Antidote design values
Another thing we’ve been asked quite frequently about is “What are Antidote’s core design values” and “what do they mean?” Most often the question comes in the form “How do you make it educational AND fun?” We thought it might help to share some of the values behind Antidote, which make it what it is.
Antidote has 5 core design values. These are all separate and often overlap – sometimes to our joy, and sometimes presenting a design challenge. These values are shared by the whole development team, and are what have brought Antidote to where it is now, as well as what will drive it forward. Sometimes, we have to sacrifice one value for another, but we do our best to keep them in balance. The list below is not really ordered by priority, because sometimes one thing is more important than another.
Fun
The notorious F word – hard to define generally, but here’s what we mean for Antidote. Firstly, it is easy to learn, but hard to master. Antidote is also designed to be fun for thirty seconds, three hours, or three years – meaning you can play it on the toil-ehem-subway, on the sofa, and come back to it over the years. Antidote is also varied and full of meaningful choices. This allows you to get creative, as there are multiple solutions to everything. We also strive the make the game a fair challenge – no pay to win here – which we believe makes the game intrinsically rewarding.
Beneficial
Games aren’t bad for you, but some are a more beneficial experience than others. Antidote is designed to be inspiring. Maybe we could call it a virtuous game, because it drives curiosity and is inspired by scientific facts. “Educational” has a lot of stigma, but Antidote is designed to be more educational than the average game, without compromising the gameplay.
Accessible
Antidote is designed to be an accessible game, that makes knowledge more accessible. That means we try to include everyone, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, ability, language, class, wealth, device preference, political viewpoint or gaming background.
Amazing
There are tons of good games out there, but not all of them are amazing and cool. We make an effort to be truly unique, new and intriguing. We also want Antidote to be stunningly beautiful, with really cool graphics and sounds – not just filled with art, but a holistic piece of art. We also do all we can to make it delightful – that amazing feeling when you get something you weren’t expecting.
Premium quality
Every piece of Antidote we ship is iteratively designed to be top quality. That means everything sticks together, is cohesive and consistent. We do lots of testing to perfect how players interact with the game – both input and feedback – so that players feel totally in control. In addition to that, we solve issues as a top priority, which means no crashes, no glitches, and a really polished feel.
Remember, you can join us in the early access program on Google Play right now. Move fast, because the bacteria… they’re multiplying exponentially!