My role

I led both projects from end-to-end, developing the brand and visual identity, the Milkyway platform, as well as the in-person event logistics.

I had help from community volunteers who worked on project review, fulfilment of prizes, and coworkers from Hack Club also helped to staff the event and manage participants in Singapore. For the most part, though, I was juggling every part at once.

Key decisions

A playful platform — inspired by social games I played online, I wanted the Milkyway platform to feel customizable and playful, like a game in and of itself. I themed the site around an axolotl mascot named Mimi, and gave each user customizable rooms that they can improve as they worked on their game.

Users can also add each other as friends, view other profiles like a neighborhood, and leave sticky notes on each other's houses to encourage them. It was really sweet to read the community interactions.

Challenges that inspire — I didn't want the participants to spend their time grinding and making uninspired projects. I also knew that it was hard to just lock in on a project if you didn't have an idea. To counter this, I added a randomizer Roulette minigame to the Milkyway platform, researching game types to break them down. Roulette had 3 rounds forcing the player to combine three different elements into one game. There was Gameplay, Camera Angle, and Setting.

A game jam in a game — the premise of the game jam was an alternate reality game experience, as if the event was a giant game that you were participating in. I brainstormed for a long time on how to integrate this concept into an event where participants were still motivated to make something and ship a game, and researched other alternate reality games for inspiration. My favorite was Reality Ends Here by USC, which had challenge elements that dictated the direction of projects created.

I made quest papers with open-ended creative challenges that teams could integrate into their projects, and we hid them throughout the venue for teams to find — I also wanted to emphasize the special physical aspects of how we can come together in person. A final "boss fight" sequence involved a giant inflatable dice and inflatable weapons with participants whacking staff members for points. The execution wasn't perfect — it still felt more gimmicky than immersive — but the reception was amazing, and the participants enjoyed it nonetheless.

Other features

The platform Milkyway had a variety of gamification elements that encouraged participation, and Overglade's highlight was a beach barbecue with the sunset. My overall goal was to make it feel as fun as possible, almost like its own community, an alternate universe you could slip into for a while where everyone loved creating.

Reflection

Milkyway and Overglade gave me a huge sense of accomplishment as it was the largest project I've led a team to complete. The process was arduous and difficult — the weeks before the in-person event, I'd work non-stop for 12-14 hours to finalize all the details, flesh out the in-person game, plan the logistics — because I loved it so much and I wanted it to be the absolute best that it could be, for myself and for the participants. It was one of the most intense and passionate things I'd ever done, and it was nothing short of exhilarating.