Psyche Quest

Game Overview

Title: Psyche Quest

Platform: Unity 2D

Genre: 2D Platformer

Asset Style: Pixel Art

Made for the course Making Meaningful Games at American University in Fall 2023.

Game Concept

Psyche Quest is a 2D platformer that takes players on an emotional journey through the mind of someone with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). You play as the imaginary friend of the protagonist who must navigate your friend's mind. Each level represents different effects borderline personality disorder has on the brain. Along the way, the player uncovers the protagonist's memories, emotions, and experiences, shedding light on the impacts BPD has on mental health.

Gameplay

Mechanics

• 2D Platforming: Each level has platforming mechanics that symbolically represent the physiological effects of BPD.
• Puzzles: Puzzles and challenges require players to understand the effects of BPD on the protagonist's thoughts and emotions.

Levels

1. Amygdala: The amygdala regulates fear and aggression. For people with BPD, their amygdalae are noticeably smaller than average and thus feel fear and anger more intensely. This level is horror-inspired.
2. Hippocampus: Being the body's data processor, the hippocampus deals with memory formation, spatial orientation, and emotional reactions. For people with BPD, their hippocampi are commonly in a state of hyperarousal. This manifests in people with BPD perceiving friends and family as more threatening and social interactions as more negative. With dizzying gameplay and fake platforms in this level, not everything is as it seems! 
   
3. Prefrontal Cortex: Responsible for reason, rationality, and decision-making, prefrontal cortexes for people with BPD are often inactive and inefficient, causing impulsive actions. To simulate this, this level tests the players patience with high speed character movement mixed with slow speed environments. Passing through portals in the game mirrors life's spontaneous decisions. Rushing through them can lead to unforeseen challenges, emphasizing how impulsivity can result in regrettable outcomes.
4. HPA Axis: The HPA axis is the neural pathway within the brain that deals with reactions to stress and maintaining cortisol levels. People with BPD are often found with high levels of cortisol in their bloodstreams. Swim through the stress before time runs out!

Conclusion

Psyche Quest offers a unique and emotionally engaging gaming experience, aiming to increase awareness and understanding of Borderline Personality Disorder. We aimed to create a fun and rewarding experience that stays true to the serious and somber themes of mental illness. Moving forward, we hope to flesh out the story of the game more to give further context of the environment and immerse the player.

Development Team

Psyche Quest was lovingly made by Sara Bayat Hashemi and Kristen Marcinek.

Licenses

"Thinking Music" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Music by Dream-Protocol from Pixabay
80s_midnight_rush by Centurion_of_war from OpenGameArt CC-BY-SA 3.0
Piano Loop by extenz from from OpenGameArt CC0