“How might we improve the wellbeing of students suffering burnout by using emerging technologies?”

 

This project aims to tackle the problem of student burnout, particularly among university students. Burnout, defined as losing interest in one’s work or hobbies, can be brought about by a multitude of factors; the main one being repetitive tasks taking the joy out of work - something especially common in student life with constant assignments. Mental fatigue, procrastination, and avoidance can all lead to a person spiralling; isolating themselves on one task, not taking care of themselves, and overall forming an unhealthy relationship with study. This is where FlameBound: Adventure’s Call comes in.

This mobile fantasy RPG game encourages players to form a group of adventurers with their real-life friends who are entrusted with carrying a sacred flame through the kingdom, repelling shadow wraiths and lighting beacons. To unlock new story quests, players must complete real-life tasks that correspond to in-game idle quests to keep their group’s flame burning, gamifying real life. Tasks include physical exercise, dedicated study sessions, socialising with friends, and more. Each day, players will complete a mixture of tasks to complete in-game goals, encouraging them to balance their real-life habits and forming routines that help prevent burnout and bring that spark back into everyday life.