In this article, I share personal opinions that do not represent my employer or any library agency. Additionally, King Pangnapa is a fictional creation, and any resemblances to real-life events are purely coincidental.

In the midst of book bans and budget cuts, I turned to art to navigate the challenges within our field. This artistic exploration delves into the unexpected but profound connection between video games and libraries. The union of video games and libraries may seem unconventional, but it has deep roots. Public libraries, once the gateway to computer experiences, evolved with the digital age. Today, as children immerse themselves in games like Roblox, it prompts contemplation on the evolving dynamics and its impact on library services.

Embarking on my game design journey, I sought to create a video game that enlightens gamers about the profound significance of libraries. As librarians, our journey involves overcoming challenges like budget cuts and societal issues, expanding our mission beyond conventional boundaries. Submitted for my MA in Game Design at Lindenwood University, my game defies norms. Prioritizing the librarian experience over typical gaming mechanics, it offers players a unique lens into the life of a librarian, forsaking traditional cutscenes and voice acting.

Meet King Pangnapa, the 6000-year-old penguin, embodying the power fantasy craved in the gaming industry. His poignant backstory, banishment, and encounters with magical entities like Biblio and Library Gods add layers to his character. His quest: archiving human history and preserving books. Enter Mr. Grumpypants, the Tiger King of Capitalism, embodying real-world challenges from book bans to power structures. The video game transforms into a battlefield against censorship, encapsulating the struggles librarians face in defending knowledge. Accompanied by Nine Inch Nails’ music, the game’s narrative unfolds, capturing the self-loathing and battles faced by King Pangnapa. From “Into the Void” to “March of the Pigs,” the music acts as a poignant backdrop, intensifying the gaming experience.

King Pangnapa

As the game concludes, it sets the stage for a sequel, “Master of All Librarians,” delving into leadership dynamics and the pivotal role of libraries in democracy. Despite skepticism about the game’s impact, the collaborative process stands as a beacon to inspire a new generation of librarians.

This project, born from frustration and anxiety, metamorphoses into a tribute to colleagues, acknowledging the exceptional work of librarians. Despite feeling powerless, the creation of this game is an artistic endeavor, aspiring to reshape the perception of libraries positively.

The post Pixelating Libraries: Bridging Books and Bytes first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The Library of Congress (LOC), is presenting game developers a challenge- to make games that help improve public knowledge on civics. The LOC will award a cash prize of $20,000 for the winning entry, $10,000 for the second-place entry, and $5,000 for the third-place entry. The winning games will be hosted on the LOC site for use by the American public and the winners will be honored in a public ceremony. The deadline for entries is 11/27/23. Exact details and qualifications can all be found on the official website.

What does this mean for us, librarians? Well, if your patrons or colleagues are game developers, it’s crucial to promptly share this news with them so they can kickstart their development process. The earlier development begins, the more time there is for prototyping and polishing.

Crafting Your Civic Game: Tips for Game Developers

The first step you should take is to ensure that the game mechanics are up and running, to determine if the concept is enjoyable and worth pursuing. Afterward, you can focus on refining animations, graphics, and sound. Depending on the game’s complexity and the composition of your team, it’s highly advisable to create a Game Design Document (GDD). GDDs serve to establish clear objectives for the game and provide a roadmap for everyone on the team, ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding the game’s direction.

Even if you’re working independently, maintaining a record or dev-log of your progress is beneficial in the long run, especially for retrospection. Well-crafted GDDs serve as a source of inspiration for the team and are considered living documents. Some teams prefer using a Wiki format, while a simple Google Doc can suffice. In summary, your GDD serves as a showcase of the project’s scope and sets the groundwork for your game development endeavor.

Technical Considerations and Accessibility: Making Your Game Stand Out

It is required that the games must be playable on modern web browsers- this is important for developers to know because not every game engine is capable or optimized for publishing to a browser. For example, even though Unreal Engine 5 (UE5)  is out, as stated in Epic’s guide for HTML5 Projects you’d have to load up an earlier version of Unreal Engine (UE4) to publish it. If anything, Unity might be the better platform since WebGL publishing makes publishing on a browser easy to do. Of course, if you don’t like Unity, there are tons of other gaming engines with their own pros and cons. Technically, you could also make the game with Twine, and if you are someone who hates coding and would rather just focus on the storytelling aspects- Twine might be the better choice. Many developers post their web-based games on itch.io, which can also be where you host your own game.

It is also required that the game is Section 508 compliant and works with screen readers like Jaws, NVDA, VoiceOver and etc. Making the game accessible to individuals with disabilities is vital for the competition as well. You must make sure the game will be rated E from the ESRB, and incorporate Library of Congress resources. Unity has a very thorough accessibility course that can be applied to other industries besides gaming.

