###### tags: `Uni work` `Games art` `Group Project` `Games for Good` `2D Games Art`
### Games for Good (1J6Z1016_2324_1F)
https://hackmd.io/@Moosa3545/BywtSIYoT

### Game Demo - https://youtu.be/ib9x76a7S4o

### Games Art BA(HONS) L5

# <mark><ins> Nature's Refuge 🍃

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## <ins> Game Concept 🚟

Our team shares a collective interest in 2D platformer games that incorperate fantastical and magical elements. We aim to create a game concept that helps to educate children on the effects of homelessness within society, but also helps to educate about the effects of Hostile architecture and how it prevents people from finding shelter. This game will serve as an educational tool and raising awareness and building an understanding of these social issues.

For our game concept there is a fantastical forest with diiferent creatures and species, but the forest is bought out from three giants who are looking to prevent these creatures from living there. So the player will be exploring the forest environment and helping to take down these hostile architecture to create shelters and homes for the creatures.

Within the game you will collect materials which when collected gives the player facts about the causes of homelessness and the effects of hostile architecture. These in game collectables will help to educated children about these issue. But by also collecting these material you can create shelters for these creatures.

Our target audience for the game are young children so the pegi rating is 7 +.


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## <ins> Project Roles

Moosa - Main character & Environment art assets

Gabriel - npc sprite animation

Lucy - environment assets

Sam - Npc Characters & Environment assets

Mia - Environment

## <ins> Nature's Refuge Story Concept 📜

- In the enchanted kingdom of Lumina Grove, life once flourished among the towering trees and mystical creatures. But the peace shattered when an evil giant, driven by greed and power, ravaged the kingdom, leaving destruction and homelessness in its wake. Now, it's up to you, a courageous and brave forest guardian, to rebuild the shattered homes and provide sanctuary for the displaced creatures.

- As the protagonist, you explore lush forests and strange settings, finding stranded creatures in need of shelter. From fairies to wise old owls, each creature has unique requirements and preferences. You must salvage pieces from the giant's wreckage and use nature's strength to build homes and shelters using vines, branches, leaves, and magic.

- But it won't be an easy process. Along the way, you'll face difficulties and hurdles, from hostile creatures corrupted by the giant's influence to treacherous terrain and environmental hazards.

- As you progress, your effort will not only offer refuge for the displaced creatures, but also unlock new skills, blueprints, and resources to build and enhance your constructions.

- Nature's Refuge is a tale of resilience, community, and the power of nature, allowing players to go on a adventure packed with charm and discovery.


---

## <ins> Social Issue Research 📌

For Nature's Refuge, we want to look into the pressing social issues of homelessness within a captivating 2D fantasy platformer. We want to help display the issue of housing for the homeless through the use of building huts and houses for the stranded creatures. We will also display the devastating impact of homelessness through the use of the giants and observing displaced fantasy creatures who have no home. By seamlessly blending these narratives, we aim to raise awareness and provoke reflection on real-world challenges while delivering an engaging gaming experience.


### <mark><ins> ***Homelessness - Moosa***

**<mark><ins>What is Homelessness :**

Lack of appropriate, secure, and permanent housing for an individual or family is referred to as homelessness. It is more than just a lack of physical shelter; it includes a variety of concerns such as insufficient or temporary housing, living in shelters or on the streets, or staying with others without a fixed address.

**<mark><ins>What are the causes of Homelessness :**

- **Economic Factors:** Homelessness can result from overcrowding, unemployment, low pay, and inadequate social safety nets. Economic downturns, job loss, and financial crises can cause homelessness.

- **Housing Affordability:** Many people, especially those with low incomes, struggle to afford secure home due to high housing costs. This includes electricity, property taxes, and additional costs beyond rent or mortgage payments.

- **Lack of Support Systems:** Homeless people often lack family, friends, and social services to help them. Stressed relationships, family breakdowns, or lack of supportive resources may cause this.

- **Mental Health and Substance Abuse:** Substance abuse, addiction, and mental illness can cause homelessness. People with untreated mental illnesses can become homeless and use drugs to cope.

- **Systemic Issues:** Certain groups can be disproportionately affected by prejudice, systematic racism, and institutional obstacles, which can result in larger rates of homelessness among marginalised communities like immigrants, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ persons.

