What is Gameplay like in NatureBug?
NatureBug transforms environmental stewardship into an exciting adventure for children. Using their device's camera, kids document their eco-friendly actions -- from cleaning parks to creating wildlife habitats. Their personal digital journal tracks these accomplishments, while the Community Impact Map displays their efforts as colorful pins for peers to discover and support. Guided by mascots Rocky the Raccoon and Fern the Opossum, children receive project suggestions and celebrate their achievements, all within a safe environment that nurtures lasting environmental advocacy.Example of a Core Gameplay Loop
One of the primary modes of gameplay in NatureBug is taking AR (augmented reality) photos of your environmental stewardship projects. The following is a step by step breakdown of this gameplay mechanic:
STEP 1: Navigating Menus
Players have a choice between seeing Rocky and Fern's daily environmental stewardship challenges, navigating to the Community Impact Map, or taking a photo of their own environmental accomplishment or project. To take a picture of the great job we did, we'll be selecting this final camera button.
STEP 2: Framing Our Shot
Gotta get the perfect shot of those bushes we just removed litter from! Players will be given the opportunity to frame their shot here. The lower buttons allow the player to include an AR Fern in the shot, complete the shot, or add an AR Rocky, in that order.
STEP 3: Completing Our Shot
We've decided to include Fern the Opossum in our shot! This 3D model can be adjusted and posed so she looks perfect in the frame. With our picture finally ready, we hit the camera button to shoot and are greeted with a big SHARE button. The player can press this to add their moment to the Community Impact Map.
STEP 4: Community Impact Map View
This is the final screen for the player after they hit the share button. They can see their newly pinned images and the emoji reactions its received in the community, as well as pins for all other recent activity in their area. From here, the child can drill down to other pins to see images being shared, and give their own encouraging emoji reactions to them in turn.
NatureBug: Growing tomorrow's environmental advocates, one adventure at a time!