Mystique
Role:
Lead Designer/Project Manager
Date
Sept 2025 - June 2026
Project Type
Final Year Project
Team Size
Solo
Genre
Language Learning, Voice Recognition, Magic Dungeon Crawler
Game Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Skills
Blueprinting, UI, Pedagogical Theory, Project Management Methodologies, Time Management Strategies, VFX, Gameplay Design
01 Concept
Mystique is an exploration of the potential of games as a medium for language learning and education. Specifically targeting conversation, pronunciation and basic vocabulary based in pedagogical theories (behaviourism, cognitivism and blooms taxonomy). The player must delve into a dungeon using the language they acquire, French, in order to cast a variety of spells through either voice recognition or a dedicated user interface. The voice recognition aspect was achieved through the use of the CMU sphinx voice recognition system
02 Features
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Voice recognition based spell system - the player must use their voice to form spells with different modifiers
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UI based spell system - For users unable to use their voice, the player can formulate spells by Interacting with UI elements in the right order avoiding decoy phrases
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Puzzles - physics puzzle, colour puzzles, keyword puzzles, vocabulary tests
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Ai system - with roaming, attack mode, shield functionality and an educational component through which they audibly speak the spells they cast. Reminding the player how to cast their own spells.
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Video Tutorial system
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Modular VFX System
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UI System with menu's
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Basic Quest System
03 Project Focus and Outcomes
The Focus of the project was to produce a framework for developing a Language learning curriculum within a game context which would be facilitated through voice recognition and standard interaction. As such I conducted extensive research into various pedagogical theories in order to construct a project that was both education and entertaining.
Over the 9 month period, I developed the core spell casting systems that interacted with the game world, allowing the player to use their magic in order to learn the language and progress through the level. Each spell and area of the level taught a different language skill from how to say I am, you are, she is, to more complex descriptions of the weather and the world around us.
By the end of this development I had produced a fully realised educational tool that could be developed further into a full gameplay experience.
04 Research and Planning
Early in the lifecycle of the project, the majority of the focus went into the research and planning of the project, from how each section of the level should be structured to what needed to be accomplished and when.
Early development was also dominated by the research, with me looking into
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Behaviourism - Teaching through stimulus
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Cognitivism - knowledge is best built by testing earlier knowledge through problem solving and reflection
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Blooms Taxonomy - – An outline of the various levels of knowledge: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyse, Evaluate, and Create
05 Challenges
The main challenge and also the problem I was looking to solve was how to balance fun with education, and in a game context how to balance fun mechanics with meaning language learning. Play testers remarked during early tests that "Combat is fun, but the door puzzles are less so". This was largely due to the fact that the start of the playtest level was more focused on the educational aspects and the onboarding process as a hole as opposed to more traditional gameplay but slowly progress to a combat style section.
In the Latest version I believe that these issues have been minimised, through the production of more gameplay mechanics allowing a more complete experience.
Another big issues was the voice recognition being patchy in places especially with more words being added all the time. In combination an unexpected issue that arose was that of accessibility.
To combat this I implemented three key settings to adjust and mitigate these issues. I added a Colour blind mode allowing the player to adjust the colour balances to better see the world, I added a setting for adjusting how easy it is for the system to understand the player and finally I added a second mode for the spells that allowed a player to keep playing even without the ability to talk.
06 Moving forward
•More Multifunction spells for combat and puzzles
•Introduce a testing mechanic at the end of the level, which will reward the player with currency that they can use to upgrade spells or get new spells
•Replace Videos with NPCs which say the phrases and teach the content
Alongside these steps, refining the sensitivity and tolerance of the system is also a key concern that must be addressed in order to add further polish and interactivity.