With the rules set in mind, you probably have some ideas in mind for a great Civics video game. However if now you find yourself with writer’s block- don’t worry, I asked ChatGPT for ideas in advance. After all, if you choose to use Unity ChatGPT, it can help write the C# scripting for some of the mechanics.

From ChatGPT:

• Democracy Simulator: In this game, players can take on the role of a citizen in a virtual city or country and participate in the democratic process. They can run for office, campaign for votes, propose and debate laws, and make decisions that impact the virtual society. The game can provide a realistic simulation of the challenges and complexities of democratic governance.
• Constitutional Quest: Players embark on a quest through a fictional land where they must collect pieces of a fragmented constitution. Along the way, they learn about the different branches of government, the rights and responsibilities of citizens, and the importance of upholding democratic principles. The game can incorporate puzzles, challenges, and interactive storytelling elements.
• Global Diplomacy: This game focuses on international relations and diplomacy. Players represent different countries and work together or compete against each other to address global issues such as climate change, trade agreements, and conflicts. They must negotiate, form alliances, make compromises, and consider the consequences of their decisions, teaching them about the complexities of international politics.
• Justice Defender: Players become lawyers or judges in a virtual courtroom setting. They investigate cases, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and argue their cases in front of a virtual judge and jury. The game can cover various legal concepts such as due process, the rule of law, and the role of the judiciary, while also exploring ethical dilemmas and the impact of legal decisions on society.
• Civic Heroes: In this game, players take on the role of everyday citizens who become community activists and work to solve local issues. They engage in grassroots organizing, hold town hall meetings, create awareness campaigns, and collaborate with others to make a positive impact. The game can cover topics such as community development, civic engagement, and the importance of active citizenship.
• Media Literacy Quest: This game focuses on teaching players about media literacy and critical thinking skills. Players navigate through a virtual media landscape filled with fake news, misinformation, and biased sources. They must identify reliable information, fact-check claims, and make informed decisions based on evidence. The game can provide resources and strategies for evaluating news and media content.
• Historical Simulation: Players can be immersed in historically significant events and periods, such as the American Revolution or the civil rights movement. They can experience the challenges faced by historical figures, make choices that shape the outcome of events, and gain an understanding of the social and political contexts of those times. This can foster an appreciation for the impact of civic engagement throughout history.

Remember, the effectiveness of a game in teaching civics will also depend on how well it incorporates engaging gameplay mechanics, clear learning objectives, and opportunities for active participation and decision-making.”

Collaborative Opportunities: Libraries as Game Development Hubs

Well, there you have it: a game’s complexity in its development is entirely at the discretion of the developer. Whether you choose to embark on this journey solo or collaborate with others depends on the resources available to you. If you possess the time and determination to create something entirely on your own, go for it, but it’s essential to maintain a realistic perspective.

For instance, if your vision for a civics game rivals the scope of titles like “Ghost of Tsushima” or “Assassin’s Creed” set during the American Civil War, attempting to handle all aspects of coding, 3D modeling, and animations by yourself might lead to burnout. This is precisely where the value of assembling a team and connecting with like-minded individuals becomes evident.

Fortunately, the internet provides convenient avenues for such collaborations through platforms like Reddit or LinkedIn.

However, libraries can also play a pivotal role in supporting game designers by providing spaces for them to collaborate, similar to how some libraries host Writing Circles, where patrons share their written work with one another. In this context, game designers can convene, whether in-person or virtually.

There are instances where you might prefer to work with a collaborator who is local to you, especially if your civics game is centered around your hometown. However, if financial constraints make it challenging to hire talent for creating assets, you may find yourself in a situation where you must either acquire the skills to create assets yourself or rely on your networking efforts to connect with someone willing to join you in developing the game, regardless of your skill level.

Whichever path you decide to take, I wish you the best of luck in the development of your game! Even if you don’t emerge as the winner, there remains the potential for it to attain cult classic status, potentially yielding greater rewards over time than the immediate cash prizes. Regardless of the outcome, it’s important to remember that the LOC is seeking games that not only encourage civic engagement but also educate players about LOC resources.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

The post Unlocking Civic Knowledge: Library of Congress Game Development Challenge first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The debate on the ethics of AI is lengthy, especially in terms of art, but one aspect of the debate is using AI as a tool. Whether you use it as a tool to brainstorm ideas for projects or use it to help your writing- it’s a very powerful tool- so powerful, I asked it to help me make a basic 2D
Platformer.

