YW.

Mindful Adventure

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Background

As a big gamer, I've always thought about what it would be like to create my own game. So, when the idea of 'Mindful Adventure' came to mind, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring together my love for gaming and my interest in mindfulness. I wanted to see if I could make learning mindfulness fun, using the engaging elements of RPGs that I enjoy, like character customization and random quests.


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For six months, I dove into learning Unity and C#. It was a hands-on process, filled with trial and error, but every step was exciting. I went from designing the scenes to building the game mechanics, trying to create an experience that was both engaging and educational. This project quickly became my "fun time," replacing my usual game hours with the thrill of creating something new.


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Once the game was ready, I wanted to see if it actually made a difference. So, I ran a study to test its effectiveness and gather feedback from players. The goal was to find out if a game could really help people learn mindfulness in a way that feels natural and enjoyable.

Study Objectives

The study focused on how a gamified approach to learning mindfulness could impact mental health, mindful awareness, and emotion regulation skills. I wanted to see how features like character customization and interactive mindfulness exercises within the game affected the user experience and overall wellbeing.


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Results

The results were encouraging. Players who spent time with 'Mindful Adventure' showed a noticeable reduction in stress (β=-0.22, 95% CI [-0.37, -0.06], p=0.008) and a decrease in negative mood (β=-0.15, 95% CI[-0.30, -0.00], p=0.046) compared to those who didn't. Plus, more than half of the participants (100 out of 162) preferred learning mindfulness through the game. On a scale of 1 to 7, they gave it an average rating of 5, which was pretty satisfying to see.


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Creating this game was an amazing journey that combined my technical skills and creativity. It taught me a lot about how games can be more than just fun—they can be a tool for learning and growth. I'm currently learning how to better incorporate AI into NPC behaviors, which is an exciting new challenge. I'm looking forward to applying these insights and skills to my next project.