Gaming for good: Republic Poly students create games to let you experience life in a wheelchair

SINGAPORE – Mr Aloysious Tan received numerous “complaints” about a game he and his classmates had designed for their final-year project, but he could not have been happier.

“Kids who played our game would ask us why it was so difficult to get around,” recalled the 20-year-old Republic Polytechnic (RP) student from the design for games and gamification course.

Unknown to the players, the difficult navigation in Mall Time Crunch was a feature, not a bug.

Mr Tan’s group was among three groups of RP students that collaborated with the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Singapore (MDAS) to design role-playing games that give players a glimpse of what it is like to use a wheelchair.

To simulate real-life challenges, the game features able-bodied non-player characters who obstruct players as they assist wheelchair users in making their way around the mall – mimicking the behaviour of inconsiderate pedestrians.

“It was a chance for us to have a conversation with (the players), and teach them to be more empathetic,” he said.

The projects were showcased on March 12 and 13 at the School of Technology for Arts, Media and Design’s signature event Symbiosis. They were first unveiled to the public on Sept 7, 2024 at the MDAS Go the Dystance 2024 – Life Beyond Limits carnival, which raised awareness of and provided education on muscular dystrophy.

RP said all final-year students in the diploma course in design for games and gamification undertake a project that challenges them to design games that tackle real-world social issues, which also include environmental sustainability and strengthening intergenerational bonds.

Mr Tan’s cohort spent about 14 weeks developing the games from May to August 2024, many drawing inspiration from their own favourite games.

His group’s project, Mall Time Crunch, was inspired by the cooking simulation game Overcooked, where players serve meals in kitchens filled with various obstacles. In the group’s version of the game, a player controls the avatar of a mall employee tasked with assisting customers with disabilities while navigating the bustling environment.

Mr Tan said: “We wanted (our players) to have fun, but we still wanted the game to be grounded and educational at the same time.”

For 21-year-old student Brayden Leong, who worked on a two-player game Move with Ease, his goal was for the public to empathise more with his wheelchair-bound grandfather.

“It’s more troublesome for (him) to do everyday things like get on public transport or eat at a food court,” Mr Leong said. “I want people to be able to better understand his struggles.”

Inspired by cooperative puzzle games like Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, Move with Ease involves one player taking on the role of a wheelchair user, while the other acts as a coordinator helping with navigation.

The group re-created different places that wheelchair users often pass through in their daily lives, such as an HDB block, city centre and school, to illustrate the difficulties in navigating these areas. They particularly drew attention to heightened risks that wheelchair users face when crossing roads, by including oncoming traffic as one of the main in-game obstacles.

Move with Ease was a finalist in the design, as well as digital and innovation categories in the 2024 edition of the Crowbar Awards, a prestigious local award for young people in creative communications and design.

Mr Desmond Hinkson, assistant programme chair for the RP diploma in design for games and gamification, said: “Every final-year project is crafted to be both industry-relevant and purpose-driven, ensuring students not only develop professional skills but also learn to harness game design as a force for good.”

MDAS assistant manager for fundraising and community partnership, Ms Aniza Mohamed, said: “The games achieved their intended outcome as they were fun, educational and well received by the public.

“It was particularly enjoyed by the children who attended (the MDAS carnival), with some returning to play another round.”

She added that MDAS was keen to explore using the games for other outreach efforts, such as school engagement sessions.

For Mr Tan, working on Mall Time Crunch helped him understand the difficulties of those with disabilities.

“Ultimately, I wish that as a society, we can be more gracious and lend a helping hand.”