INFO

Abstract

Stop the Poacher is an AR game designed to raise public awareness about rhino extinction

By integrating gameplay into real-world settings, the game allows players to see both the virtual and real simultaneously, helping them visualize the urgent dangers rhinos face. The project incorporates feedback from the Atlanta Zoo team, drawing on expert insights to enhance its educational impact.
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Timeline

Jan 2022 - May 2022

Role

Unity Developer, 3D designer

methods

Playtesting

tools

Unity, Figma, Maya

collaborators

OVERVIEW

Problem

Despite zoos' efforts to educate visitors about animal extinction, it is often difficult for people to connect specific threats with the animals themselves. This psychological distance can prevent visitors from fully understanding the severity of the issue, making it challenging to take meaningful action to support endangered species.

Design Question

How can we design an AR game that
fosters connections to the threats facing endangered animals?

Design Goals

Design an AR game experience that:

Reflect real-world threats

Accurately portray the various poaching activities to educate players on the challenges facing rhino conservation

Incorporates dual layers of experience

Enable players to engage with the game while viewing real rhinos in the background, enhancing their connection to the issue by linking virtual threats to actual animals

Enhances player agency

Give players the opportunity to take action within the virtual world to protect rhinos

Based on these goals, we developed the game in Unity, created 3D assets in Maya and designed UI elements in Figma (Rhino and poacher assets were sourced from the Unity Asset Store₁).

INTERACTIONS

Reflecting real-world threats

The game educates players on the critical issues facing rhinos.

Players encounter various threats to the species' survival, such as traps, poisoned plants, and snares—methods commonly used by poachers.

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At the end of the game, the players will also learn about why poaching happens and what they can do to help Rhinos survive.

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Two-layers of the game

The game is designed to be played on-site, allowing visitors to better connect the threats rhinos face to their real-world survival.

This two-layered experience combines augmented reality with the real environment, helping players understand the dangers rhinos face in an engaging way. By immersing players in both virtual and physical contexts, the experience aims to bridge the gap often felt toward conservation issues, fostering a deeper understanding and connection to the cause.
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Interactions

Rotate to look around the
real-environment

Tap to remove traps

Drag to place the fence

Designing for
player agency

Players are given the mission to save as many rhinos as possible within a limited time.

Game Objective

Players are tasked with protecting rhinos by using strategic abilities to deter poachers and remove traps. The goal is to save as many rhinos as possible within a limited time, making players feel directly responsible for the rhinos' survival.
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Gameplay Flow

Threats and Obstacles:
Poachers advance slowly toward the rhinos, breaking through any fences in their path, while traps—including poisoned plants and snares—fall randomly from the sky, adding an unpredictable challenge
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Scoring and Impact:
With no fail state, players focus on maximizing their score by blocking poachers and clearing traps. At the end of the game, the score reflects the number of rhinos saved

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Core Abilities

Collect Traps: Remove traps that fall randomly from the sky to clear potential threats
Create Fences: Gather branches to construct fences to deter poachers
Place Fences: Position fences strategically to deter poachers or prevent rhinos from approaching dangerous traps

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Age-Appropriateness

Non-Violent Approach
Rather than depicting harm, rhinos disappear when endangered, reinforcing the conservation theme in a non-violent way.

Fail-Safe Mechanic
The game includes a no-fail state. Three rhinos move toward the traps, and if they collide with a trap or a poacher, they disappear from the field, symbolizing their "loss." The last rhino, however, is protected—it cannot be killed by poachers or traps, but any encounter results in a time penalty for the player.
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Empathetic Storytelling
A brief introductory story about a baby rhino in need of help provides context for the game, encouraging players to engage on a deeper, empathetic level and motivating them to take action to protect the rhinos.

PLAYTESTING

We playtested the prototype with students and two School Programs Supervisors from the Atlanta Zoo, gathering the following feedback:
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General Feedback

The non-violent, age-appropriate approach was well-received, making the game suitable and acceptable for young audiences.
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Game Mechanics

Improve the alignment between the resource system
Placing fences freely in the AR view proved challenging on mobile devices
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USER INTERFACE

Make the time limit more noticeable for users to enhance gameplay awareness
Modify the fence button to make it more visually clear and accessible to users

We've refined the game...

Instead of collecting resources from trees and using twigs as obstacles, players can now collect traps directly and repurpose them as fences to block poachers.

Additionally, we implemented designated areas for placing fences, making it easier for players to position them accurately in the AR view.