Inspiration
The idea that every choice you make in life can lead to a vastly different path is huge. In life every decision, no matter the magnitude, can alter your future. Similarly, with this game every unique decision opens up a new storyline and set of possibilities. We wanted to create this game to allow players to create their own journey and be dealt with consequences, whether positive or negative, like in reality.
What it does
You are first given an original scenario. Each time you play, you have a new spawn point. Unlike most things in this game, the goal is always constant. You must reach a rescue helicopter on top of a roof of a hospital. You are given 5-10 turns to select 1 of 3 choices between each story, this number is variable depending on how good your survival skills are. Each choice leads to its own different path. The plot twist is that one choice can lead to instant death, one choice keeps you alive, but you may lose health, the other choice is safest choice, and your health will stay lateral or increase for a great decision.
How we built it
We built our game using Gemini to generate storylines and player choices. Our team focused on adjusting the game mechanics such as the health bar, player status, and inventory. We also adjusted settings and prompts to make the game contain more unique consequences and paths instead of a traditional story game where there are limited paths. There was lots of testing involved in the process to ensure the game runs smoothly.
Challenges we ran into
The main challenge was making sure the game wasn't too easy. When we first tested the game, it was nearly impossible for the player to face negative consequences because the game mode was too easy. We had to adjust it to where the game was mainly played on a hard mode where it's more of a 50/50 chance the player survives instead of it being basically a guarantee.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We're proud we were able to turn a simple idea into a functional game within a short period of time. We were able to create unique storylines for each player and create a game with a meaningful message, being that every choice matters.
What we learned
We learned that combining our creativity with AI is very powerful. While Gemini helped us with the main storylines, we as a team still had to adjust how the stories were conveyed to the player and had to add mechanics to the game to make it a functional and engaging game. Creativity is still necessary to make something function.
What's next for Gemini Zombie Game
Soon, we will look to expand our mechanics. Specifically, adding more story paths, more customization, and new settings to allow for a more individualized experience in the future.
