Project Story: Balance

Inspiration

Among the powerful goals within UN SDG-5 (Gender Equality), the advocacy for recognizing and valuing unpaid care and domestic work, and promoting shared responsibilities, resonated deeply with me. As a South Asian, I’ve been fortunate to have a family that encouraged me to see beyond gender-based limitations. This project is a tribute to my mother and countless others like her who bravely carry the weight of household responsibilities. It’s my way of saying, "We see you, we thank you, and we are committed to sharing the load."

What It Does

Building on insights from previous hackathons, I realized how effective games can be in breaking down complex concepts. I wanted to create a game that could both educate and foster empathy around the often invisible work of household caregiving.

In the game, players are introduced to a couple (man and woman) and their background story, then presented with a list of household chores to be divided. The player drags and drops images of chores next to either the man or the woman, aiming to distribute the workload equally. At any point, the player can click the “Complete Story” button, generating an ending to the story based on the player’s choices. They can adjust chores and regenerate a story to see a different outcome or start a new scenario with a new couple.

This interactive setup lets players see the impact of shared responsibilities and helps them understand the value of equitable partnerships in everyday life.

How I Built the Project

The project was brought to life using:

• Kivy for building the interactive game interface.
• Gemini API to add narrative depth, dynamically generating story.
• Gemini as a resource for debugging and brainstorming throughout development.
• Gemini AI Studio to test prompts and develop game elements.
• Python as the primary programming language.

Each step involved integrating Gemini’s AI capabilities to generate unique storylines and character interactions, making the game feel responsive to the player’s decisions. This approach immerses players in real-life scenarios, encouraging them to reflect on the significance of sharing household responsibilities.

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges was learning to debug errors in Kivy—a platform I hadn’t used before this project. Debugging Kivy’s complex interface and managing real-time API responses were key hurdles, especially as I aimed to maintain smooth, immersive gameplay.

Handling failed responses in a live game environment presented additional challenges; I needed to display details without lag to preserve user engagement. Ultimately, overcoming these challenges taught me new debugging techniques and ways to optimize performance for a better user experience.

Accomplishments I’m Proud Of

This project isn’t just a game; it’s a means of building empathy and sparking conversation. By putting players in the shoes of someone managing household responsibilities, it highlights the often unseen work of caregiving. I hope players walk away with a better understanding of the need for shared responsibilities, fostering more equitable mindsets in their own lives.

I’m proud to have gained new technical skills, a deeper understanding of gender equity, and to have created a game that brings visibility to those who carry others through their unseen labor.

What I Learned

This project was a deep dive into Kivy and the possibilities of AI-driven narrative in games. Tutorials on Gemini AI Studio were invaluable for getting started, and I gained a strong understanding of Gemini’s tools, latency, and context limits. Learning these differences helped me optimize Gemini’s integration within the game.

What’s Next for Balance

Looking forward, I plan to add multiple levels to expand on different scenarios, introduce time and money constraints for more realistic gameplay, and broaden the list of chores. I also aim to make the game more inclusive by representing various family structures, skin tones, and identities. By illustrating the message of equality with a wide range of characters, the game can better reflect diverse experiences of household caregiving.

Built With

• gemini
• kivy
• python