Another creation of NYU’s CREATE Lab, Light Lanes is a game designed to explore if and how players exhibit systems thinking strategies during game-play.  By manipulating various objects, players are asked to solve puzzles by firing a laser at a target, avoiding obstacles that may impede their goal.  While the game is primarily a tool used in research, it also aims to make problem-solving fun, challenging, and engaging for learners.  My contribution to the creation of Light Lanes was in graphic work, while the bulk of programming and level design was executed by Nik Hajny of CREATE Labs.

Below is a screenshot of the game-play screen from level 14.  The green “Go” button fires the triangular laser, the yellow “Menu” button returns players to the level select screen, and the red “Reset” button returns the puzzle to its default orientation.  Notice the moveable green mirror blocks, non-moveable red blocks, unlockable gates, rotatable gears, remote receivers, triggers, and power-switches…

In this screen from level 19, the the player has fired the laser! Watch as it bounces off of the moveable mirrors on it’s way to the green target. In this level, there’s the addition of reflective mirror blocks…

Light Lanes will be implemented in the new CREATE DREAM initiative, which will house all of NYU CREATE’s research games.  In its initial build, Light Lanes had a log-in screen like this:

And though another level-select screen was implemented, here is my concept piece for the menu used to select a level.  An additional page was intended for stages beyond level 20…