Second Chances
Save the school, change the world. Take part in a crazy soccer tournament with STEM and hip-hop.
This project was developed by the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) and Google as part of the Google Impact Challenge - build a better world, faster.
This project aimed to inspire young minds to pursue careers in Science, Math, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation, or STEM. Australia-wide and for a week-long period, AIME and Mode launched a special programme to accelerate the process of development. The participants pitched their game ideas to a panel of judges, including Stephanie 'Hex' Bendixsen of Good Game, Mode Games' Shane McCartney, Google's Leticia Lentini, and Western Sydney's Jandamarra Smith, a Year 9 AIME student. The event resulted in the announcement of a winner and the development of Second Chances.
The world of Second Chances is a combination of medieval and hip-hop that is both fantastical but somehow relatable. At her new school, Marlee meets new friends and enemies. With a troubled past, AIME High might be Marlee's last chance to make things right. Marlee's tough exterior belies her inner strength as a great leader.
We provided the following services:
- Game design and development
- Story writing
- 2D/3D art and modelling
- Character rigging and animation
- Concept direction and production art for environments
- UI/UX development
- Music and sound design
The main character of the game is Marlee. She is also the captain of the school soccer team. As a way of overcoming her own problems and the differences among them, Marlee mentors her teammates. As a result, they become stronger as a team. But things are not easy, the school is facing annihilation by a monstrous digestive monster, the Digestor.
Our goal was to create a STEM focused game designed by kids for kids
This project was designed with over 2,000 indigenous youths in Australia (11-14 years old) as opposed to most games we make. Together with AIME, it became Second Chances. The process of working with Jack Manning-Bancroft, CEO of AIME, was collaborative and flexible. We worked with Jack to get as much insight as possible into AIME so that we could translate these messages and experiences into a unique game experience. In this game, Jack is your guide.
As part of the project, we worked with AIME to produce rap songs and workshop game ideas with children during the game design phase. The game was also developed for Android and iOS. The game has been covered by many prominent media outlets, including Kotaku and ABC News. Stephanie 'Hex' Bendixsen, who participated in the judging process, presented a segment on ABC Spawn Point in order to promote and document her experience.
Mode developed and released the game in October 2017 for iOS and Android. Kids are motivated to learn STEM content by a fun soccer game and an interactive story mechanic. The virtual experience of a game helps kids engage and participate with these subjects within a real-world classroom.
Screenshot Images
Concept Art
Gameplay Videos
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Hear what our amazing customers have to say
"Mode have a level of polish and attention to detail to their work that is impressive and rare. I'd recommend that you talk to them about your next game project."
"Thank you Mode for believing in the kids we work with and throwing everything that you and the team had at this project. And finally – thanks for delivering a super cool and engaging game. Hip hop meets maths and science – got me hooked!"
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