Final Game Reflection: Part 5 of the project 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IXo4V1V8vv2PUasK3sr17M2NMgsPMaGU/edit#slide=id.p1

Finally, it has come to an end. As much as I enjoyed creating this game, at first, it was difficult for me to understand how to design a digital game. It’s not something I was initially interested in, but the more I understood the process, the easier it became to embrace and enjoy it.

When I first started developing the game, I had a different vision. I wanted to create something about friendship and family. However, after conducting some research and using AI to generate additional ideas, I realized that the scenarios and questions I was planning would be too limited. I then thought that having a partner might help in generating more ideas, and that’s when things started to click. My partner and I tried to find common ground, and we decided to focus on sustainability, linking it to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

After gathering feedback and creating questions, we realized that the game wasn’t very engaging it felt more like reading random facts rather than playing an actual game. One of our friends suggested that we should make it more relatable and relevant to our own lives, which could also benefit others. Reflecting on this, we decided to base our game on health, specifically our personal experiences with IBS and diabetes. At first, I felt uncomfortable talking about these issues because they brought back difficult memories of my struggles with IBS. However, over time, I’ve adapted, and so has my friend with her experience of living with diabetes.This personal connection to the topic gave our game a meaningful foundation. We initially created it on Google Forms, but for some reason, it didn’t feel like a game at all. In the end, we decided to switch to Google Slides, which made the game more interactive and enjoyable, adding visuals and allowing players to engage more.

If I had more time, I would have liked to add more questions not just based on our personal experiences, but also featuring insights from doctors, along with videos or additional resources on how to manage these health issues. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and the constant changes we made to the game, we weren’t able to implement these ideas. Additionally, I would have liked to make the game more digital, similar to BBC game and spent, but this was a highly technical challenge, and we didn’t have enough time to explore those possibilities.

One important lesson I learned during this process is that there are many different scenarios to consider when developing a game. Accessibility is a crucial factor, and I realized that it’s important to make sure the game is accessible to people with disabilities something that often gets overlooked in game design.Working with a partner who had a different perspective was also a challenge. We both had our own ideas, and trying to merge them into one cohesive project required compromise. However, this process taught me a lot about collaboration and how working with others can spark new and innovative ideas.Creating a game is a lengthy process that demands a lot of patience, effort, and attention to detail. Through this experience, I developed a stronger understanding of the time and energy required to bring a game to life. It also helped me become more comfortable with AI and ChatGPT, which I had not been particularly fond of before. However, these tools were incredibly helpful in generating scenarios and automating certain parts of the game development process.

Overall, this project was a valuable learning experience, and it taught me lessons not just about game design, but also about collaboration, accessibility, and the importance of being adaptable.