**<mark><ins>Homelessness in Manchester:**

Like in many other cities, homelessness in Manchester may be a complicated problem with several underlying causes. It's crucial to remember that everyone's experience with homelessness is unique. Nonetheless, there are a few recurring themes and difficulties linked to homelessness in Manchester:

- **Housing Shortage:** Like many other cities, Manchester struggles to find cheap homes. Finding stable housing can be challenging for those who are homeless due to high rents, a shortage of social housing, and competition for available properties.

- **Access to Services:** Although Manchester offers a variety of services, such as support groups, soup meals, and shelters, for those who are homeless, getting access to these resources can occasionally be difficult. Things like shame, scarce resources, and bureaucracy can make it difficult for people to get help.

- **Social Isolation:** Being homeless may be a very lonely experience. Many Manchester residents who are homeless may struggle to keep up social relationships and feel cut off from their neighbourhoods.

- **Vulnerability:** People who are homeless may be more open to abuse, exploitation, and victimisation. Without the security and stability of a house, people might be more likely to encounter violent crimes or become victims of con artists or other criminal activities.

- **Support Services:** Manchester is home to a large network of nonprofits and organisations that assist those who are homeless. These groups offer necessities including lodging, food, medical attention, job assistance, and counselling.

In order to address the core causes of homelessness, such as affordable housing initiatives and support for mental health and addiction issues, efforts to address homelessness in Manchester frequently combine short-term interventions like outreach services and emergency housing with longer-term solutions.


### <mark><ins> ***Games about homelessness - Sam***

Many video games about homelessness that we came across used the idea for comedic purposes and proved that there is very little seriousness when it comes to this social issue. Our game must shed light on this worrying problem in our modern society.


One game I found was called ‘Tramp Simulator’. Another game I came across was called ‘Bum Sim’. These names are derogative towards the homeless and may encourage players to belittle the homeless in reality. While the game ‘Bum Sim’ seems to be quite entertaining to play, it promotes violence and unhygienic acts throughout the gameplay. One could argue that the game glorifies the idea of homelessness through this game and takes away the serious aspects that people need to be aware of.


The only positive interpretation I had from researching ‘Bum Sim’ was the idea of homeless people collecting scrap metal in exchange for money so they could eat. This encourages recycling, whilst allowing the homeless to earn some money. This is more directed as useful information for homeless people, but our target audience is those fortunate enough to help homeless people. The graphics in these simulation games imitate the real world in assets through the game’s art allowing the player to associate the homeless experience with the real world, which evokes sympathy. One other feature in the game involved the building of a shelter in a city, like our objective for ‘Nature’s refuge’. We plan to use natural resources to build shelters for the homeless residents of the forest in the game.

### <ins> CHANGE: A Homeless Survival Experience



When playing ‘CHANGE: A Homeless Survival Experience’, I analysed the key issues raised in the game. I also considered the fluidity of the gameplay in conjunction with the artistic design, so I could apply what I learned to the construct game engine for the layout of ‘Nature’s Refuge’. This game requires a lot of begging, so you don’t go hungry. I found this to be repetitive and somewhat boring after a while, which is not a great playable experience, in my opinion. However, it does make the point that begging can be degrading for homeless people and shows how desperately people need to contribute towards solving homelessness.

The engagement loop of the game offers very little choice for the player and therefore becomes more of a statement than a video game. While we want to promote the key social issue of homelessness, we still want the player to enjoy the gameplay. This encouraged us to have the player battle obstacles such as anti-homeless architecture in our side-scrolling platform game.

One notable feature in this game is the police officer patrolling to prevent you from begging. It is an offence to beg in a public place and the person can be arrested for committing such an offence in the United Kingdom. Reflecting on the real social issue of criminalised begging is an effective way to raise awareness of unjust lawful solutions that negatively combat homelessness.

This game is a visual opposite to the art style we want to simulate. I like how the monochromatic lighting portrays the grim situation of homelessness and the HUD mimics the desperation of those in need, with the only concerns being essential food and water on their mind.

After researching this video game, I found that it amplifies the struggles of a homeless person greatly for the player, allowing them to feel compassionate for those in that position in the real world. We want our game to heavily praise the protagonist so that the player feels accomplished when helping those in need. The gratitude shown, by the NPCs the main character has helped rehome, is in the hope that the actions are projected onto the player to do the same in real life.

