Project 2 : Gabriel's Sketchbook

Unity 3D Based Project, many thanks to Ryan Zhang (My husband, the programmer) for his coding guidance and support.

Gabriel's Sketchbook is a narrative-oriented game that uses the painter's paintings as clues. The protagonists of each chapter are different individuals with their own stories. The game has three chapters:
1 - "Familiar Stranger" (Completed, this Demo),
2 - "Puppet Boy" (Not Finished)
3 - "Invisible Blade" (Not Finished)

Why did this project?
The inspiration for this project comes from the author's personal experience of spending time with her grandmother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The author witnessed the challenges of living with someone who struggles to remember recent conversations, recall recent events, and even recognize the people around them. The memories of individuals with Alzheimer's are often jumbled up in their minds, and they may create imagined connections between different periods of time to form their own version of reality. The author observed her grandmother's world, filled with confusion, disorientation, and loneliness. Even when Grandma confidently shared her version of events, family members sometimes denied her reality and attempted to correct her memories, which proved futile. What these patients often desire is companionship and a sense of security.

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's.

These intimate experiences made the author realize that there are many other vulnerable groups in the world, and their numbers are substantial. While we may learn about their lives through various media, traditional print media lacks interactivity and fails to deeply touch the hearts of users. Movies and large-scale games offer immersive experiences, but they often require significant time and cater to niche interests, limiting their reach to a broader audience.

To address these challenges, the author chose to use Unity 3D game development software, Maya for scene modeling, and Cartoon Animation 4 for character animation. By presenting the project in the form of a lightweight game, the author aims to engage a wider range of users and provide a medium through which more people can learn about and understand the experiences of vulnerable groups.