Recently as a graduate student, I took Team Studio, a class where you work with other students in creating games for your portfolio. I wanted to use Unity’s visual scripting for the project, but that ended up not working out. I now, as a librarian, had to learn C# from scratch in order to create a player controller for my character. The player controller would have the ability to move, flip, jump, and be able to receive damage. Since I had previously used visual scripting to make my previous platformer and have fun in Dreams, doing the same via C# was a challenge,
especially since we had an eight-week time limit. Coding is not something you are taught in library school. If anything you learn some HTML/CSS to help design webpages. I already knew some back from my Neopets, and MySpace days in the mid-2000s. Therefore, the transition to learning C# was more doable compared to if I didn’t know any coding at all, but here’s what makes programming so difficult- there are more than 200 ways to program movement, and there’s no right way of making a frog jump for example, you just have to make programming work for you.

There are benefits to visual scripting and traditional scripting in terms of making video games. My argument for visual scripting is that for us librarians since books are our main specialty, it’s easy for beginners to feel empowered to want to try to make video games, so it would be easy with some time for it to be offered as a class to the patrons. All you are doing is connecting nodes with each other. I highly recommend Dreams and Game Builder Garage for video game collections, because those games teach you the skills needed to do visual scripting. However, there are more tutorials and guides out there for traditional coding, which made using C# to do the programming for our student project more feasible. Look at the below picture, one is visual scripting while the other is C#. Both are scripts that make a game object rotate and spin. Which is easier? It’s up to you to decide.

There are plenty of Youtube tutorials out there that I followed in teaching myself C#. However, finding tutorials that actually help, and are not outdated was difficult to find. I got my player controller to move, but it could not jump. Finally, I found one where you had to add an empty game object of “ground check” to the player and tag the layers. Hurray, my player jumps! But then, after my teammate made a script for health that I tried to incorporate, now my player refused to jump. I was stressed out, for why was the player not jumping now?

Game development is “figuring out why this is not working, you finally fix it, but in fixing that you break something else.” My teammate ended up saving the day by having to create an entirely new player controller script. It was extremely stressful having to learn enough C# in a short time frame to get a working player, so the professor gave the suggestion of using ChatGPT to write scripts. While the game we created for class features no ChatGPT scripting, his advice did inspire me to do this pet project. I was able to make a player controller script that both moves around and jumps using tags and layers, I did not even have to do the method of adding a ground check game object to my player like other tutorials I followed did. This is what I created: a very simple, 2D platformer where you can walk and jump around. The artwork is all from Canva, as I cannot draw/animate well.

You cannot hurt enemies or take damage as of right now, but the goal is eventually, using ChatGPT alone to make the scripts capable of doing so. Eventually creating a more fleshed-out 2D Platformer is the goal, but the fact that ChatGPT was able to create a decent player controller script, as well as enemy patrol scripts that work was impressive. I did not have to do the ground check game-object trick that so many of the player controller tutorials I saw utilized. Here is the catch- you have to know some C# to utilize it properly. You have to know how the
syntax works and what certain terms mean, otherwise just copying and pasting it directly onto Visual Scripting may cause compiler issues for your game, and make your game unplayable.

Here is an example of how I told ChatGPT to write the scripting.

using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;
public class PlayerController : MonoBehaviour
{
public float moveSpeed = 5f;
public float jumpForce = 10f;
public AudioClip jumpSound;
private Rigidbody2D rb;
private AudioSource audioSource;
private bool isGrounded;
private void Start()
{
rb = GetComponent<Rigidbody2D>();
audioSource = GetComponent<AudioSource>();
}
private void FixedUpdate()
{
float moveInput = Input.GetAxisRaw("Horizontal");
rb.velocity = new Vector2(moveInput * moveSpeed, rb.velocity.y);
}
private void Update()
{
if (Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.Space) && isGrounded)
{
Jump();
PlayJumpSound();
}
}
private void Jump()
{
rb.velocity = new Vector2(rb.velocity.x, jumpForce);
isGrounded = false;
}
private void PlayJumpSound()
{
if (jumpSound != null)
{
audioSource.PlayOneShot(jumpSound);
}
}
private void OnCollisionEnter2D(Collision2D collision)
{
if (collision.gameObject.CompareTag("Ground"))
{
isGrounded = true;

Then, in Unity, all I had to do was edit the PlayerController script, or in the case of starting it from scratch, create a new script by clicking “add component” at the bottom.

Then just copy and paste it into Microsoft Visual Studio, save, add the jump audio sound, and then you are done.

