High-Level Project Summary
Players encounter a variety of obstacles traveling around the board. The object of the game is to collect pieces to complete one of the planets of our solar system. Advanced versions would go on to collect pieces of one of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) images. Each card is assigned a point value. In addition, each card contains information/facts about the planets/JWST images and its discoveries. The player who gets to the end of the board first with the most points and collected image WINS!
Link to Final Project
Link to Project "Demo"
Detailed Project Description
Provide additional details about your project.
To begin, each player chooses a game piece to move around the board. Game pieces could be a simple shape or a complicated piece. Ex. square pegs versus a space dog (a dog with a clear bubble around his head)
- Star card - each card will have ΒΌ of the planet image, with assigned points to each card. Players must collect three (3) of a kind to be able to lay the set down to add to their collection and accumulate points.
- Image card - one image per card with a fact or facts
- Event card - card moves players forward or backward around the board
- Ex. Black hole card - player moves forward or backward to the next black hole space
- Worm hole card - player trades spaces with another player on the board
- Wild card - card can be substituted for any card - ex. Two (2) matching earth cards plus 1 wild card = a set and a player can lay down this set at the beginning of their turn. Points are tallied at the end of the game.
From two (2) to six (6) players can play. One person will deal the cards. Each player receives five (5) star cards and one (1) image card. Each player turns over one (1) Event card to move around the board. Player to the left of the dealer starts. Each player also chooses from the Star card pile or one (1) card from the four (4) showing Star cards. The player may choose to lay down Star card sets down at the beginning of their turn. A set is a minimum of three (3) or more matching or two (2) plus a wild card. Points are totaled at the end of the game.
Star Card
Each Star card is 1/4 of an Image card and is assigned a number value. When all four (4) Star card collections are gathered, they should equal the entire Image card. Ex. Four (4) sets of Earth quarters equal the entire Earth image.
Image Card
Dealer deals one (1) image card to each player. Each image card contains an image, a fact or facts and have a total number of points possible. Star card sets are collected to build the entire Image card. Each Star card has four (4) pieces. Ex. Planet Earth's value is 100 points total. Each of the four (4) cards equal 100 when added all together. A player might only collect three (3) of the four (4) set and total 70 points.
Event Card
Event cards are how players move around the board. Event cards will have different instructions for pieces on the game board. For example, if the player picks up an Event card and it says, "YIKES, you encountered a black hole! Move your game piece backward to the next black hole" that player will follow that instruction. If the player is on the first black hole space, "backwards" could send them to the end of the game. Player still needs to collect points in order to win.
Future versions of the game board could be adapted to become an internet computer game, or even a virtual reality game!
What exactly does it do?
Making SPACE is a fun game that introduces players to interesting facts, and encourages them to learn about our solar system. They can also learn strategies and that learning can be fun. Initial versions would cater to 3rd through 5th graders, leveraging an age range full of excitement for space discovery! But future game versions and updates would expand to include a variety of ages, from kid to adult, and interests all throughout space.
How does it work?
Players use reading, hands-on and visual experiences as they gather cards to build their planets (basic version) or the James Webb Space Telescope and the images it captures (advanced version). Vibrant colors and attractive photos of space, combined with interesting facts and a fun game, will fuel awe and curiosity about our solar system, our galaxy, and beyond.
What benefits does it have?
Benefits include fun with family and friends, interactive gameplay with strategy and learning, and an introduction to our solar system, space, and science. Alternative versions could include card decks that introduce players to significant historical discoveries, the evolution of telescope technology, women in space science, and an unlimited variety of discovery topics in science and in space. Who knows what players will be inspired to discover for themselves!
What do you hope to achieve?
Making SPACE hopes to encourage learning more about the solar system, science, space, etc.
The newest images being collected by the James Webb Space Telescope are awe-inspiring, and, incorporated in the artwork of the game, will hopefully spark the same sense of wonder and curiosity in many others' minds, too!
What tools, coding languages, hardware, or software did you use to develop your project?
Google tools were used to collaborate and capture information about the concept for Making SPACE. Initial versions of this game would be in physical board-game form, before being launched into interactive digital platforms. At this point, there is still research to be done for pursuing the technology needed to execute quality game materials, including a future of adaptable game versions to cater to different ages and interests.
Space Agency Data
Provide specific details about what space agency data you used in your project
Using images from NASA and the James Webb Space Telescope. Also used for gathering data and facts about the solar system, space and the James Webb Space Telescope.
How you used it
The NASA websites would be the source of all the images (with permission of course) to be printed on the image cards, board background and all packaging.
How it inspired your project.
The James Webb Space Telescope images has captivated my interest of space even more than before. The artistry captured by the JWST would create a beautiful and attractive game set - physical, computer, or virtual reality! And that's only where the space exploration begins...
Hackathon Journey
How would you describe your Space Apps experience?
I didn't know what to expect. This was something completely new to me. I was able to pull together a great team. Our team was made of: Natasha Wheeler (a co-worker) and my sister (Eveline Shoun) and myself. This was a fun way to explore and learn about the NASA/JWST. It gives us a better understanding of what to expect for next year's competition.
What did you learn? I learned the value of teamwork through collaboration, solving problems and talking through concepts, ideas, etc. NASA offers such a vast number of resources that were useful in coming up with this game.
What inspired your team to choose this challenge? The stunning images that are coming from space!
What was your approach to developing this project? Most of all, I wanted to have fun this weekend! We learned how to harness ideas and creatively share ideas with others. For example, sharing our ideas with Making SPACE!
How did your team resolve setbacks and challenges? We are grateful for the support from Amanda to encourage us to continue with this project. Without her encouragement, I would have quit midway through the first day.
Is there anyone you'd like to thank and why? NASA for this opportunity and for sharing the incredible data collected and being collected by the JWST.
References
List all of the data, resources, and tools used in your project.
James Webb Space Telescope (nasa.gov)
Science images from the James Webb Space Telescope | Canadian Space Agency (asc-csa.gc.ca)
https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages
https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/facts.html
Resources should include any code, text, and images (even if they are open source or freely available) that you used when creating your solution.
If you are using any copyrighted materials, make sure you have permission to use them.