Since 1998

Since 1998 is an interactive picture book that I made for my mom for her 60th birthday. It explores and reminisces on a fond childhood and seeks to repair a now-strained relationship that is not the same as it once was.

Link to Portfolio page: https://www.sammychuang.com/since-1998 

Link to Full Playthrough: 

How to Play

Point-and-click. Use cursor to click through past memories in this little picture book and unlock a secret message written in the present. 

Design

The goal of this game was to celebrate my mom’s 60th birthday, as well as to find a way to connect with her again. My decision to transfer to Game Design caused a slight rift between me and my mom, since she originally was hoping I’d study something more “practical”. The pandemic and living at home also further strained our relationship. In an effort to repair this relationship, I wanted to find a way to connect with my mom in a way that’s tangible for her but also uses my own interests to try and show her why art and interactive media mean so much to me.

The three major considerations when I was designing this game were: accessibility, relevance and mutual understanding.

Accessibility

All aspects of the game were designed with my mom’s definition of accessibility in mind. 

• My mom is on the older side and has limited experience with games and reflex-intensive activities. Due to this, the basic interactions had to be simple, which is why I made the game just a series of mouse clicks. 
• My mom loves to read, so making a text-heavy piece is not a problem for her.
• Six memories with one seventh final message was a restriction of the book UI. The photographs had to be big enough so my mom would be able to see both the image and read the text since her eyesight isn’t the best. 

Relevance

All components of the game had to be relevant to my mom in some way. 

• The memories were selected carefully and there’s a specific reasoning for each one. “Moongazing” because it’s probably my mom’s favorite memory of me growing up and she talks about it a lot. “Literary Lessons” because it shows my mom cared deeply about my education and general development when I was growing up. “What happens when we die?” because it was a moment that I was able to bring my mom comfort when she was grieving, and was the source of a belief I still have. All of these memories carry significance in my life, even now. 
• Taiwanese independence, and sunflowers are representative of the Taiwanese Student Sunflower Movement in 2014--a pro-Taiwanese independence movement. 

Mutual Understanding

Most importantly, this game is a way for me to communicate with my mom. 

• My choice to study game design and the mental taxation of the pandemic has strained my relationship with my mom in various ways. I wanted to show that, despite having changed a lot as a person in the last few years, I still appreciate my mom and haven’t forgotten everything she’s done for me. 
• Although I don’t plan to change and I plan to continue exploring what I love, I wanted to acknowledge that I know my mom is trying since she knows interactive media and creativity are very important to me. 
• Use a game that my mom will understand and enjoy to show her that games and interactive media aren’t just toys used to pass time and be unproductive. They have meaning and can bridge relationships.