The Little Hamster
An educational game made in unity, encourage players to engage in healthier eating habits.
Timeline
48 hours
Team
Personal Project
My Role
Game Designer
UI Artist
Developer(C*)
Tools Used
Unity
Adobe Illustrator
Cinema 4D
Intro
The Little Hamster is a Unity-based game designed to promote healthy eating habits through engaging gameplay. As a designer new to Unity, creating this game was an exciting and educational journey focused on integrating design principles to encourage positive dietary choices.
Problem
The challenge was to use game design elements to address emotional/stress eating by fostering a positive association between healthy foods and a sense of accomplishment, thereby influencing players' dietary decisions.
Goal
Create an immersive and enjoyable Unity-based game that gamifies the transition from consuming junk food to embracing healthier dietary choices, reflecting users' eating habits and encouraging positive behavioral shifts."
Final Outcome
Game Mechanics
Incorporated game elements that mirrored real-life food choices, with junk food items serving as obstacles and healthy foods as collectibles.
User-Centric Controls
Designed intuitive WASD key controls for seamless navigation, ensuring an immersive and user-friendly gaming experience
Iteration
Usability Testing and Improving
I had 10 awesome players dive into "The Little Hamster," giving us fantastic feedback on their gaming and foodie adventures! They loved the gameplay but wanted clearer signs to tell the healthy snacks from the not-so-healthy ones.
What I learned
Unity Design Exploration
Crafting "The Little Hamster" within Unity was an immersive journey, enabling me to grasp game development intricacies while aligning design concepts with interactive experiences. Learning Unity's tools and workflows aligned with the goal of integrating design principles into gameplay effectively.
User-Centric Impact and Iterative Evolution
The project aimed to associate success with healthy eating through intuitive controls, positive reinforcement, and emotional connections in the game. It highlighted the potential of design-driven gamification in nudging users towards healthier dietary choices. Iterative improvements based on user feedback aimed to influence player behavior positively, aligning with the ultimate goal of fostering healthier lifestyles through engaging design choices.