Unnamed Game about Cats and Dungeons: An infinite runner game about dealing with anxiety

• Raphael I. B. Carvalho COLTEC-UFMG
• Luka G. Fantini COLTEC-UFMG
• Ronaldo e S. Vieira UFMG
• Virgínia F. Mota COLTEC-UFMG

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbgames_estendido.2024.241753

Abstract

Anxiety, a common and natural emotion when facing challenging situations, can be problematic if experienced in excess. There are growing reports that depictions of symptoms of mental illnesses in games can have a positive impact on players. In this work, we present Unnamed Game about Cats and Dungeons, a 2D, pixel art game in the infinite runner genre. In it, players take on the role of a cat warrior wizard who, pressured by his family's heroic past, decides to explore a dungeon, thus facing his fears and insecurities. In the game, the cat has to avoid traps and face enemies while collecting coins and powers. Any failures cause him to experience anxiety symptoms and can if repeated, result in game over. We also describe the game's accessibility options.

Keywords: Digital games, Infinite runner, Anxiety

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