A Game with a Purpose
Metamorphosis is a game about empathizing with nature by performing selfless acts in order to restore the environment and help its inhabitants. It offers a unique perspective where the player is placed into the active role as an inhabitant of a polluted marine world who is subject to the harms inflicted by outside sources that are out of their control.
Metamorphosis brings environmental and self awareness to players through an embedded design approach where real-world environmental issues are paralleled by fantastical elements. This method of design allows people to be more open to confronting difficult issues, and gives room for them to make their own decisions and think for themselves. Thus, instead of trying to influence people to change their behavior, the game encourages players to contemplate their actions through an emotionally impacting experience. This is done by focusing on interactions with creatures trapped in pollution and bringing the environment back to life at the cost of the player’s in-game health.
The engaging gameplay and gorgeous mythical marine world of Metamorphosis speaks to a broad audience of players of any gaming experience who may or may not have an interest in protecting the environment, but will find this game as a “first step” towards fostering a sense of care for others besides themselves. Metamorphosis aims to reach a wide audience through intuitive gameplay, appeal to players’ emotions with engaging visual storytelling, and help them realize the gratification of helping others in need.
Metamorphosis brings environmental and self awareness to players through an embedded design approach where real-world environmental issues are paralleled by fantastical elements. This method of design allows people to be more open to confronting difficult issues, and gives room for them to make their own decisions and think for themselves. Thus, instead of trying to influence people to change their behavior, the game encourages players to contemplate their actions through an emotionally impacting experience. This is done by focusing on interactions with creatures trapped in pollution and bringing the environment back to life at the cost of the player’s in-game health.
The engaging gameplay and gorgeous mythical marine world of Metamorphosis speaks to a broad audience of players of any gaming experience who may or may not have an interest in protecting the environment, but will find this game as a “first step” towards fostering a sense of care for others besides themselves. Metamorphosis aims to reach a wide audience through intuitive gameplay, appeal to players’ emotions with engaging visual storytelling, and help them realize the gratification of helping others in need.
Origin Story
"Ever since I studied Environmental Science in undergrad, I’ve wanted to create an environmental game that would be an engaging and emotional experience for a wide audience. I chose a marine ecosystem setting to design a mechanic that reflected marine animals consuming trash thinking it was food. I also wanted to share the unique characters and creatures that came up in my head, and create a wondrous, magical world for players to explore. From September 2019 to present time, I’ve written narratives, created prototypes, and researched systems design and environmental media to figure out how to design this game. Instead of trying to influence people to change their behavior, I decided to create an emotionally impacting experience for players by focusing on interaction they have with creatures and the environment in the game. To do this, I utilize the embedded design approach of integrating environmental themes into a fantastical world to design this game. With the help of my talented team, we’ve created an enchanting underwater world filled with quirky creatures, beautiful flora, and intriguing puzzles. We can't wait to share this unique world with players in Spring 2021."
- Joanna Shen, Creative Director
- Joanna Shen, Creative Director
