Caduceus Quest is a single-player, role-playing game in which you engage with the scientific method to solve a medical case that has affected the community. You play as Simone: a college student who is home for the summer.
Caduceus Quest was evaluated in a scientific trial conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago to evaluate its effects on young people. Playing Caduceus Quest was shown to increase STEM knowledge, scientific process inventory, self-efficacy and interest in learning and doing science, scientific career interest, and civic engagement. We hope you also enjoy Caduceus Quest!
Caduceus Quest is available on steam.
Step Up is a visual novel style game funded by the NIH as a game-based intervention meant to empower high school students to address, and ultimately mitigate, bias and sexual harassment in STEM and health learning environments to attain a positive STEM identity.
STEP UP will be a state-of-the-art, theory-based intervention with a long-term goal of increasing representation of women and people of color in STEM and health careers. Step Up is in some ways a spiritual successor to Bystander.
RSVP: The Game is short game I made by myself for my wedding last year. The game was meant to come out as part of a save the date but, like any true game, was delayed and was re-branded as a part of the RSVP.
This game was developed on weekends and nights over the course of about three months. It’s also available here to play!
Hexacago Health Academy (HHA) is a five-year study funded by the NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA). We aim to make STEM & health learning more accessible by incorporating principles of game play, game design, systems thinking, and experiential learning into educational settings.
HHA includes several analogue games (three of which are available for free here!) Each game was originally designed and built by middle school to high school aged young people from Chicago and all tackle some issue that the students feel is important to them. Topics range from the pandemic, smoking/vaping, teen pregnancy, violent crime, and more. Students cultivated students’ ability to engage in systems thinking by having them learn the basics of game design then apply what they learned to their chosen topic by designing a board game that explores said issue. A few of the students’ games were further developed into polished games that are now available to students or educators!
Space! Love! Exploration! Action! As the newest heroic Moon Intern! Fix Machines, Deliver Packages and Fight Evil! Love your Soulmate!
Moon Intern is an indie Action Adventure game being developed by Cosmosaur LLC. On the project Mason acts as Lead Gameplay Designer.
Water Aloft the Ridge is an atmospheric adventure game where the player guides three successive characters up a mysterious ridge to find solace or perhaps acceptance after the death of a close family member. Despite following the same path, each character's journey is unique offering new challenges and a new perspective on that other worldly ridge.
Water Aloft the Ridge was developed as a senior capstone project at Columbia Collage Chicago. On the project Mason provided design, game play programming, and writing.