last updated---2022.5

A FISHERMAN’S MORNING
integrating player brainwaves to video game mechanics
*work in progress


The prosocial impacts of gaming is an area of my particular interest. Specifically, some studies show that playing videogames can increase one’s ability to focus. Combining the game design concepts I learned in class with the goal of increasing player focus, I set out to create a game that uses the player’s brainwaves (which outputs how focused and meditative the player is) to control enemy spawn rate and survive the game, which will help the player practice meditation and focus.


Guiding Questions
  • In what ways can the player’s own body influence the game state?
  • How does bringing player biology in-game affect player experience?
  • How to embed the act of focusing directly into the game design?
  • What game mechanics and procedures should I choose to increase players’ agency and control over their attention?



Tools
Unity 2D Engine
Arduino Uno
Arduino IDE
Mindflex Neurosky EEG Sensor
Adobe Photoshop

Processing


Game Narrative Inspiration
醉着 (Zui Zhe), a poem by 韩偓 (Han Wo) in the Tang dynasty






Hardware



1. soldering wires onto EEG circuit 2. connecting to Arduino Uno, 3. a hacked wearable device





Software I used Arduino IDE and the Arduino Brain Library to obtain the data that this sensor detects. I then used the Uduino library to connect Arduino to Unity.






Preliminary Demo




I am currently working on filtering the data so that I only get the attention data in Unity. Also, the sensor is noisy, so I will investigate how I can reduce the noise and make the data more smooth. After that, I plan to run playtests and polish the art and aesthetics of the game. I invite you to check back here in a few weeks to see the final product!