The Design and Development of a 2D Platform Narrative Digital Game: What Happened to Aubrey

Schizophrenia is one of the mental health disorders that has gone unnoticed due to a lack of understanding about the illness. Furthermore, there is a lack of digital games that can assist in spreading the word about schizophrenia. Thus, the WHTA, a 2D platform narrative game, was produced to raise awareness about schizophrenia among Malaysian citizens. The player takes on the role of Charlie, an 18-year-old young adult on a quest to find his companion Aubrey, who has gone missing. The players need to escape each level by finding enough clues that will reveal information about schizophrenia by fighting obstacles. The GDLC had been used as a guideline in the development process which consists of pre-production, production, post-production, and testing. Then, the playtesting had been conducted using the UEQ that measures the six elements including (i) attractiveness, (ii) perspicuity, (iii) efficiency, (iv) dependability, (v) stimulation, and (vi) novelty. A total of 33 respondents were involved during the playtesting. The game received positive reviews and comments in terms of the game design. For future work, the game can be enhanced including the game content, game-level design, and game feedback.