No matter the challenges, life can be taken one step at a time. Taking Steps is a
GPS-based visual novel game developed to remove stigmas surrounding HIV. Players make choices on their screens and on their feet, walking to the locations in which the story takes place.
Reese, a shy but passionate artist, finds that
HIV is new on their list of worries. The discovery that they might have HIV changes their relationships with their friends and work. While it takes a little time, they find out that "healthy" is in fact a lifestyle, and not just a test result.
The game is developed in conjunction with the Attic Youth Center, to be distributed as a means to normalize the conversation surrounding HIV. The Attic Youth Center creates opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning
(LGBTQ) youth and their allies within a safe and supportive community through social service programming that includes counseling and sexual health services, and promotes the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society.
Understanding of HIV has progressed greatly in the past few decades. It's possible to live a long and happy life after testing positive and seeking treatment. Unfortunately, many still face the social stigma that put individuals at risk; not take a HIV test; and not seek treatment. This is specifically true for youth and young adults; one in four new infections happen in young adults, 13 – 34 years of age and why it's important to normalize the discussion surrounding HIV/AIDS.
Privacy was a key concern of the
Attic Youth. The app is named and designed to be something that can be seen on phones without question.
Players explore the intertwining relationships of Reese, Karen, and
Shawn, three people affected by
HIV in different ways. Players pick one path and follow it around
Philadelphia, making choices in dialogue that shape the way the character’s relationships grow and change.
Reese’s story is directed toward people like them, teenagers in the
Philadelphia area. To this end, we worked with the Attic Youth
Center to evaluate scripts and story ideas.
Okay… Karen wants my help with the mural, but how am I supposed to do this?
It could go so many different directions…
I’ve got to pick a theme and really focus on it.
GPS technology allows us to create a story that's happening where you are. Players start at a designated location and walk around Philadelphia to advance the story, learning more about the resources the city has to offer.
D E V E L O P E R S :
T I A N TO N G X U
C A S S A N D R A B E A S L E Y
S E A N S E M I D E Y
FAC U LT Y A DV IS O R :
M I C H A E L WA G N E R