RE: Building E-Learning Games - Development and Review #472
Follow me as I create a Storyline gamified e-learning project in response to the Building E-Learning Games challenge on the E-Learning Heroes forum.
It's already week three! How has time flown by so quickly? Last week and over the weekend, I continued refining the gameplay elements for my Aztec falling object game (which really does need a better name).
This week, my focus is on finding the perfect visual assets to bring the game to life. Once I've purchased them, I'll integrate these visuals into the prototype, aiming for a cohesive and engaging design!
I have to be honest: I'm fighting my instincts a bit here. Normally, I wouldn't focus on refining the visual styles to this extent without first getting feedback on the functionality and ensuring the learning objectives are being met. In my experience, visuals can add layers of additional work that often needs redoing after the initial round of feedback. However, for the sake of following the rules of the challenge, I'll work in this order and share for review this week.
Detailed Mood board
When I originally started this process I created a basic mood board to paint the picture for our imaginary client, and for me as the developer. Since then I've been gradually adding to this Pinterest board to get a better idea of how I want this to look.
After reviewing the content on that board, I decided I wanted the visuals to target a broad audience. I settled on a middle ground with the colours and a style which I felt worked best for this. I also decided I wanted the game to be set at night, with a slightly more moody feeling. Or maybe I'm just making excuses because I like the way it looks. 👀
Assets
Pros:
This asset pack stood out to me the most because it closely matched the theme I was aiming for and offered a wealth of pre-made menu elements, buttons, and illustrations. The art exudes talent, and I'm glad to support the artist. I'm confident this pack provides enough resources for my game.
Cons:
It is a mobile template, so I'll have to try to modify it to fit the Storyline Game. The art style is very specific so it could be difficult to get other elements from other artists if required. The art is full of detail which could be painful to modify in a short-timeframe. It's a bit less Aztec and more Shamanic Jungle than I was aiming for, but I'll work with it.
Initial Design for different parts of the game and menus
I've assembled a design using various assets in Adobe Illustrator. While it might seem like extra work to design in Illustrator before moving to Storyline, I find this is another step which helps eliminate rework. Building a high-fidelity prototype of the design first ensures a smoother transition to Storyline.
Start Screen
The first screen you'll see when you open the game.
Main Game Screen
This is the main part of the game, and the screen you will have seen in the prototype. Only now a little more fancy!
Menu Systems
I'm thrilled with how this design is coming together, and I hope you're enjoying following along. Time is running out, so I need to get to building all this in Storyline. Stay tuned for updates!
Bringing it all together!
Phew, that was a sprint to get this all pulled together before week 4 but here's what I have so far. I've now got the design & Storyline game functionality working together.
Latest Version
I originally planned to share a review link for feedback and incorporate that input into the next design, but that became tricky when my post got auto-banned on the forum 😬. Fortunately, the Articulate team resolved the false flag, but I missed the window for feedback this week. I'll leave this as is for now and pick up next week, where I’ll refine the gameplay and design by adding sound effects, more learner feedback, and a high-score system.
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Arron Walker