### <mark><ins> ***Hostile architecture - Moosa***

**<mark><ins>What is hostile architecture :**

The term "hostile architecture," which is often used to describe defensive architecture or hostile design, describes how public areas are designed to discourage specific activities or behaviours, frequently directed towards the homeless or other marginalised groups. Rather than using social or legal tactics, the goal of this kind of architecture is to influence human behaviour through the physical components of its design.

- **Anti-homeless spikes:** To stop people from sitting or sleeping on flat surfaces like window sills, ledges, or benches, these metal or plastic spikes are placed there.

- **Dividers on benches:** Benches with armrests or dividers in the centre to keep people from sleeping or lying down on them.

- **Sloped benches:** Benches are designed in a way that makes it difficult to sit or lie down on them for long periods.

**<mark><ins>Effects of hostile architecture :**

- **Violation of human rights:** Opponents contend that because unfriendly architecture prevents marginalised people from accessing public areas and necessities, it violates their human rights.

- **Exclusion and marginalization:** Vulnerable groups, including the homeless, are frequently the targets of hostile design, which makes them feel excluded from and uncomfortable in public areas.

- **Psychological impact:** People who are exposed to unfriendly architecture on a regular basis may experience negative psychological effects such as feelings of loneliness, insecurity, and unworthiness.

In summary, although hostile architecture might appear like a quick solution for some urban problems, it frequently makes social issues worse and maintains social inequality. The well-being of all community members should be given priority, as should accessibility, according to proponents of more compassionate and inclusive urban design.


**<mark><ins>Hostile architecture in Manchester:**

In Manchester Piccadilly and near the Arndale Centre, particularly around Selfridges, one can unfortunately witness the presence of hostile architecture. Designed with the intention of deterring homeless individuals from seeking shelter, these structures often take the form of benches with uncomfortable dividers or armrests, making extended rest difficult. These measures, while ostensibly addressing certain urban concerns, underscore broader issues of homelessness and societal neglect, prompting important conversations about compassion and inclusive urban design.

These features can be found in many urban areas and are often criticized for their inhumane approach to addressing social issues. Instead of addressing the root causes of homelessness or other problems, they simply seek to displace the issue from one location to another.


### <mark><ins> ***How to Incorporate Hostile architecture into our game concept - Moosa***

- **Gameplay Mechanics:** We can create game mechanisms that require players to manoeuvre through obstacles made by anti-homeless architecture. By working together and solving problems, players assist the woodland creatures in destroying the hostile buildings and building new shelters.

- **Educational Elements:** We can Include instructional pop-ups, mini-games, or collected objects in the game to help players learn about homelessness. These might shed light on the reasons behind homelessness, the effects it has on people and communities, and sensitive and effective solutions.

- **Empathy Building:** Make the game an empathetic tool by letting players feel the struggles that homeless people encounter. This can entail role-playing activities in which participants navigate the forest as a homeless creature, coming across hurdles and prejudices.

- **Art and Design:** Make sure the game's graphics and layout both express the gravity of the homelessness problem and the whimsical feel of the fantasy forest. Make use of vivid colours, fascinating creatures, and creative settings to effectively interest players and communicate the game's message.


---

## <ins> Game Type - Moosa 🕹️

We've decided on a 2D platformer for our video game idea to capture the charm and accessibility of classic gaming while offering a modern twist. We have drawn inspiration from titles like "Super Mario Bros," "Rayman," and "Hollow Knight,". We want our game to have an imaginative level design, and engaging gameplay mechanics that resonate with players across generations.



## <ins> Art Style / Visual References - Moosa 🎨

For our game idea we drew inspiration from the captivating worlds of Gris and Hollow Knight to craft a visually stunning art style that immerses players in a rich and atmospheric experience. Just like in Gris, we aim to evoke emotion through our carefully crafted environments and vibrant color palettes, while drawing on the intricate, hand-drawn aesthetic of Hollow Knight to create a sense of depth and mystery in every corner of our game world. By blending elements of both these beloved titles, we want to create a unique visual identity that captivates players and leave them with wonder and mystery.


