CO₂DE BLUE (Team 4 F2025)

Game Description

CO₂de Blue is an educational 2D side-scrolling adventure game designed for medical learners to practice acid–base analysis in an intuitive, visual way.
You play as Fin the Fish, whose blood pH changes dynamically based on respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (TV), and metabolic bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) levels.

Your goal is to collect the correct items, avoid harmful ones, stabilize Fin’s pH before time runs out, and survive threats such as the shark predator.

The game is designed in collaboration with UH Dr. Essman to support teaching of respiratory & metabolic disorders through interactive gameplay.

Story

Fin lives deep under the ocean, where mysterious currents affect his breathing and blood chemistry.
When the environment becomes unstable, Fin begins drifting into acidosis or alkalosis.
The player must guide Fin to:

• Restore normal pH

• Manage CO₂ by adjusting RR/TV

• Manage HCO₃ by choosing the right fish-feed

• Avoid hazards like naval mines or the shark

Movement Controls are WASD, Tilt on mobile

Gameplay

• Collect Green Items: makes PH more acidic

• Collect Red Items: makes PH more basic

• Avoid the Shark: too many bites = fail

• Survive until timer reaches zero while pH is in the safe range

Environmental Cues: 

• Bubble Volume: Changes in Respiratory Rate (RR) or Tidal Volume (TV)
• Fin's swimming Strength: PH in an unacceptable range

Store System

Players earn total score from levels and can unlock skins.

• Scores saved per-profile

• Multiple player profiles supported

• Skins remain unlocked across sessions

• “Default / Flare / Blizzard / Ugly” skins included

Levels and Tutorials

The game features multiple tutorial levels, each isolating a specific system:

• CO₂ Tutorial: Learn how RR and TV affect CO₂ levels.
• HCO₃ Tutorial: Focused metabolic tutorial
• Main Level
  A full scenario combining:
  • CO₂ control
  • HCO₃ control
  • Shark threat
  • Mines
  • Mixed disorders