The post How I Used ChatGPT to Make a Video Game first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

There are many ways Game Design can be applied to libraries. For one providing, for free, the technical help needed to make a video game is something we can do. Personally speaking, I have friendly professors to go to if I run into issues; our patrons are most likely learning all of this on their own via Linkedin Learning through their library card. Sure, they can go to Reddit, the help is there if needed on the internet, but with a librarian, you get that in-person, friendly help.

What a librarian does is tell you the correct information you need to know at the level of skill you are at. On the internet, you can get conflicting information. Another way Game Design can be applied to libraries is through training programs. Below is the concept art of an idea I had for a game (please excuse my art style, I am clearly not the best artist out there). You are on a timer, and you are scored based on how many books you can find within the time limit. (The quicker you find the books, you get the time and a chance to higher your score.) The catch is that you must know either Dewey or LC to find the books, as that is how we librarians find our books.

Even if nobody is interested in this game, it still has applications for training library pages. You can use it as an on-boarding tool, to teach new staff members how to shelve/find books. With this in mind, there are many other applications of game design that can be used to train new staff members, or even give refreshers. In fact, developing the game itself can be a program offering, in one week we go over how collisions work, and the second we discuss animation.

You can adapt books into video games. In the age of digitization, the lending periods of e-books can be quite costly to libraries. By adapting books into their own video games, you can preserve the lesson but just in a new format and to a new audience. You’ll get gamers who borrow both the book and the game, similar to “Now on Netflix” book displays. A lot of YA Sci-Fi can easily be adapted into captivating RPGs such as Final Fantasy. Horror novels may find a new life if you add fixed camera angles like Resident Evil. How gameplay can evolve or make a story better is something to be explored.

Not interested in making video games? Well, on the research side, it is probable that more and more students will make video games their project-based theses in the future. For video games that take place in different parts of history, the developers may need historical documents/research to make sure their game is historically accurate. It’s no different than any researcher or scholar asking for materials for their book, but you will be helping someone who is approaching the assignment as “how do I make this fun for players?”

The post Applying Game Design to Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I’ve always been a gamer my entire life, but I never knew how to get into the gaming industry. I
ended up becoming a librarian instead. Born and raised in the Bronx, where our borough has
historically been neglected, the arts and STEM even more so. I thought I had to become
fluent in Japanese, learn to code, and move to Japan in order to create the video game of my
dreams, which would be something as classic as Final Fantasy 7, or Metal Gear Solid to many
gamers.

Once I started playing Dreams and doing the tutorials I saw how easy and fun it was to make a
game on this platform. I enjoyed making Frozen/Sailor Moon-inspired games with my daughter.
I even made a spiritual recreation of the library greenhouse I had done years ago. Once I felt
comfortable with Dreams, I thought “let’s try using the software the actual experts in the gaming industry use.” So, I started to learn Unreal Engine. I learned how to make my character walk
using the visual scripting language, Blueprints. It looks difficult at first, but over time it became much easier. Then I discovered Lindenwood University’s MA in Game Design program. I told
myself, why not? My employer has tuition assistance, and school is going to force me to keep at
this game design work. Let’s do it!

I made the first game I ever made for my Game Development class, “The Map of the
Missing Library Books.” I wanted to make a video game about librarians, and about what we
do every day. Often, when searching for books on hold, it’s like a game in that you
have to now try to guess where the book could be.

During my tenure at Lindenwood, I had to write a research paper in which I picked the topic to
be libraries and gamers. I read Hideo Koijma’s “The Creative Gene,” in which I realized my hero,
is a librarian. Think about it, he recently released a booklist. Who else talks
about books like that? Librarians. I also realized while reading his book that Kojima needs a
successor. And perhaps as a librarian, maybe I could be the one to train and empower
that person. For all I know, maybe they are from the Bronx just like me, but don’t have the resources or don’t feel empowered to do so. I don’t have to create video games, I just have to
teach others how to make their own.

And this is how King Pangnapa was born, my fictional King of the Librarians.  I wanted to make a video game that redefines what it means to be a librarian in the 21st century. I wanted to make a
video game that shows that no, we don’t just sit and read books all day, we are community
leaders, and we are the deliverers of information in the age of misinformation. Amateur, yes, and I made this knowing in the future I will have to make a remake, but in a span of eight weeks I was able to learn enough to be able to create my own story, and that is the story of King Pangnapa.

I write this to inspire all my librarians to listen to that artist within, if you have a dream or
passion, pursue it! The number of friends and people I met in the gaming industry, and the
support I’ve received, have been incredible and amazing. I am truly grateful to everyone, and
I’m looking forward to the day King Pangnapa is released.

The post Librarian Turned Game Designer first appeared on Public Libraries Online.