### **<ins>Sam**


Gabriel's notes:
Using examples of NPCs from the games my teammates cited as inspiration, and researching real-life forest wild-life, animal shelters, and fantasy artists like Rodney Matthews and Brian Froud, I was able to narrow down what my NPCs would look like. The idea is that each character would be unique, and would'nt be based on a single creature, but rather an amalgamation of creatures, with an art style inspired primarily by Ori and Hollow Knight

### <ins> ***Gris***

#### ***What is Gris*** :

Gris" is a visually stunning indie game released in December 2018. Players guide a girl named Gris through a world of sadness. The focus is on exploring, jumping, and solving puzzles, not fighting enemies. As players progress, they gain new abilities to uncover more of the story. The game's hand-drawn art and music create a beautiful and emotional experience. It's praised for its storytelling and artistic expression.


- **Hand-drawn Animation:** Because every graphic in "Gris" is carefully hand-drawn, the game has a very unique aesthetic. Every frame is meticulously crafted to evoke feeling and mood.

- **Minimalistic Design:** The minimalistic technique used in the art style frequently represents characters, objects, and landscapes with straightforward shapes and outlines. Because of its simplicity, the game can subtly explore a wide range of ideas and emotions.

- **Colour :** The vibrant colour scheme of "Gris" changes as players advance through the game. The world is dominated by subdued blue and grey hues at first, which symbolises the protagonist's sense of loss and sadness. The colour scheme gradually brightens as players learn more about the story, signifying healing and hope.

- **Symbolism and Abstraction:** Symbolic imagery and abstract components are often used in the art style to communicate themes and feelings. Players can have a deeper, more interpretative experience because of this abstraction, which also encourages them to consider the themes and ideas of the game.

- **Atmospheric Detailing:** "Gris" pays close attention to atmospheric details despite having a simple design. It uses lighting, shading, and environmental effects to evoke a sense of depth and immersion. This meticulous attention to detail adds to the overall beauty of the game and amplifies its emotional impact.

Overall, the art style of "Gris" is characterized by its hand-crafted beauty, minimalistic design, symbolic imagery, and atmospheric detailing, all of which come together to create a visually stunning and emotionally resonant experience.

### <ins> ***Hollow Knight***

#### ***What is Hollow Knight*** :

The highly regarded action-adventure video game Hollow Knight was created and released by Team Cherry. It was released in 2017 and is renowned for its difficult gameplay, detailed scenario design, and evocative storytelling. It has stunning hand-drawn 2D visuals.

In Hollow Knight, players take control of the Knight, a mute protagonist who travels Hallownest's expansive, networked underground realm. As the player advances through the game, they will come across a variety of bosses, adversaries, and environmental challenges in addition to platforming and combat components.


- **Hand-Drawn Animation:** Like "Gris," "Hollow Knight" has beautifully rendered illustrations by hand. The fine attention to detail in the creation of each character, opponent, and location gives the game an exquisite appearance.

- **Dark and Atmospheric:** The ominous and evocative tone of "Hollow Knight" art defines its style. The game is set in the creepy and mysterious underground realm of Hallownest, which is home to dark caverns, abandoned cities, and ancient ruins. The sense of atmosphere and immersion is improved with the use of shadows, lighting effects, and muted colours.

- **Character Design:** The planet of Hallownest is inhabited by a variety of insect-like animals and otherworldly beings, which gives "Hollow Knight" its distinctive cast of characters. Each character adds to the wide and rich ensemble of the game with their own appearance and personality.

- **Background Detailing:** The surroundings in "Hollow Knight" are incredibly realistic, including elaborate vegetation, buildings, and other environmental features. The world of Hallownest feels vivid and vast because of these little nuances, which also contribute to a sense of depth and immersion.

- **Animation Fluidity:** The characters and surroundings in "Hollow Knight" come to life because to the expressive and fluid animation. The animation lends a degree of polish and realism to the game, enhancing everything from the protagonist's elegant movements to the opponents' terrifying strikes.

### <ins> ***Ori and the Will of the Wisps***

The Moon Studios made the popular platform adventure game "Ori and the Will of the Wisps." It comes after "Ori and the Blind Forest," which came out in 2015. When it came out in March 2020, the game was praised for its stunning graphics, moving stories, and difficult gameplay.

