University hits play on new video game resource

Post grad students from Abertay University have teamed up with Scottish Huntington’s Association to develop a computer game designed to help young people growing up in families impacted by Huntington’s disease.

I Am Max – My Huntington’s Disease Journey, inspired by the Scottish Huntington’s Association story book for under eights, New Things At Max’s House, was unveiled at the university’s Applied Games Showcase in Dundee earlier this summer.

This new resource is aimed at an older age group – 14 to 18 – and will be incorporated into support provided by the charity’s Youth Service. It will also be made available to parents and young people to use independently when it goes live online later this year.

Players will learn how the disease progresses and discover some of the different challenges that brings for the family. Its plotline also features additional characters living in the household, including parents and a younger sibling, and involves navigating three levels based on the physical, cognitive and mental health symptoms associated with Huntington’s.

Lecturer in Games Production at Abertay University, Dr Andrew Reid, said: “The project was a collaboration between Scottish Huntington’s Association and postgraduate game development students at Abertay University as part of a module, Applied Games and Research Practice, that runs between January and May each year.

“This involves a team of student game developers working with clients to produce games that address a creative brief set by the client. The result of this was I Am Max, a point-and-click browser game that tells the story of Max and her understanding of Huntington’s disease through her father and grandfather’s diagnoses.”

“I Am Max has serious potential to be a valuable resource for educating young people about Huntington’s disease. Its delicate blend of humorous and emotionally charged moments, coupled with the simplicity and accessibility of its controls and visual presentation, stands as a solid example of what applied games are about: intentionally designing for a specific audience and a defined prosocial goal. I hope to continue working with the Scottish Huntington’s Association team to ensure the game reaches its audience and achieves its desired impact.”

With support from the charity’s Youth Service, students undertook extensive research before development began. Youth Service Lead Grant Walker worked closely with them throughout the project to broaden their understanding of Huntington’s disease, its impacts and challenges, and why specialist support for young people is so essential.

“Working with Scottish Huntington’s Association has been something I have been keen to explore for a few years as my own research practice involves working with the third sector to address social and cultural challenges using applied games and game development,” said Dr Reid.

“The student developers had to tread carefully with social and cultural sensitivities, such as age-appropriate content and ensuring I Am Max is playable for a wide array of game-playing skillsets. The narrative went through a lot of iteration and dialogue between Grant and the team.

“It has been incredibly valuable and the charity has been an excellent client for the students. I Am Max is a strong reflection of this collaborative effort and I’m really proud of what everyone has achieved. Observationally, it has been a partnership filled with insight and joy, and I am keen to continue to explore how the development and use of games can contribute towards the charity’s goals in providing specialist support and care for families in Scotland.”