IntroductionI chose to have a game with colored levels because I wanted to teach the player between the different colors, more specifically red, yellow and grey. Originally, I was going to have a game centered around traveling between different biomes and trying to avoid large holes in the ground. As a result, I was going to call the game Hole in the Ground. However, I soon realized that this concept would have been too boring for the players who have very short attention spans. As a result, I tried to get the player closer to the action and so I had my 'aha' moment. I decided I was going to create a simple platform jump game, with levels of different colors to make it educational. I still decided to keep the unique environments, for one because I want to share my love of geography to other students as well as trying to value the hard work I had put into designing the environment. I was interested in doing red and yellow because these colors show up a ton in everyday life, such as on signs and in buildings. With the importance of these colors established, I also chose these two colors because they are two of my favorite colors, which made me passionate about using them in my game.
Concept ArtKey FeaturesWhile this game takes elements from numerous parkour levels, I believe it is unique in a variety of ways. First of all, instead of having a clear layout as to where to go like in many parkour games, you have to choose which way to go. This adds in a unique maze element to the game that is not very common in games of this genre.
How to PlayOnce you click the Play button, you will be dropped into the world. You will then have to follow the yellow signs to get to the Yellow Level. You will then jump out of the level as you get a message telling you that you passed it. You must then correctly differentiate between red and grey as you move onto the Red Level. You then jump across the platforms like you did for the Yellow Level. Once you finish the level, go under the "You Win" object and the game will end. If you fall while jumping, run to the edge and jump out of the world to respawn.
What I LearnedWhile creating this game, I learned many things including attention to detail. If I didn't pay attention to every single thing, I would not have been able to produce a playable game. I also learned how to use external sources like the Unity Answers forum to get lines of code when I needed it.
Link to play the game |
Game ThemeAs stated in the introduction, the theme of the game is to teach the the different colors of the world so they know how to follow signals. I chose this theme because learning the difference between the colors not only allows us to receive signals such as when to go and stop, but allows us to know what to interact with and what not to. For example, brighter colors tend to be warmer objects which can, in some cases, hurt young kids. By teaching kids about these colors and how to distinguish them, kids can become more aware of their surrounding and know their importance as someone took the time to create a game about them
How is the theme shown in the game?In the game, the theme of colors is the center of the game. Even the levels are named after colors! The first level is simple with the player just following the red platforms to get to the other side of the pipe. However, the second level is a little more difficult. The player must choose whether they are to follow the brightly colored yellow platforms or the more dull, grey platforms. If the player chooses the grey platforms, they will have to go through a maze of platforms that may or may not lead them to the end. By doing this, the player learns that bright colors are more important since they offer a quicker way to do things than by trying to avoid them, which is a useful thing to know.
Goals and gameplayIn this game, the learning goals and the theme are very closely intertwined. With the game being meant for young children, I chose to make a cartoonish visual style to not overwhelm them with gross realism as some other games do. The learning goals of differentiating between different colors are thus placed in higher importance, as the player is focused on moving through the colored levels rather than exploring the beautiful levels.
Target AudienceThis game is meant for kindergarteners learning the differences between colors.
Technical AspectsTo create this game, I used the Unity Game Engine and 3D Studio Max. The game has no set soundtrack, however the player does make noises as he runs on the terrain.
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Gameplay Footage
Conclusion Statement
I decided to create a game that was educational, but at the same time not boring, so I decided to create a game about jumping between colorful levels that would keep the player engaged while at the same time teaching them something valuable. To do this, I chose to teach kids about the colors, more specifically how to identify red in an environment.
References
“First Person All-in-One: Input Management.” Unity Asset Store, https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/input-management/first-person-all-in-one-135316.