Ovaryaction

Inspiration

The four of us share a distinct passion for reproductive health and making information more palatable for better learning. We drew some inspiration from the interactive Mr. DNA character in Jurassic Park and the storytelling of The Magic School Bus. We felt that if we could replicate the same learning experience through an interactive game that the more technical terminology and concepts would be better retained. It also would allow for us to reach a much younger target group, preferably ages 10 years old to 13 years old, which helps teach the warning signs of Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome and could result in earlier detection. We also believe that normalizing female reproductive health will encourage people to discuss their symptoms earlier and without shame, creating an overall better quality of life.

What it does

The current prototype walks the player through the game as though they are an Ova learning about the ovary it lives in before leaving for ovulation. We do this through interactive click-based storytelling and a narrative sprite Ova named Ovi.

How we built it

We intentionally started with creating a storyboard and user stories to better understand the overall goals of the project and critical content that could not be missed if the deadline was not met on time. This included doing in depth research on the structures of the ovary and polycycstic ovarian syndrome.

After completing the research and planning, we started the graphic design of sprites, background images, and scripting. While the more graphically inclined members of the group began with this, the programming oriented members focused on finding a library and language to use for the project. This was divided between the group based on skill.

We settled on using html5, Javascript, and Phaser to build the application, and photopea to create the graphical images.

After creating the functions which load the game, establish actions, and transition scenes, the programming oriented team members constructed an image array to cycle through scenes. We felt this was the most effective way to use our time in order to meet content-based goals.

Challenges we ran into

We found that the use of Phaser was difficult. This was due to the lack of public documentation on the library and outdated tutorials. Although we had a mentor who was extremely helpful in navigating the library, it was still substantially difficult. Once graphics were done the entire team shifted its focus to creating the Phaser-based end of the game. Through a lot of mentorship and teamwork, we found a way to still implement the library without substantial time loss.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are most proud of our code and learning to use new systems, development methodology, and the rapid pace at which we learned difficult and new systems. Shetal Patel was particularly proud of her multi-expression sprite drawings the created in photopea.

What we learned

Of what we learned, the most important was to ask for help from those with more experience and to take calculated risks. While learning languages this quickly and creating sprites by hand were new experiences, they don't hold the same value as learning to understand your abilities within your own skills and seeking help to grow those skills. We believe these skills will be critical to growing into better computer scientists.

What's next for Ovaryaction

We intend to continue development on the project in the future to turn it into a Choose-your-own adventure game which warns of the dangers of not disclosing your symptoms and concerns to your doctor and choosing to ignore the warning signs. This would be presented as paths the player can choose to follow. One path would be to refuse treatment and the ovarian cyst would rupture, presenting the player with the much harder choice of having surgery to remove the damaged tissue. We also would like this to become part of a larger series that focuses on stigmatized reproductive health problems such as Endometriosis, and Ovarian Cancer.

Built With

• html5
• javascript
• phaser.js
• photopea