Game Design: Neuron
Neuron is a game idea which came to me when I visit the Alzheimer patient for my design project. I had visited him to understand alzeimer and while we were talking i noticed he was spacing, jumping from thought thought, not remembering what we had just been talking about. And that got me thinking how it was like being in his brain, which paths is his brain taking, where does he get lost? And then i had this idea for a game where im a neuron inside an alzeimer persons brain.
The game starts as thedaugther talking to his dad who was diagnosed with alzeihmers, she is asking ''Dad do u remember me?'' and that question starts a spark inside his brain witch leads to a journey.
Gameplay wise: players have to connect dots in order to make shapes, and each shape is representing a memory.
Some shapes will lead players to select between two options, in this case a shape of number six or a letter b. Players who choose the 'b' get a diferent journey than those who choosed number six. This phase of the game is called ''recovery'' phase and the player has 10 seconds to choose one of the options. In this example we will follow the path 'six'.
Players who choose Path of six gain acess to a memory witch will help them in future decisions or just make them more confused.
As the game goes on players encounter diferent shapes/memories. All paths have advantages and disadvantages throughout the game. Since we are following the path of 'six' the players dont have the information about the doll's name, in the other hand the players who choose 'b' already know the doll's name is Bella.
All in all the game is filled with' recovery' phases. Each choice matters. And the choice that players make will change the result of the game which makes the game replay-able and gives players an understanding on how the brain works and how the memories are shaped throughout our life.
