Knowing Nature: A Boreal Balance

Gameplay / Systems Programmer

KnowingNaturePlaythrough.mp4

A Boreal Balance is an interactive museum display featured alongside its exhibit in the Michigan State University Museum, and later released on the App Store and Google Play Store. Explore the 3 levels and do your part to understand and help nature thrive.

Since release on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, this project has gone on to be featured in the Smithsonian Affiliates Virtual Conference, where it received acclaim for its message and status. It was also recognized by Michigan senator Elissa Slotkin for it's impact.

Gameplay Loop

• Each level in the game consisted of 3 sections: A warm-up question, based on knowledge from the exhibit, an interactive section, and a call to action.

• With this game being part of the exhibit, users were encouraged to explore the exhibit first to learn about the game contents. The game also offers a tip with each question, letting users know where they can find the answer.

• Each incorrect answer offered users information about their choice, and asked them to go back and find the correct solution.

GIF showcasing the interactive part of a level.

• The interactive section of each level features a few stages: The discovery stage, and the solution stage.

• In the discovery stage, users must click around the locale to learn about each distinct spot.

• In the solution stage, players are prompted to find a solution to the crisis of the level. In this forest level, players must choose which fire can safely be left alone.

• I only allowed users to move forward once the correct choice was selected, and prevented users from moving on if they picked the wrong answer afterwards.

GIF showcasing the 'Take Action' section of a level.

• The third section of each level asked users to take action to reduce their carbon footprint.

• Users were asked to select three alternatives they could perform to reduce their carbon footprint.

• Users must select at least 3 choices to continue. I prevent users again from un-selecting their choice after the inital conditions are met.

External Data Tracking

• For this project, our clients wanted a question users could answer, and a way to monitor those responses.

• I utilized Google polls and stored answers in an external google sheet our clients had access to that listed the time and content of the message.

Snippet of the responses we received through the game.

Screenshot showing the question users were asked at the end of the game.

Code snippet showcasing how we exported the responses from players.

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