
DISASSEMBLY
We disassembled them and returned them safely in the IMA lab.