Inspiration
My inspiration for creating CityBlitz was getting lost in Ottawa TWO SEPARATE TIMES on Friday. Since it was my first time in the city, I honestly didn't know how to use the O-Train or even whether Ottawa had buses in operation or not. I realized that if there existed an engaging game that could map hotspots in Ottawa and ways to get to them, I probably wouldn't have had such a hard time navigating on Friday. Plus, I wanted to actively contribute to sustainability, hence the trophies for climate charities pledge.
What it does
CityBlitz is a top-down pixelated roleplay game that leads players on a journey through Ottawa, Canada. It encourages players to use critical thinking skills to solve problems and to familiarize themselves with navigation in a big city, all while using in-game rewards to make a positive difference in sustainability.
How I built it
- Entirely coded using Javax swing
- All 250+ graphics assets are hand-drawn using Adobe Photoshop
- All original artwork
- In-game map layouts copy real-life street layouts
- Buildings like the parliament and the O-Train station are mimicked from real-life
- Elements like taxis and street signs also mimic those of Ottawa
Challenges I ran into
Finding the right balance between a puzzle RPG being too difficult/unintuitive for players vs. spoonfeeding the players every solution was the hardest part of this project. This was overcome through trial and error as well as peer testing and feedback.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Over 250 original graphics, a fully functioning RPG, a sustainability feature, and overall gameplay.
What I learned
I learned how to implement real-world elements like street layouts and transit systems into a game for users to familiarize themselves with the city in question. I also learned how to use GitHub and DevPost, how to create a repository, update git files, create a demo video, participate in a hackathon challenge, submit a hackathon project, and pitch a hackathon project.
What's next for CityBlitz
Though Ottawa was the original map for CityBlitz, the game aims to create versions/maps centering around other major metropolitan areas like Toronto, New York City, Barcelona, Shanghai, and Mexico City. In the future, CityBlitz aims to partner with these municipal governments to be publicly implemented in schools for kids to engage with, around the city for users to discover, and to be displayed on tourism platforms to attract people to the city in question.
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