Bringing games to life at Blue CoLab
By the Blue CoLab Game Dev Team
Hello, Blue CoLab community and tech enthusiasts!
Today, we are sharing a glimpse into the creative and technical world of our game development team. We’re currently gearing up to launch an engaging interactive kiosk, soon to be located in Kessel Student Center, that will feature games designed to educate and entertain, apps about local and global water, videos, data visualization and sonification, and more — all while showcasing the tech prowess of the Blue CoLab team. Here’s how our team brings games from concept to kiosk.
Top – bottom, L – R: Sebastian Roman, Ian Shimba, Daniel White, Keathson Lam, Louisa Moquete.
Inspiration and Ideation
Every game begins with an idea. For we, the Game Dev Team of Blue CoLab, inspiration struck when we were challenged to make learning about water and technology fun and interactive. Our team brainstormed various concepts that could both captivate and educate users. This led to the creation of a Jeopardy-style trivia game, a dynamic dinosaur adventure game, and more, all tailored to engage users of different interests and ages.
Design and Development
Once we had our ideas in place, the next step was to bring these concepts to life. This stage involves multiple facets:
- Game Design: Mapping out the gameplay, rules, and objectives. For the Jeopardy game, this meant categorizing questions and incorporating a scoring system. The dinosaur game involved creating an exciting storyline and challenging obstacles.
- Software Development: Here’s where our developers step in, turning storyboards and designs into playable games. This involves coding, integrating the backend, and ensuring that the games run smoothly on the Linux system we’ve customized for our kiosk. Opting for Linux has allowed us greater flexibility and control over the system’s performance.
Testing and Refinement
A game isn’t ready just because it’s been developed. Rigorous testing is crucial. Our team runs multiple rounds of testing to catch and fix any bugs and to refine the gameplay. This ensures that each game is not only fun but also stable and user-friendly. User feedback is invaluable during this phase, helping us tweak the games to better meet our audience’s expectations.
Deployment and Feedback
Once tested, the games are ready for deployment. Our kiosk, set to launch soon, will be the platform where users can interact with our creations. The real test begins when the games go live, as we closely monitor how they perform in real-world settings and gather user feedback. This feedback loop is essential for continuous improvement and helps us in updating and enhancing the games, ensuring they remain engaging and educational.
Looking Ahead
The journey from a simple idea to a fully functional game kiosk is complex and challenging, but immensely rewarding. Our team is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of educational technology, and these games are just the beginning. We look forward to seeing how our users interact with the kiosk and are excited about the potential of integrating more advanced technologies and innovative game ideas in the future.
Stay tuned for more updates from Blue CoLab’s game development adventures!