Mobile 3D Therapeutic Game
Forestscape
A 3D therapeutic game developed in Unity for my honours project. It was designed to promote relaxation and help interrupt negative thought patterns through an interactive environment informed by research into game design, soundscapes, and therapeutic practices to promote wellbeing.
Date
May 2026
Role
Solo Developer
Type
Honours Project
Duration
3+ Months
01
About the project
Forestscape was developed as my honours project over three months. I started with no previous experience using Unity and set out to build a creative, nature-inspired game designed to support relaxation and emotional wellbeing.
02
The goal
The aim was to create a calming experience where users could build their own forest and shape its soundscape. By combining creativity, natural sounds, and simple game mechanics, I wanted to encourage relaxation and help users step away from negative thought patterns.
03
Research and design
The design was informed by research into creative wellbeing, natural soundscapes, and the use of game mechanics to support focus and relaxation. This shaped features such as guided mode, wildlife interactions, and sounds that change as the user builds out the forest.
04
Testing and results
Playtesting and user interviews helped identify issues with tile placement, controls, and audio balance, which I refined during development. Participants responded positively to the atmosphere and natural sounds, with several describing the experience as calming and seeing potential for managing stress.
05
What I would improve
With more time, I would improve the clarity of the controls, expand the variety of tiles and wildlife, and further balance the audio. I’d also explore more structured ways to measure how the experience affects users’ mood and stress levels.
Explore the project