start screen
blender arcade models
the squad!!
exploring user input w/ an Arduino
working on the platformer!

Tracks: -Game Jamathon -Best Health/Environmental Hack -Best Educational Hack

Rainforest Rushhhhh 🦜🌳

Inspiration

We lose 27 soccer fields of rainforest every minute. Behind these statistics are real animals losing their homes. We wanted players to experience deforestation through the eyes of wildlife - making environmental issues personal and immediate through Big Mac the Macaw's desperate escape.

What it does

Rainforest Rushhhhh is an arcade platformer where players help Big Mac climb through each of the rainforest layers to escape deforestation. As you navigate from the dark Forest Floor to the Canopy, loading screens teach real conservation facts from WWF and World Resources Institute. The game ends with a powerful revelation about the true cost of habitat destruction.

Features:

Unique levels representing different rainforest ecosystems
Educational facts seamlessly integrated into gameplay
Designed for 3 arcade machines with 10-15 minute sessions
Emotional storytelling that transforms statistics into personal experience

How we built it

Engine: Godot 4 with GDScript for game logic
Art: Blender for 3D assets optimized for 2D platformer style
Platform: Custom arcade machines for public deployment
Research: Compiled verified facts from major conservation organizations

Built modular systems for level progression, dynamic fact cycling, and smooth transitions with particle effects.

Challenges we ran into

Blender-to-Godot workflow: Spent significant time debugging asset pipeline and export settings
Balancing education vs. entertainment: Finding the sweet spot between impactful learning and engaging gameplay
Scope management: Originally meant to design 4 levels, made only 1 level to better develop the game overall under time constraints
Arcade optimization: Ensuring smooth performance with visual effects on hardware constraints
Arduino Hardware: Ensuring stable serial communication between Arduino sensors/controls and Godot software integration

Accomplishments that we're proud of

🌳 Seamless educational integration - Intended to place facts throughout the game to enhance rather than interrupt gameplay (for future projects!!)
⚡ Dynamic loading system with engaging animations and cycling conservation facts
📚 Research-backed content from verified conservation sources
👥 Successful team coordination across game dev, 3D modeling, and documentation

What we learned

Technical: Godot mastery, efficient Blender workflows, and performance optimization
Design: How to balance entertainment with meaningful education for diverse audiences
Impact: The power of interactive storytelling to create emotional connections with environmental issues
Collaboration: Coordinating multi-disciplinary development under tight deadlines