In "Ori and the Will of the Wisps," players take control of the guardian spirit Ori and have to find their way through a beautiful, hand-painted world full of dangerous obstacles and hostile creatures. Platforming, exploration, and fighting are all seamlessly woven into the game. Players use Ori's skills to get past obstacles and find hidden items.


- **Hand-Drawn Animation:** Like its predecessor, "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" has beautiful hand-drawn graphics for the characters, backgrounds, and effects. The game looks great and moves smoothly because of this careful attention to detail.

- **Vibrant and Detailed Environments:** The settings in the game are vivid and incredibly detailed, bringing luxuriant forests, shimmering waterfalls, and decaying ruins to life on screen. A sense of wonder and immersion is evoked by the intricate textures, moody lighting, and dynamic weather effects in each area.

- **Character Design:** The characters in "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" have exquisite designs, unique personalities, and expressive animations. The main character, Ori, is very well-animated; through nuanced gestures and motions, she expresses emotion and resolve.

- **Creature Design:** The antagonists and animals in the game are different, each with its own appearance and mannerisms. The creatures of "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" are brought to life with amazing attention to detail and smooth animation, ranging from cuddly forest creatures to terrifying monsters.

- **Colour Palette:** The vivid and varied colour scheme of "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" features a dominant landscape of blazing oranges, rich blues, and lush greens. From the peaceful beauty of the woodland to the unsettling darkness of the caverns, the use of colour contributes to establishing the game's atmosphere and mood.

- **Atmospheric Lighting:** In Ori and the Will of the Wisps, dynamic lighting effects are employed to improve the game's graphics and fully submerge players in the environment. Lighting is a key component in establishing the mood of the game. Bioluminescent plants give gloomy tunnels an unearthly glow, and sunlight seeps through the trees to create dappled shadows on the forest floor.

### <ins> ***Character Design Moodboard***


### <ins> ***Environment Moodboard***


### <ins> ***Environment Asset Moodboard***



Gabriel's notes:
The idea behind this moodboard, was to imagine a type of NPC, that assits the player character in making shelters for the refugees. So I researches animals that build or scavange dens to protect themselves. Most notibly Beavers for their infamous ability to build dams, and Hermit Crabs for using shels and in some cases tin can to protect their abdomens with. That how the final design eneded up resembling a giant crustecean


Gabriel's notes:
This moodboard was created to revisualize Sam's character, since we decided that a human-like character would look too out of place with the rest of the cast. This is a mind map of all the influences on the Mushroom maiden's new design.

---
## <ins> Main Character Designs - Moosa 🎨



> Moosa - Main character Design and iteration

I was heavily influenced by Hollow Knight and Ori and the Will of Wisps when designing the game's primary character. My goal was to build a character that would be simpler to read and more easily animated. While the other design iterations appear more like NPC designs, the design I selected gave off the best impression of the main character design.

I'll be using the other two designs for non-player characters in our game's visual slice.


> Moosa - Main character Idle Animation

I made this basic idle bobbing motion for the main character; I can use each frame to recreate this animation in construct.

## <ins> Npc Character Design 🎨



### **<ins>Gabriel**



### **<ins>Gabriel**





### **<ins>Sam**



I tried to include stereotypical homeless characteristics when designing my characters. For instance, I gave the mushroom man a beard of grass. He is wise so many eyes on the mushroom spots. Similar to the Mario games, the wise mushroom man offers power-ups to assist you when building shelters for the homeless characters further on in the game. The Robe is made of the mushroom skirt, and his hands and feet of other mushrooms.



## <ins> Npc Character Speech Cards - Moosa 🎨



> **Moosa** - NPC Speech Cards

These are some character speech cards I created for the visual slice to showcase when the player interacts with a npc. These were made to allow for kids to talk with the npc charcaters and to understand theri struggle of not finding any shelter or housing. These interaction will help to create empathy for their situations. These will be used for educational interaction to help teach children struggles these charcaters face and help to link it to the real world and create a undersrtanding.

## <ins> Environment Assets 🎨

### **<ins>Lucy**





### **<ins>Sam**




To add a whimsical sense of motion, I spent a considerable amount of time animating swirling clouds to follow the player in the background of the game.


Inspired by our research into anti-homeless archetecture, I created this log with spikes embedded into it. The giant created this as a method to prevent the poor creatures of Lumina Grove from resting there and trespassing on the Giant's so claimed forest.


