Welcome to ‘Space Cleaners,’ a one-of-a-kind gaming experience that breaks away from the typical space shooter genre. Unlike most space games, you won’t be engaging in battles or destruction. Instead, you’ll compete in space debris towing contests, rescuing abandoned satellites and collecting broken turbines. But that’s not all – you’ll also venture to contaminated planets, fighting trash monsters and revitalizing the environment by growing plants. Join us in this cosmic cleanup mission and experience the fun and uniqueness of making space a cleaner place!
Background and Purpose
In May 2023, South Korea successfully launched the Nuri rocket, demonstrating its capability to independently load and launch satellites. This has elevated South Korea’s space industry to a globally trusted level, and the country is expected to continue leading efforts in space development. However, not just in South Korea but globally, active efforts are required to address the space debris problem caused by advances in space technology. Issues resulting from space debris, including fragments of satellites and other waste, are increasing. By 2023, there were nearly 9,000 satellites in Earth’s orbit, and this number is expected to soar to 60,000 by 2030. Currently, over 100 trillion pieces of debris are believed to be circling the Earth. We’ve addressed this societal issue with an engaging ‘Plogging’ game. Derived from the Swedish ‘plocka upp’ (to pick up) and the English ‘jogging’, plogging is a global environmental movement that combines exercise with trash pickup. Taking inspiration from this, we designed the narrative of an “Aliens’ Plogging Championship”. Players navigate a spaceship through vast space, use nets to collect debris, and visit two extraterrestrial planets to purify their unique environments.
Key Features of the Project
Story
“Space Plogging Championship” is an inter-galactic space debris collection competition held annually, marking its 139th year. It’s akin to a triathlon, where participants gather space debris, purify a jungle planet’s air pollution by cultivating plants, and battle trash monsters on a desert planet to sort waste.
Space
The player’s spaceship is UFO-shaped, offering a 360-degree view of space. The cockpit allows tilt, rotation, and speed adjustments. Space employs a wrapping algorithm, enabling infinite flight. Tutorials are integrated into conversations. A plogging race map and current rankings are displayed.
Jungle Planet Course
Players cultivate three distinct plants. Movement options include teleportation or smooth walking, with anti-nausea vignette effects. Color adjustments utilize hue shifts. With a healing-themed background score, NPCs guide and celebrate missions. Effects showcase nature’s beauty and growth.
Desert Planet Course
The most dynamic scene where players wear cartoonish boxing gloves to combat trash monsters. Upon defeating them, recyclable trash drops which players sort at designated stations. NPCs animate based on sorting accuracy.
