DESCRIPTION & INSPIRATION

Mole and Behold is an interactive educational game, designed for children aged 6-13, that introduces core chemistry concepts through engaging mini-games. The game combines elements of chemistry and necessary safety awareness, incorporated with fun visuals, sound effects, and feedback to promote learning through play! Players explore the lab, collect knowledge, and complete relevant chemistry-themed challenges to progress.

Main Lab Map: the central hub where players can navigate mini-games. Mini Game 1: PPE Lab Safety: Players select the appropriate personal protective equipment in a lab setting. Mini Game 2: Image Match: Players pair element symbols to their full names. Our project theme revolves around conveying foundational chemistry concepts in a low-stakes, interactive environment. Our interpretation of this theme focuses on interactive learning through guided exploration. By framing chemistry as a playful and visual journey inside a lab, we reduce intimidation and further promote curiosity. Each system element is designed to support active participation

Compiling the game's sound elements was an enjoyable yet occasionally frustrating process. Many websites offering sound samples restricted high-quality clips to premium subscriptions, limiting the breadth of options available. One of the main challenges was concisely articulating the specific sounds we envisioned and in addition, at times, sounds we were searching for simply weren’t available in the site’s library. This was especially true for background music (to be used for the main menu and lab map), most available tracks were either overly upbeat, geared toward action-intensive games, or simply in dissonance with the overall vibe we wanted to maintain for the game. Another issue we encountered was finding clean audio clips without ambient background noise, especially for audio samples featuring footsteps, rumpling of clothes etc.,. Regardless, gathering these sound samples presented no major issues.

The design process for “Mole and Behold” logo focused on encapsulating the playful yet educational tone of the game. The pun in the game title is a play on “Lo and behold”, with “mole” referencing both scientific unit and possibly a mole as the mascot feature for the game (something can be developed further later down the line). This dual meaning supports both our subject matter and narrative, giving the game a distinctive identity. We focused on the importance of simplicity and therefore decided on sans serif, bold typography as it’s easy to discern and seems somewhat approachable - important for a younger audience. To infuse the logo with a strong relevance to the educational, scientific concept, we integrated the following key visual elements:

“O” in “Mole” is replaced with an atom icon to signal chemistry and science at first glance.

The test tube conveys laboratory experimentation, which directly references the game’s lab setting.

The circular shapes in the negative space represent molecules/ particles, with the crescent shape serving as a subtle metaphor for observation and illumination - a symbol that suggests the idea of uncovering knowledge.

Color theory and symbolism played an important role in establishing the color palette. The navy blue suggests trust and intelligence, whilst the bright orange and teal create a playful contrast, emboldening the overall design. Hence, the logo successfully communicates this fusion of science, play and learning!