Project Overview

 This project explores the use of video games as a medium for informal education, with an emphasis on player information retention during leisure gameplay. The game was developed as a turn-based RPG, inspired by genre classics such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and serves as a prototype for integrating educational content into interactive systems.

The goal was to teach players foundational concepts of Taoism, a Chinese philosophical and religious tradition. I designed the game to prioritize mechanics and narrative-driven learning over graphical fidelity, allowing more focus on interaction systems and world-building logic.

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Key Features and Technical Implementation:

• Dialogue and Interaction System:
  Built a flexible dialogue system enabling branching conversations with non-player characters (NPCs), used to convey Taoist teachings contextually through in-world discussion.

• Dynamic Quest and Progression System:
  Implemented a quest tracking framework that monitored player actions and dynamically adjusted world states and available dialogue. This system created a sense of progression while reinforcing educational content through game mechanics.

• Environmental Storytelling:
  Designed signposts, item descriptions, and NPC dialogues to deliver philosophical concepts non-linearly. Players were encouraged to explore and piece together meaning organically, supporting deeper engagement and memory retention.

• Scripting and State Management:
  Leveraged state machines and event triggers to manage in-game choices, dialogue updates, and world alterations based on quest status. This allowed for an adaptive narrative that responded to player behaviour.

• Save/Load System:
  Created a lightweight save/load mechanism using Unity’s PlayerPrefs to store current scene, player position, and key stats. Ensured continuity across sessions while supporting persistent progression.

• Stat and Levelling System
  Developed a scaling stat system where character attributes increase randomly (between 1–3 points per level), ensuring varied progression across playthroughs. Equipped items such as weapons and armour dynamically modify stats, enabling meaningful customization.

• Turn-Based Combat System
  Implemented random enemy encounters, with randomized turn order each battle to add unpredictability. Players choose from context-specific magic spells (based on character), standard attacks, item usage, or attempt to flee (with failure chance). Designed to balance tactical decision-making with RPG familiarity.

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This project showcases my ability to integrate narrative, educational objectives, and gameplay systems into a cohesive experience. It highlights my focus on meaningful interaction design, custom systems programming, and iterative development driven by player experience goals.