Open Source Educational Reforestation Game

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Make an educational reforestation game to attract new users from outside the blockchain to Cardano and to showcase a successful story of web3 indie game development combining Cardano and Godot.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

All development work will be open source on GitHub.

One of the objectives is to inspire other developers to make games using Cardano and Godot. They can use this work as a template or reference.

[METADATA] Horizons

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Perception of the Problem:

Blockchain have a bad reputation in the gaming community because lot of scams and not sustainable play to earn schemes. An educational game focused on reforestation could be a good vehicle to attract new people from gaming community to Cardano and shows it as a reliable and safe blockchain for good.

Approach:

1) Make a game that shows the broad impact of reforestation, not only related to the capture of CO2, but also related to the impact on the communities and biodiversity at the planting sites. Educate through a game experience.

2) Associate cardano with environmentally friendly products. The game will incorporate real-life tree donation.

3) Showcase the use of the Cardano blockchain for game asset management where users actually own them in contrast to closed game platforms.

4) Inspire other developers showcasing a successful story of indie game development using Cardano (a permissionless blockchain) and Godot (an open-source game engine).

Engagement:

The game targets gamers and indie game developers interested in environmental problems, introducing them to Cardano’s technology in an indirect way. We will engage the community through collaborative design and testing events.

Demonstration of Impact:

We will track engagement metrics and user feedback to measure impact. Success will be evidenced by increased Cardano knowledge and appreciation among players, which will lead to greater adoption of Cardano for similar applications.

Uniqueness and Benefits:

Our solution is unique in a sense that mix education, environmental impact, gaming, and Cardano to attract new users from outside the blockchain world. Beneficiaries will be both the gaming community, which gains a new platform to interact with, and the Cardano ecosystem, which benefits from enhanced visibility as a blockchain for good.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Value to the Community:

An educational game focused on the broad impact of reforestation could be a good vehicle to attract new people to Cardano and shows it as a blockchain for good. These serves to promote the broader Cardano universe, potentially attracting new developers, gamers, and investors to the ecosystem.

Measurement of Impact:

The game's impact will be measure through quantitative and qualitative metrics:

• User Engagement: Tracking the number of active players.
• Community Feedback: Surveys and forums to gather insights and satisfaction levels.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:

• Public Reports and Educational Content: Regular updates and detailed reports on game development.
• Open Dialogues: Participation in live sessions and conferences to discuss the game's impact, reforestation and blockchain for good.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Capabilities, Past Success and Accountability:

Since 2021 as an artist and developer I've already made in Cardano:

• Cardanotrees project: first on-chain evolutive NFT Trees that live and grow on Cardano. Fifteen thousand trees donated by the first collection. (https://cardanotrees.com).

• Full node raspberry-Pi vending machine for collection minting.

• Cardano Forest initiative (one million trees planted): artist in charge - Mangove NFTrees (https://ito.veritree.com/).

• Development of NFT add-ons that merge with the original trees and educational videos.

• Cardanotrees Bonsai collection (4033 trees donated)

• 3D Trees tool for Cardanotrees and Bonsai collection (https://cardanotrees.com/3D/index.html)

Validation of Feasibility:

To validate the feasibility of the project, a phased approach will be employed:

• Prototype Development: Initially, a basic playable version of the game will be developed.
• Community Testing and Feedback: The prototype will be released to a select group within the Cardano community to gather feedback on gameplay mechanics and blockchain integration.
• Iterative Improvements: Based on the community feedback, the game will be refined.

Trust and Fund Management:

• Regular progress updates will be provided.
• An specific wallet to manage the funds will be used, with releases tied to specific milestones and deliverables.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Conceptualization:

• Milestone Outputs:
• This is the initial phase where the game idea is conceived. This involves creating a game design document and outlining the core mechanics and features of the game.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Approval of the game design document.
• Evidence of Milestone Completion:
• Published game design document.

Milestone 2:

Prototyping:

• Milestone Outputs:
• Creating a prototype of the game to test out the core gameplay mechanics and concepts. This prototype helps in validating the game idea and making necessary adjustments early in the development process.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Playable prototype that allows basic gameplay.
• Evidence of Milestone Completion:
• Playable prototype published.
• Video demonstration of prototype gameplay.

Testing and Polishing:

• Milestone Outputs:
• Testing is a crucial phase in game development where the game is tested for bugs, gameplay balance, and overall user experience. After testing, the game goes through a polishing phase where minor bugs are fixed, graphics and audio are optimized, and the overall user experience is refined.
• Collection and analysis of feedback to refine gameplay and enhance user interface.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Comprehensive feedback that leads to actionable insights.
• Documented improvements in gameplay based on community responses.
• Evidence of Milestone Completion:
• Compiled feedback report with documented tester responses.
• Second version of the prototype demonstrating refinements based on feedback publised

Project Close-Out and Prototype Finalization

• Milestone Outputs:
• Final prototype ready for presentation.
• Comprehensive project report detailing the development process, challenges faced, and lessons learned.
• A close-out video that highlights the project’s achievements.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Final prototype that meets all initial design and functionality goals.
• Engagement of the project close-out report and video.
• Evidence of Milestone Completion:
• Public release of the final prototype.
• Distribution of the close-out video and project report on multiple platforms.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Artist and Developer -> Damián H (https://twitter.com/D_art_tech - cardanotrees.com)

Community Engagement and Marketing -> Fede S (cardanotrees.com)

We plan to recruit additional team members with specific skills if necessary.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Milestone 1: Conceptualization

• Budget: U$D 8000
• Game design document -> U$D 5000
• Community Engagement -> U$D 3000

Milestone 2: Prototyping

• Budget: U$D 15000
• Prototype Development -> U$D 15000

Milestone 3: Testing and Polishing

• Budget: U$D 14000
• Community Testing Support: U$D 6000
• Iteration and Refinement: U$D 5000
• Marketing and Promotion: U$D 3000 USD

Final Milestone: Project Close-Out and Prototype Finalization

• Budget: U$D 6000
• Final Prototype Polishing: U$D 3000
• Project Close-Out Reporting: U$D1500
• Close-Out Video Production: U$D1,500

Total -> U$S 43000

Assuming 0.34 U$S/ADA -> 126,470 ADA

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

Solving a Key Problem

An educational game focused on the broad impact of reforestation could be a good vehicle to attract new people to Cardano and shows it as a blockchain for good. These serves to promote the broader Cardano universe, potentially attracting new developers, gamers, and investors to the ecosystem.

Budgeting

Considering the size of the project, we think that the proposed budget aligns with an indie game development standard. This commitment reflects our belief in atransformative project to inspire indie game developers to use CARDANO (a permisionless blockchain) and GODOT (open source game engine).

Long-Term Impact

The scope and budget for our project reflect its significant long-term impact. The timeline will allow us to conceptualice, prototype, test and and refine a game that will attract new people to Cardano and could be used as reference for new game developers. This duration takes into account testing, community engagement, documentation, and eventual launch.