Nature-Inspired Digital Games

In the spring of 2024, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum served as the “client” for DePaul University’s Game Development II course where students develop skills in game design and development through the creation of a 2D digital game designed from a set of client based restrictions. 

The collaboration was spearheaded by Jes Klass, Creative Director of the DePaul Instructional Game & Innovation (DIGI) Lab and Game Design faculty, and Miranda Kerr, Head of Learning Innovation at the Nature Museum. DePaul students visited the Nature Museum, learned about the collections and education programs, and toured the space to be inspired by local animals. The university students developed the games for an elementary school student audience, but were also learners themselves as they studied the habitats, diets, and behaviors of the focus animals for their games. Nature Museum staff answered content questions and provided feedback on the games in progress. The result was these nature-focused, web-based games built in Unity, including custom animations, sounds, and game mechanics.

Note: these games are browser-based web games that are not optimized for mobile and should only be played on a computer

Play as a young Pancake the spiny softshell turtle, exploring your pond, eating prey, and avoiding dastardly raccoons! Use the WASD keys to move Pancake. Press the spacebar to bite. Hold shift to bury in the ground!

Programming - Vance Domenz, Eddie Buelvas, Ethan Earley
Art - Nova Reavis, Noah Pruitt
Music/Sound - Noah Pruitt, Vance Domenz

Patsy Snaps! is all about fishing like an alligator snapping turtle. As Patsy, you fish for bluegill, sunfish, and bass by wiggling the turtles worm-like tongue, and snapping at prey when it's in range. You have 5 minutes to catch as many fish as you can, and are rewarded with fun facts about alligator snapping turtles as you play.

Trent Cefolia
Michal Lizler
Benjamin Rodriguez
Paul West
Andrew Yu Chang

*Kaleidoscope* is a 2D top-down exploration game where you play as a caterpillar who has been separated from their family, or "kaleidoscope". In order to advance the life cycle of the caterpillar, you must find, consume, and pollinate milkweed.

Jakob Bregenhoj
Isabel Gibson
Jeth Maglasang
Lethrese Rosete
Chase Taylor