Loyalist College students have developed an interactive game debuting this week as part of the Quinte Natural History Museum’s new exhibit, Expedition Alert: Stories from the High Arctic.
Eight students from the college’s Animation and Game Development program collaborated to develop SALIX, which places players in the role of an Arctic hare navigating the challenges of survival in one of the planet’s harshest environments.
When the Quinte Natural History Museum team approached Peggy Collins, Academic Program Coordinator of Loyalist’s Animation and Game Development program, about developing an interactive digital experience to complement the exhibit, she recognized the opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience through a real-world project.
“We embraced the chance to work with a community organization on an ambitious creative challenge, and our students rose to the occasion,” says Collins. “They collaborated as a production team, solving problems, refining ideas and using their skills to bring the game to life. Projects like this test the skills students have developed in class and often become a unique portfolio piece — a first opportunity to create work that will be seen and played by the public.”
Students Cal McEachern, Cameron Allaby, Chris Wilk, Jace Williamson, Ryan Howell-Sallans, Adam Taylor, Jordan Murray and Ethan Gilbert worked as a team to design the game, contributing a range of technical and creative skills to the project, including game and systems programming, 3D modelling, environmental design, graphic design and sound design.
“Developing SALIX has been an incredibly rewarding experience that has taught my team and me important lessons in the world of game production and client relations,” adds student and SALIX Team Lead Cal McEachern. “It’s been an amazing opportunity for me and other students to practice both the technical and interpersonal skills that we have developed during our time at Loyalist College.”
SALIX will be featured as part of the Quinte Natural History Museum’s new exhibit, Expedition Alert: Stories from the High Arctic, which opened March 16 and invites visitors to explore the landscapes and ecosystems of one of the planet’s most remote regions. The exhibit transports visitors to Alert, Nunavut, showcasing the interconnected environments of land and air, along with iconic Arctic wildlife such as polar bears and muskox and the innovative tools scientists use to study them.
“At the Quinte Natural History Museum, we believe museums should create experiences where storytelling, creativity and community collaboration come together,” says Deanna Way, Executive Director of the Quinte Natural History Museum. “The students from Loyalist College did incredible work bringing SALIX to life. By placing visitors in the role of an Arctic hare, they’ve created a playful, immersive experience that helps visitors understand what survival looks like in one of the harshest environments on Earth.”
