A Joyful Way to Help Left-Behind Children in Rural China
Lei Bo
When the industrial boom occurred in China, millions of parents in rural areas left their children at home and moved to the city in order to make money. This would allow their children to get educated and have an improved life. This distance created an absence of communication between the children and their parents which caused serious mental and physical health problems for the children. This capstone proposes a smartphone game, designed for urban professionals, which leverages in-game purchasing by the players to raise funds to facilitate communication between the children and their parents. The funds collected through in-game purchases are used to fund a special mailing center which an on-going physical mail communication between the children and their parents.
This describes the design elements of the mobile game. The target audience is people living in urban centers. Each element of the game is based on Chinese traditions and folklore.
The mailed piece contains a progressive game that needs both the children and parents to advance the game. One panel is revealed each time the game is mailed back and forth between the parents and children. Activities to engage them in dialog and play encourage interaction.
