Honours Project Proposal
(Temporary) Project Title
A Narrative Exploration Game That Aims to Provide Insight into What Having ADHD Is Like
Motivation
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is frequently misunderstood and stigmatized. Common misconceptions include that:
- It’s not a real condition
- People with ADHD are lazy or need to try harder
- It’s a result of lack of discipline
- Medication is an easy way out
Stigma related to ADHD can manifest in the words and actions of peers, family members, educators, and healthcare providers — and may also become internalized. This internalized stigma can lead to negative self-perception, delayed diagnosis or treatment, and strained relationships. By raising awareness through an immersive experience, this project seeks to challenge these misconceptions and foster empathy for people living with ADHD.
Main objectives
Create a serious game (game with an agenda) that
- Provides an immersive experience of the challenges faced by people with ADHD
- Provides insight into why ADHD-related behaviours occur (e.g. chronic lateness, difficulty finishing tasks)
- Explores the emotional impact of stigma from others as well as internalized stigma
- Fosters empathy and compassion for people with ADHD
Overview
The game will be a 3D first-person narrative exploration game with some light puzzle elements. The player takes on the role of a college student living with ADHD who struggles to meet academic and personal responsibilities. The intended playtime is at least 15-20 minutes.
Mechanics, World, Systems
The game is set in the protagonist’s house over the span of a few days. Players interact with objects to complete daily tasks, while the protagonist’s inner monologue reveals their emotional state and contextualizes their environment. The narrative will focus on the protagonist’s relationship with their parents and peers, conveyed through in-person dialogue or text messages on a cell phone.
Time will be a core mechanic. The day-night cycle will progress based on player actions. To simulate hyperfocus and time blindness, time may speed up or slow down unpredictably. Other unusual things that may occur include: losing track of items mid-task and becoming easily distracted mid-task.
Equipment requirements
Hardware
- Personal computer capable of running Unity
- Mouse and keyboard
Software
- Unity, Visual Studio, and Git for development
- Blender for 3D modeling if necessary - will look for free models to save time
- Google Docs for writing documentation
What will be implemented
- Core gameplay loop of completing tasks to progress through the story
- Task-based interactions with objects and the environment
- Inner monologue dialogue system, used to narrate thoughts
- Dynamic time progression: a day/night cycle that advances based on task completion
What will be tested
The game is set in the protagonist’s house over the span of a few days. Players interact with objects to complete daily tasks, while the protagonist’s inner monologue reTesting will be in the form of playtesting sessions followed by some questions. Playtesters will ideally include people both familiar and unfamiliar with ADHD. The responses to the questions will determine if the main objectives (in the first page) were met. Some of the topics that I would ask about include:veals their emotional state and contextualizes their environment. The narrative will focus on the protagonist’s relationship with their parents and peers, conveyed through in-person dialogue or text messages on a cell phone.
- Are the controls intuitive?
- Is the player able to progress through the game without confusion?
- Do players understand the protagonist’s emotional state? Is the internal monologue effective?
- Does the game increase empathy towards people with ADHD?
What analysis will be performed on the results
Everyone will react to this game differently, so the best I can do is just to have a good number of playtesters so I can gauge what the “average” response to the game is. If most people think that the game has successfully met the main objectives, then I can conclude that the game is effective.
