Solving Problems, Robot-Style
Chattanooga's Creative Discovery Museum commissioned Triptych with our dream game: an educational touch screen game that introduces engineering concepts to children through the lens of play.
An engaging education challenge
As part of the rollout of their cutting-edge technology exhibit, the Creative Discovery Museum tapped us to build the interactive robot-themed game in record time. The challenge lay not just in making the immersive touch screen experience, but in also making it a conduit for imparting fundamental engineering and problem-solving skills to eager student visitors.
Working with a truncated timeframe, we dove right into gameplay concepts and proposed the ideal touchscreen hardware. Every decision we made was informed by the goal of capturing kids' imaginations.
In the game, students must equip their trusty robot companion "Bit" with the right parts to win interactive challenges and puzzles.
Creating a world with color
Taking inspiration from beloved mid-century children's books, we designed a consistent 24-color palette for the game's art style and named them with alphabet letters for easy cross-team reference.
This palette wasn't just a splash of colors — it was a structured hierarchy, meticulously tailored to each in-game environment. This approach ensured visual coherence while infusing distinct personality into every level.
The retro color palette and systematic naming convention enabled efficient collaboration between art, design, and engineering. By aligning on an intentional, constrained color language derived from classic children's illustrations, we achieved a unified aesthetic that evokes both nostalgia and innovation.
Transcending dimensional limitations
Custom illustrations adorned our textures, aligning with the aesthetic style of each map, from the garbage-strewn park to the untidy bedroom. This technique allowed us to leverage the depth of 3D while maintaining the charm of 2D drawing.
Through the strategic use of custom sprites, we implemented 2D graphic overlays in each scene to add extra visual interest like environmental details, UI elements (on the uppermost layer), and interactive objects.
By blending these approaches, we were able to achieve a cohesive visual style that balances 3D environments with 2D illustration. The result is a game that looks and feels like an interactive storybook.
By coordinating closely with the Creative Discovery Museum, we delivered the project on a compressed timeline. We are proud of our robot game and the engineering lessons Bit teaches through puzzle gameplay. Since its installation in the STEM exhibit, Bit's Big Day has become a highlight for thousands of students.
