This game was designed with the intention of using alternative control methods. The goal of the game is to grow the plant to the top of the screen, where a flower would bloom. The player would lose if the plant hit the side of the screen, damaging the plant and causing it to begin growing from the start.
Moving away from a PC Monitor, I scaled down to a small screen that was compatible to Arduino hardware. I had been using the Arduino hardware since the early design phase as it allowed for unconventional control inputs such as light sensors (Light-Dependant Resistors).
The mechanics of this game were simple – The plant would grow diagonally in one direction, only if one of the LDRs was uncovered. If both LDRs were receiving sufficient light the plant would wither (stop growing and retreat to its previous position). For example if the Left LDR was uncovered and the right was covered, the plant would grow towards the left side.
Additionally I used a laser cutter to create the box enclosure, the design on the panels acted as instruction on how to play the game. I relied on cryptic imagery similar to petroglyphs, creating a mini puzzle that needed to be solved before working out how to play the game itself.
I am most proud of the fact that players can move around a room freely with the box and experiment with different light condition to get into a sweet-spot where the plant would grow. I really liked the dynamic feel of this, over the player simply sitting at a desk to play the game on a PC monitor.