This is my last quarter at Stanford before I graduate, which is a bittersweet experience for me. I am taking my last two classes before getting my MSCS degree, so it was important to me that I take classes that I would immensely enjoy and learn from. In addition to CS155, I'm also taking CS377G: Designing Serious Games. This class deep dives into what it means to create compelling games that captivate and enrich the lives of their players. It has been a whirlwind of a class in the very best of ways, and for my second class project, I had an opportunity to combine all three of my loves: writing, designing, and developing! The premise of the game is to use interactive fiction to drive the narration of a story by giving the player choices that influence the outcome of the game. Game layouts can range from all text to a mix of text, sound, images, and other media to create a "choose your own adventure"-flavored experience. I like to think of the platform as a digital version of the Goosebump books that I used to read as a teenager. Continue reading →