The Product

In digital age, children often spend more time glued to screens, playing games on phones or iPads rather than engaging in physical activities. To address this issue, we developed an exergame in Godot called ‘Monkey Business’. In this game, the player becomes the controller, taking on the role of a monkey who tries to gather as many bananas as possible while avoiding obstacles. The player’s body movements are tracked to control in-game actions. For instance, doing a squat enables the monkey to shoot a coconut upward to collect bananas. The player can run side to side to position the monkey closer to the bananas, while jumping and crouching help the monkey avoid obstacles. To increase the physical activity level, the game includes mini-games with exercises like jumping jacks, running from one side to the other, and knee lifts, which help the player earn more points and get a great workout. This game encourages children to be more physically active while playing. From our testing session, we concluded that the game is highly enjoyable, receiving an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

The Customer

Our client, Daniël Spanjaard, is an enthusiastic gym teacher and researcher at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. He is particularly interested in exploring the potential of exergaming to encourage children to become more active. Mr. Spanjaard was very receptive to our ideas and contributed significantly by providing new ideas and his expertise in sports exercises. Communication with Mr. Spanjaard was smooth and efficient; we held biweekly meetings and maintained regular contact via email. We also shared demos of the game to get feedback and keep him updated on the project. At the end of the project, we conducted a playtest at The Hague University of Applied Sciences with Mr. Spanjaard's students. This session was both enjoyable and valuable for us and the participating students.

  • "An exergame for children isn't just about scoring points; it's about sparking a lifelong love for movement, where every jump, skip, and dance step brings smiles and healthier hearts."
  • "The important thing is not your process. The important thing is your process for improving your process."
The Team

At the start of our project, we distributed the work by considering each team member's strengths, interests, and areas for improvement, especially since not everyone had experience with the Godot game engine. We took a collaborative approach, making sure to evenly distribute responsibilities across the design, development, and testing phases. Key roles such as UI design, gameplay mechanics, client communication, and prototyping were assigned to individuals, which streamlined our workflow and made the most of each member's unique skills. For instance, some members focused on visual concepts and user interfaces, while others delved into the core mechanics and technical aspects of body tracking integration. Regular sprint planning and reviews allowed us to adapt to challenges, refine our processes, and address any obstacles together. Additionally, our scrum process ensured clarity and consistency in our tasks. This structured yet flexible strategy cultivated a cohesive team environment, enabled us to learn from each other, and enabled us to effectively utilize our combined skills. Through this collaboration, we successfully managed the challenges of the project and created a compelling exergame that meets our client's goals.

The Technologies