PRESS RELEASE
One of our members, Bach, has always wondered what keeps him on social media for so long, feeling like he is "trapped" on it?
After pitching the idea to the class, he was joined by Luca, Jessica N, and Jessica H to make this phenomenon into a puzzle game! Together, we created a game that simulates what makes social media so time consuming - by the constant rotation between apps.
But our game is not just a simulation, we want to send a message of how social media is so engrained into our daily lives, and you need to be aware of this situation. In Trapped on Social Media, players must be creative and observant in their way of getting out of the system!
Game Screenshots
Cleverly Designed
A Real Life Simulation
Think Outside Your Phone!
TISM Trailer
Our Team
Who We Are
Luca Conetta
Code
Hi I'm Luca, and I am currently a sophomore at Tufts University studying Computer Science. Most of the time that I spent working on this project was focused on creating game levels and code in Unity. I spent a lot of time working with Unity on this project, and learned a lot about the application and its uses.
Jessica Nordlund
Code/GM
Hi! I’m Jessica, and I am currently a junior working towards a BS in Computer Engineering. I was able to use my coding background to help implement the inner workings of the game with my teammate Luca. Personally, I worked on the randomization of the puzzles and codes in the game, and I learned how to use both Photoshop and audio processing tools in order to implement the sounds and hidden objects for the game.
Jessica Hirsch
Art/Music
I am responsible for the illustrations and music. I used my background in digital painting and photography to create detailed depictions of the characters, the LIvE app design, and the landscapes seen in the game. When creating the illustrations, I aimed for the viewer to see my brush strokes while still maintaining the realistic component of the image to represent how the perfection in social media images has been meticulously crafted, just like painters when they paint. I named the section of the game where these images are displayed “LIvE” to combine the words “lie” and “life” to further the idea that social media is a fake representation of a person’s reality. I added photography because I wanted to add elements of life that remained untouched by the human need for attention. I also created, with help from a musician, the winning and losing sounds to generate a better auditory experience.
Bach Ngo
Art/Story
I worked on the game's design interface and developed its main storyline. The game was my original idea because I have always been fascinated by how much time people my age spends on social media, as if it is kind of a trap! Therefore, I created most of the interfaces of the different apps inside the game to imitate the presence of real-life social media apps. The game includes games that reference Instagram, Snapchat, and Reddit, all of which are familiar enough for the target players of this game.
Outside of this class, I am a 3D motion designer (or on my path to becoming one), so check out my reel here!