Recusing other asset parts, I created this boat that allows the player to travel across water on the map, in search for materials and goods to help the homeless. It is also a great transportation method to fight the giant who terrorises Lumina Grove. In theory, I designed this asset so that the player could recycle the appliences such as the leaf and vines to reconstruct shelter for those who need it in the game.


Similar to the boat I designed, this swinging platform is craftable so the player can help the wandering homeless search for refuge in more sheltered locations on the map. This is only craftable once the player has gathered enough materials and they are faced with a choice to build shelter in a unresourceful area, or construct a way to explore deeper into the forest.


Desperate to keep the villagers of lumina grove away from shelter, the Giants make and grow traps like this one I have designed. Alike the bear traps in 'Limbo' or the 'Piranha Plants' in Super Mario Bros, this is a procaution so that no homeless find refuge while the Giant reigns.


Using woodgrain texture and liquifying the layers, I created these spike assets as an effective obstacle that resembles anti-homeless bench spikes in the real world.


As the player progresses through Nature's Refuge, I though I could create an asset that implies they are close to the Giant who remains in power.




>**Moosa** - Hostile Architecture Environment Asset

This is a environmental asset I created which is replicating the anti homless spikes that can be found on the benchs. Within my designs for the spikes I wanted to use this idea of radiation thorns which the giants installed the keep the creatures from finding shelter. I think the aspect of thorns is the best way to visually represent these architecture deigns within a fantasy game.



> **Moosa** - Humane Architecture Environment Asset

I recycled the prior environmental asset to build a homeless architecture design that is humane for this one. These are bench designs served as inspiration for me while I created a shelter that homeless people could utilise.


## <ins> Giant Design - Moosa 🎨




> **Moosa** - Giant Designs

I wanted the Giant designs for the game to have a whimsical, fantasy feel to it, without sacrificing any frightening elements. These are the concepts I developed. I looked at Cuphead's designs since I liked how expressive and bold their enemy designs were in the game. For the second giant concept, I included a hostile environment into the design so that the player would have to battle the hostile architecture that the giant threw at them during the game.

These enormous were created to serve as a graphic representation of the degradation of a hostile environment and to provide the children who play the game with a nasty character to look forward to vanquishing.

## <ins> Environment Art Concepts 🎨

### **<ins>Sam**


As a method of primary research, I gathered interesting objects from the woods. I chose things that had an aesthetic shape to them or resembled something unique. It was a great way to reference as you could envision a character or environment more easily from multiple angles and decipher how a player could interact with the object in a game.

I used the real-world items as reference to sketch from and then adapted the forestry materials into character or asset concepts. It was helpful to construct exteriour shelters oout of miniature nature items as that is the task of the player in our game. Once I was happy with the idea, I imported them into procreate to further the design and digitize for the use in Nature’s refuge.


With the use of Moosa's boss fight character design, I came up with the concept of polluted water, poisoning the living standards for the homeless residents of the forest. The characters are reliant on what the forest provides, including drinking water and some fishing from the water for food. I colour matched the green in the mouth and eyes to the toxic sewage pipe and added a spooky, dead tree, as I had plans to add these assets close to the evil Giant at the end of the level.


---

## <ins> Environment Visual Slice - Moosa 🎨

### <ins> ***Design 1***

<ins>**Hostile Architecture**


<ins>**Building Shelter**


<ins>**Shelter Environment Asset**


> **Moosa** - Environment Scene 1

This is the first visual slice scenario I made for the environment. Nettle, one of the characters in this scene, was stuck and had to seek shelter because of the radioactive spikes the monster within the cave had left behind. The cave and spikes serve to symbolise bridges and the pole spikes that keep people from sleeping beneath bridges in large cities.

The following image shows how the main character used the materials they had gathered to contact the grasshopper for assistance in destroying the thorns and building the NPC character a refuge inside the cave. Thsi can be seen with how the leaves have been used to create a makeshift tent inside.

This scene, in my opinion, effectively conveys the idea of the game—that is, that the player would seek out these homeless people, engage with them, sympathise with their plight, and educate kids about the need to remove these architectural designs and build suitable housing for them.

