Inspiration!
In today's day and age, it is easy to get distracted while studying. If not studying, just staying focused! Our aid to this is designed to work in tandem with your existing browser session. Our team devised a gamified focus software tool that helps reinforce good focus/studying habits by balancing focus (zen) time and leisure time throughout the app.
What it does?
This game starts with a focus timer that encourages the player to perform their own task, such as studying, while the in-game character also performs a task. Once the timer is up, a player earns coins if they successfully were able to finish their focus window without ending the timer early. There is a hardcore mode where the player can reap higher rewards, for a higher cost. Once they are on the rest screen, a player can seek many things for a mental rest: read a fun joke, check their stats, and see their penguin collection. Once the player is ready to start the focus cycle again, they are presented with the opportunity to purchase an egg through the gacha-like mechanic. The player continues this loop until they choose to pause or exit the app.
How we built it!
We built the front end using JavaScript components to create each respective page. Accounts are handled by an external database powered by Supabase, These accounts store the player's account information as well as the amount and types of penguins they collected. The pixel art assets were created using Aseprite and ideation with Piskel. We drew inspiration from many existing RPGs and expecially from TechHack Valley's very own hackathon website!
Challenges we ran into...
We had originally started using Phaser, a JS game engine to build our game, but afterwards, we decided to use JS as it was simpler to understand and had more ample documentation.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We showed up. We plan on showing out, but we had fun building this project and learning more about the psychological frameworks to design our game and enhance and improve the welfare of our player (the user). We all are new to VGDev. so this was quite the challenge for us to come together and build a working game! The ideation phase was one of the most fun phases and we had the good problem of coming up with too many ideas, which can be a hidden "Think Tank" IRL achievement.
What we learned...
As a team, we learned that Git dependencies are highly important. We learned how to function as a SWE team and really manage our code base while also documenting our design decisions. Determining the requirements prior was difficult since we weren't fully unified on the theme at first. So, we switched gears appropriately in order to fulfill Tech(Hack) Valley's theme and create a meaningful gamified tool that is user-friendly and relaxing!
What's next for the team of Focus Farmer?
First off, coin balancing (focus/study time earns a defined amount of coins; basically, a more balanced focus-economy without egg inflation happening over and over). Then some UI changes, for user customisability, e.g., BGM track selection, a gallery to display the penguins obtained by rarity and sorting view-options, character unlocks, animals besides adorable penguins, self-care features/reminders, and more! Andrew drew up some cute penguins, but we were so focused on the how that we forgot to ask the why, including the lore on penguins! Global warming ain't easy on us, same goes for the penguins, and that's why the farmer's helping them out in current affairs. Lastly, we focused a lot on this VGDev project, but we need to remember to rest in this grindset world and take the time for self-care. We focus-farmed, now it's time to reap the rewards with some good rest.
Before you venture off, check out our story and walkthrough found here.
Built With
- aseprite
- css3
- extension
- html5
- javascript
- supabase
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