“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
— Alan Kay
I designed an interactive narrative storyline game that allows users to step into the role of the main character and experience the story from a first-person perspective. It’s like reading a novel, but this time, you are the protagonist📖, and your choices determine what happens next. I chose a narrative format because it encourages imagination, initiative, and flexibility, allowing users—especially high school students—to connect more deeply with the storyline. The plot centers on “you,” a character grappling with disengagement and questioning the purpose of learning, much like many high school students today. As you consider giving up on school, a portal suddenly pulls you into a future world where you experience education in a different light. In this futuristic setting, you face a series of challenges and explore an advanced school environment. Here, you see how future students might learn—perhaps alongside a virtual Newton avatar—and encounter innovative learning experiences. Throughout this journey, you also reflect on your future ambitions and make choices that shape the person you aspire to become.
This game immerses players in a futuristic world where they navigate a challenging academic environment, reflecting on conventional education’s shortcomings. Set in the year 2123, players embody a student experiencing both a revolutionary, AI-driven learning system and a traditional, memorization-focused school 🏃. As players choose their pathways, they encounter themes of frustration with rote learning, the thrill of discovery in an interactive curriculum, and the allure of an adaptive AI system that fosters curiosity.
Throughout the game, players experience various educational perspectives—like interactive, historical re-enactments, and immersive, project-based learning—allowing them to consider the joy of education beyond test scores. Players gain insights into the role of technology (AI, VR) in personalizing learning, exploring the broader purpose of education, and questioning who or what controls the structure and content of their learning experiences. Ultimately, students reflect on their learning journeys, confronting personal motivations and envisioning the potential for an education system that prioritizes holistic development.
Design Process 💡💻
– HTML/ Interaction/ Twine
HTML and Front-End Development ✍️
Leveraged Twine is used to craft the interactive narrative and link story nodes.
Utilized responsive design techniques to ensure the game looks polished on both desktop and mobile devices.
Styling and Design (CSS): Created a visually engaging, book-like interface using CSS, inspired by traditional literature aesthetics.
Used dynamic background colors and interactive elements to enhance immersion and signal changes in the storyline.
Implemented custom font choices and visual effects for a sophisticated, elegant presentation.
Interactive Coding (JavaScript): Integrated JavaScript for handling user input, tracking choices, and managing branching story paths.
Developed a choice-tracking system to adapt the storyline based on player decisions, affecting the protagonist’s journey and ending.
Added hover effects and transitions to create an engaging and responsive user experience.
Motivation 🏫
— a self-discovery journey of your learning potential and what education should be
The motivation for creating Potential AI stems from a desire to reimagine education as an engaging, self-discovery journey, rather than a rigid, one-size-fits-all structure. Observing how traditional education systems often prioritize standardized testing over individual growth, I wanted to design a game that challenges these conventions, allowing players to reflect on their unique learning traits, strengths, and potential. Given the advances in AI and personalized learning, I envisioned a futuristic learning experience where technology adapts to the learner’s needs, sparking curiosity and intrinsic motivation. This project is driven by a commitment to exploring alternative education models where students can gain insights into themselves and their capacities, ultimately fostering a deep-seated passion for learning and discovery.
— To invent your own learning journey and reimagine the future your own education.
