Papillon Park
Web Game
Release date: 14 April 2025
Summary: A gamified research tool to assess cognitive impulsivity, co-designed with people with lived experiences of eathing disorders and mental ill-health.
Papillon Park is a web game developed to assess cognitive impulsivity amongst people with lived experiences of eating disorders and mental ill-health. Working with Monash University, we were tasked with redesigning their existing research tools into something that was more fun, mindful about triggering subject matter, and cosy. With 3 different types of minigames to collect various types of reaction data, including interstitial scenes and background customisations, this project required a variety of visual assets. As the sole 2D/UI artist, this was a fulfilling challenge!
Prioritising the design brief, I originally pitched for Papillon Park to be set in a farming setting. After back and forth feedback with Monash University however, we decided to pivot towards a semi-fantastical garden setting. Players would be tasked with restoring a garden in disrepair, encountering and befriending locals as you progress, eventually creating a communal garden for everyone.
In addition to designing the direction or setting for the game, this game was very illustration heavy. With hand-painted backgrounds, character sprites, and some miscellaneous game objects, this was one of the largest 2D art games I've worked on. Out of everything, I had a lot of fun designing the characters. Given past feedback about the lack of diversity in the first version of the game, I took care in making sure each character was distinct and interesting to get to know, regardless of how brief your encounter with them in game. The game is full of heart and soul, and I'm proud to have contributed to it!
