Our domain name is: LearnToLive.tech !
Inspiration
We were inspired by the idea of making a game about the stages of grief as an interactive and educational way to give players messages and tools to help heal through the grieving process.
What it does
Each level of the game represents a stage of grief. The obstacles the player has to overcome change with each level. These obstacles are all simple puzzle mechanics designed to be initially confusing or impossible, but eventually are able to be overcome. Messages given to the player range from hopeless and harmful perspectives to ones that will help the player move on. (Accepting that it is not their fault, it's okay to feel upset or angry, acknowledging difficult feelings, etc.)
How we built it
We brainstormed ideas together via Google Drive, Discord, and lots of discussion. We used GitHub and version control to collaborate on the project together, with some of us working on front-end development and some of us working on game functionality. We decided to use Phaser 3 as the engine for our game, along with Webpack and Node.js for hosting our game on a webpage, and programmed in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
Challenges we ran into
A lot of the platforms we tried to use were new for most people in the group, such as Phaser 3 and webpack. Because of this, it took several hours to get the webpack server running and Phaser 3 incorporated correctly. It took a lot of research to figure out what dependencies were needed for our project. Along with this, we struggled with using git. Some branches ended up lacking a commit history with the main branch, so we couldn't merge branches into each other. At first this resulted in a lot of confusion even among the more experienced users. However, eventually we were able to navigate the issue.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Figuring out the issue with the git branches
- Dividing the work among the team according to everyone's strengths
- Coming up with a game concept that is fleshed out and personally meaningful
What we learned
- Advanced our knowledge of JavaScript and HTML
- Learned more about canvases in HTML
- Through failure got more experience with Phaser
- Learned about teamwork in development through a shared git repository
- Improved time management and game concept development skills
What's next for Learn to Live
We plan on adding full functionality for all the levels, fleshing out more of the story, and creating cutscenes in between levels for more emotional impact. The game will follow the player character's journey with grief, so hints about who the character lost and details of their life will be given throughout the levels to make the game more immersive. We will then host the game on our custom domain so that anyone can play Learn to Live! Hopefully, players will come away with more knowledge about grief and coping mechanisms to help deal with a difficult loss.
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