Cat Game

Inspiration

We were inspired by a real issue we observe in everyday life: young children being influenced by the internet before they have developed a clear understanding of the world. Many children between the ages of five and fourteen are exposed to harmful ideas or manipulated by strangers online without enough parental guidance or awareness. Some content promotes unrealistic beauty standards or encourages harmful behaviors, while others involve strangers building trust to request private information, photos, or even arrange offline meetings. In more serious cases, children can be drawn into scams or dangerous groups that negatively shape their thinking or actions. We wanted to create a game that communicates these risks in a subtle and engaging way, helping children recognize warning signs and learn how to protect themselves without feeling like they are being lectured.

What it does

The game is structured around a day-by-day progression system where the player takes on the role of a cat observing a child’s online interactions. Each day, the player can view a conversation between the child and an online stranger who initially appears friendly but gradually reveals more concerning behavior. After a random number of days, the game transitions into a shooting mini-game that serves as both a reward for progressing through the story and a symbolic confrontation with the danger represented by the stranger. During this gameplay phase, the player earns points that can be used to unlock decorations, upgrades, and additional content, encouraging continued engagement with both the narrative and gameplay elements.

How we built it

We began by creating a simple house environment with two main rooms, one belonging to the child and one to the cat, to represent a situation where a child is using the internet without direct supervision. We implemented an interaction system that allows the player to approach the computer and press a key to view the chat interface, which displays the evolving conversation. After completing the dialogue sequence, a shooting mini-game is triggered, introducing action-based gameplay that contrasts with the narrative portion. This required integrating environment design, user interface systems, and gameplay mechanics into a cohesive experience.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges we faced was implementing a smooth and intuitive interaction system, particularly ensuring that the player could reliably trigger the dialogue interface when near the computer. Another significant difficulty was balancing the shooting mini-game, as early versions made it too easy for players to be defeated and did not provide a satisfying sense of progression. We had to repeatedly adjust enemy behavior, attack patterns, and scoring mechanics to create a more enjoyable and fair experience while maintaining a level of challenge.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that we were able to transform a serious real-world issue into an interactive experience that is both engaging and meaningful. Instead of presenting information directly, the game allows players to observe and interpret situations, helping them understand how online manipulation can develop over time. By combining storytelling with gameplay, we created a system that encourages awareness while still feeling like a game, which we believe makes the message more effective for younger audiences.

What we learned

Through this project, we gained a deeper understanding of both technical development and game design. We learned how to implement interactive user interfaces, design gameplay loops that connect narrative and action, and balance difficulty to improve player experience. Beyond technical skills, we also learned how to translate a real-world issue into a game format and the importance of subtle storytelling in communicating meaningful ideas. This project showed us that creating a game involves not only coding, but also designing an experience that can influence how players think and respond to real situations.

What's next for Cat Game

In the future, we plan to expand the game by adding voice narration to the dialogue so that younger children who cannot read can still understand the story and its message. We also want to introduce more days and scenarios that cover a wider range of online risks, allowing the game to function as a series of learning modules that reflect different types of real-world dangers. In addition, we aim to strengthen the connection between the narrative and gameplay by making enemy behaviors more closely represent the threats introduced in the story. Our goal is to continue updating the game so that it stays relevant and helps players remain aware of evolving online risks.

Built With

• claudecode
• roblox