The Island: A Game of Corruption and Conservation
Apex, NC
2020, Senior, Interactive & Multimedia
Project Description: The Island is a board game where you play as an island developer. You can do what you like on your island. The ultimate goal is to make as much money as possible. However, the entire time you’re working on construction, waste is accruing. As the trash accumulates and more of the ocean is polluted, sea life dies off, property value plummets, and it becomes impossible to turn a profit. If the ocean is irreparably damaged, everyone loses. The game then hinges on a balancing act between development and conservation; you can’t win if you don’t make money, but nobody wins if the oceans are ruined. I think The Island could be an effective tool to increase awareness of oceanic and environmental issues. It’s a fun game that sits right on the edge of accessibility and complexity.
Reflection
Reflection
I was struck by the imagery of miles of garbage over the surface of the ocean. I read a lot of startling statistics and stories during my research, but I couldn't get the images out of my head. I thought of any one person trying to move that much trash, how herculean that feat would be. What should not be there is there, and that stood out to me. I call my game The Island not after the islands that the players control and develop, but after the island that grows between and because of them. I wanted to share the feeling I had experienced, a sudden, inexorable fixation on this monumental problem. The other feeling I wanted to create was one of hope. There comes a point, usually in the fourth or fifth round, when the trash hits critical mass. It seems impossible to beat; that no matter what the island will continue to grow. However, every game the players band together and turn back the tide. The island shrinks, the score goes down, and the planet survives. That feeling is what gives me hope. The knowledge that humanity can turn around this catastrophe before it’s too late. For me, I plan to do my part by cutting down on disposable plasticware, the leading cause of ocean pollution.