Super Savers Deluxe: Shop Around

Still of intro cutscene.
A prototype look of the game
Wave Community Bank App UI for the game. - Track Progress.
Building the game environment block by block with limited screen real-estate
Still of intro cutscene.
Sample of block-code from gamemaker
Creating the supermarket floor using a web-app
Still of intro cutscene.
Abstract sprite creation in-app
Flowchart of Games Flow

Inspiration

We were inspired by a lot of different media- including the colourful and wacky style of Supermarket sweep. However, we were most inspired by Wave Community bank themselves, as they attempt to make saving, getting yourself out of debt, and hitting financial goals easier for those who would have normally struggled. We wanted to reflect how small personal goals can drive saving and lead to good habits long term, show what Wave have to offer for those looking to start, and give a comical, positive spin on the normally grey and boring representation that Saving has.

What it does

Teaches players:

-How to use the wave rewards app.

-What rewards and advantages wave can offer; such as exclusive deals on brands.

-Different ways to save, from product choice to rewards programs

-It gamifies the idea of saving, making saving a less daunting task, and teaching financial literacy without people even realising.

-Encourages people to consider decisions that would usually be automatic and promotes mathematical and financial literacy in the form of real-world problem solving.

Most importantly, it teaches the importance of saving! It starts with just a pound and grows exponentially. We decided against adding lootbox style mechanics because it would be too close to glamourising gambling

How we built it

Undertaking a mix of game work and cutscene design, we collaborated to make a first pass of the intro cutscene and initial gameplay elements of the game in GameMaker. Combining our different skills, we made a 'kit-bashed' prototype that serves as a positive look on saving.

Challenges we ran into

Initially, we were a team of 4- but due to medical issues, 2 members had to withdraw from partaking. As a result, we had to focus in to condense scope in order to make an achievable goal for the remaining members.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are incredibly proud to have been able to produce the first pass of a 01:40 long intro cutscene, that not only serves as a narrative introduction for the game, but also as its own standalone story of starting a savings journey.

What we learned

Lain learned the entire game maker studio platform development, including it's visual based programming, coding objects into an environment, and having them interact in different ways- with zero experience with the software previously! Overall we learned how to collaborate under pressure, more interesting facts about financial literacy, and how to look positively at saving ourselves!

What's next for Super Savers Deluxe: Shop Around

We would really like to continue the game, should we have the opportunity to! We would like to refine the artwork and unify they style to make it coherent to the user.

Future levels and functions could include more in depth problem solving that illuminates issues around shrinkflation, and deals that don't actually save you money.

We also considered adding features like a happiness meter to highlight the importance of balance in all things; self-care might have to come before meeting savings goals sometimes, and that's okay!