### <ins> ***Design 2***

<ins>**Hostile Architecture**


<ins>**Building Shelter**


<ins>**Shelter Environment Asset**


> **Moosa** - Environment Scene 2

The second visual slice scenario I made for the game idea is this one. In this scene, the main character encounters Colin, who has been having trouble finding a place to stay because the giant has contaminated this otherwise peaceful seat. Coling is unable to utilise his bench because of the thorn.

The main character removes the sharp spikes and rebuilds Colin a new bench in the second scene. The new bench's design allows it to be folded down, providing a place to sleep for those in need.

Children can learn about the creation and design of more humane architecture in this scene, which can serve as a place of refuge and support for those who are less fortunate. In this scenario, the player rebuilds the scene with their materials to give Colin a more sustainable design in addition to removing obstacles. The purpose of this scene is to teach kids that more sustainably built seats and shelters should be a part of society.

### <ins> ***Design 3***

<ins>**Hostile Architecture**


<ins>**Building Shelter**


<ins>**Shelter Environment Asset**


<ins>**Hostile Environment**


> **Moosa** - Environment Scene 3

In the third scene, the player finds a moth butterfly creature whose regular tree limb has been poisoned by radioactive spikes, preventing her from finding safety in the tree.

To help the NPC character build a tree house hut, the player in this scene calls the mantis to help break spikes off the tree branches and rebuild them.

This scene was made to assist teach kids about how unfriendly architecture is employed in trees to deter animals from seeking shelter there as well as on benches and other public locations. This photo serves as an example of how we ought to give animals better-suited shelters as well.

### <ins> ***Design 4***

<ins>**Material System**


> **Moosa** - Environment Scene 4

This fourth scene was produced as a visual slice to help demonstrate and comprehend the material system within the game. Within the game, the players hunt out material collectables since these are utilised to make more shelters for the creatures in the forest. These resources are handed to the Mantis character that helps build the shelters.

The material collectables were made as an educational feature inside the game. As  when you collect them a pop-up displays facts to the player about homelessness and facts on how we can help to prevent it. This system was intended to help engage children to discover these collectables within the game to make additional shelters, and as they find them they learn more about homelessness and create an understanding of this social issue.

---

### Sam Game Demo - https://youtu.be/ib9x76a7S4o

https://www.construct.net/en/free-online-games/natures-refuge-64164/play

### **<ins>Sam**
Working in Construct 3, an online 2D game engine, I took the time to compile all of our group assets into a playable game with working mechanics and immersive game art of our creations. It was a challenging task to incorporate all of our assets in a way that complimented each other in the different secitions of our sidescroller game. The most difficult aspect of the game design was managing file size with all of the animated sprites taking up large amounts of space. Therefore, the published game is a simplified demo compared to the visual slices I screenshot during gameplay. The inclusion of everybody's artwork allowed for diverse scenery and characters throughout the continuous level design. I had fun adapting artwork from the team to work with the structures in the game and follow the storyline. I chose to display the lighter environments at the beginning, with the darker designs further on to imitate the enemy Giant at the end of the game. The true art was visualizing a story told by all of our designs and orchestrating them into a video game that raises awareness of homelessness in Nature's Refuge.


I decided to create this tree merged into a skyscraper to show the corruption and greed within the giant and how he has consumed the forest with no regard for the homeless, as a final art statement at the end of Nature's Refuge.

---

## <ins> Conclusion :

In conclusion, our team has gone on the task to build visual slices within a fantasy-based game that not only grab the imagination but also serves a critical educational purpose. By tackling the emotional subject of homelessness and the prevalence of hostile architecture in society, we wanted to teach empathy and awareness to youngsters.

Our inquiry led us to delve into the distressing reality of spiked benches, a visible manifestation of societal disregard towards the homeless community. Understanding the relevance of adding these factors into our fantasy woodland setting, we methodically designed an environment that mimics our world while presenting a fantastical backdrop for gamers to explore.

Through the meticulous incorporation of spiky seats and other hostile architectural characteristics into the game world, we intended to create striking visual depictions of the problems experienced by persons suffering homeless. By immersing players in this tale, we intend to ignite conversations, increase understanding, and encourage action towards establishing a more compassionate society.

In essence, our effort to address homelessness and hostile architecture within the setting of a fantasy-based game is a novel approach to education. By using the power of storytelling and immersive gaming, we seek to equip the next generation with the knowledge and empathy needed to achieve positive change in the world.