EcoCity

Intro Cut Scene
Plant Defense Intro Scene
Pothole Patrol Intro Scene
Water the Seed mini game
Pothole Patrol mini game
Plant Defense mini game
Waste Management mini game
Solar Panel Tetris mini game

Inspiration

EcoCity was inspired by our desire to make sustainability engaging and actionable. We wanted players to experience the impact of city-level decisions in a fun, interactive way. Our goal was to teach players that small, everyday actions can make a big difference for the environment, while also highlighting female leaders in civic and sustainability roles to inspire the next generation of changemakers.

What it does

In EcoCity, you step into the shoes of the mayor of a virtual city facing real-world sustainability challenges. As you walk around the city, you encounter mini games that reflect problems like potholes, energy inefficiency, waste management, and more. Each mini game begins with a cut scene, where a citizen or worker explains the issue and invites you to help.

By completing mini games, you actively improve the city, turning learning about sustainability into hands-on action. The city features diverse, empowered female characters in leadership and worker roles, promoting gender equity and inclusion.

How we built it

React Native – Cross-platform framework powering EcoCity on iOS and Android.
Expo – Simplifies development and deployment, letting us iterate quickly.
ElevenLabs – Provides realistic voiceovers for citizens and workers, making the world immersive.
Gemini – AI-generated maps and characters bring the city and its inhabitants to life.

We designed mini games, cut scenes, and interactive city maps that integrate AI-generated assets to make the city feel alive and dynamic.

Challenges we ran into

Balancing fun and education – Ensuring mini games are engaging but still teach players about sustainability.
Integrating AI assets – Maintaining consistency in characters and city design generated by AI tools.
Cross-platform performance – Optimizing smooth gameplay and responsive touch controls for both iOS and Android.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Creating a gamified city simulation that makes sustainability tangible and fun.
Showcasing female empowerment through diverse in-game characters and leaders.
Building a live demo that lets players immediately interact with the city, see outcomes of their decisions, and experience real-time feedback from mini games.

What we learned

Gamification is a powerful tool for teaching complex topics like environmental sustainability.
Storytelling and immersive voiceovers significantly increase player engagement and empathy.
Cross-platform mobile development requires careful planning to ensure smooth, consistent user experience.

What's next for EcoCity

In the future, we plan to expand EcoCity with new mini games that tackle additional sustainability challenges, such as renewable energy, water conservation, and public transportation. We also aim to introduce dynamic city events where players’ decisions have longer-term consequences, allowing them to see the real impact of their actions over time. To further engage players, we hope to add a leaderboard and achievement system that encourages collaboration and rewards players for making EcoCity a greener, more equitable, and more empowered city for all.