Alice^2 in SenHuang-land

Inspiration

Food scarcity is a growing global issue that affects millions of people, yet it often goes unnoticed by those who don’t experience it firsthand. We wanted to create something that not only raises awareness but also helps people empathize with those who struggle to afford daily meals. The idea for our game came from real-life stories of low-wage workers who have to make difficult choices between food, rent, and healthcare. By putting players in their shoes, we hope to spark conversations about food insecurity and the systemic challenges that make escaping poverty so difficult.

What it does

A mobile game that puts players in the shoes of a low-waged part-time worker, struggling to survive while balancing food, health, and finances. The game educates players on the harsh realities of food scarcity and the difficult choices millions face daily. Gameplay:

• The player starts off with two activity points that they can freely allocate to work.
• The player earns game currency through working, which they can use to buy food.
• The player balances mental health and physical health by balancing work, eating, and time with family.
• Both working and eating are rhythm minigames. The player taps with the beat to earn a score that will correspond to their wage and health. ## How we built it We used the React Native framework and Expo to build the app. Typescript and Javascript are used for consistency with React Native. All the assets used in the game including sprites and audio are self-built. Using React Native, we built an interactive experience that balances storytelling with engaging gameplay while ensuring accessibility across multiple platforms. We incorporated animations, state management, and dynamic event handling to create a meaningful and immersive player journey. ## Challenges we ran into When deciding on the technology for our game, we initially considered using Unity, given its powerful game development capabilities. However, we ultimately chose React Native because we wanted to keep the gaming mechanics simple and focus more on delivering our message about food scarcity. Since this was the first time working with React Native for some of our team members, we faced a learning curve in understanding its components, navigation, and state management. It took time to get used to its structure and best practices, but through documentation, online resources, and hands-on coding, we gradually became more comfortable with it. ## Accomplishments that we're proud of We took food scarcity and turned it into an interactive experience that raises awareness in a meaningful way. Seeing our idea take shape into a functional game is something we’re incredibly proud of. ## What we learned Working together as a team taught us the importance of clear communication, respecting each other’s strengths, and collaborating efficiently. We realized that each team member’s unique perspective added something valuable to the project. It was a pleasant experience creating an actual functioning app and game much outside of our school curriculum. It gave us a deeper look into the actual software development industry. Creating a game that is both fun and educational was a unique challenge. We learned how to strike a balance between engaging gameplay and conveying a meaningful message about food scarcity. ## What's next for Alice^2 in SenHuang-land Many elements of the game, such as the inventory system, are still a work in progress. Given a two week deadline, we are happy with what we have accomplished so far. The game definitely needs refinements and polishing, especially better UI/UX and smoother animations for better user experience. Finally, we hope to share the game with a wider audience, whether through social media, app stores, or partnerships with organizations that address food insecurity.

Built With

• javascript
• mongodb
• react-native
• tailwind