A 糖心视频 student has been shortlisted for a for a game exploring the life of a sweatshop worker in India.
D’Arcy Dhanda, an 18-year-old first-year student in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, has been nominated in the 15–18 years category for his creation, Maya. The game follows the story of a young widow working long hours in a garment factory while raising a child and struggling with poverty.
Developed while D’Arcy was still in S6, the game uses a series of mini-scenes depicting both factory work and home life to highlight the pressures faced by the main character.
D’Arcy said: “The game’s mechanics imitate real-life working conditions and give players a glimpse into Maya’s reality. I wanted to create something people could feel emotionally connected to.
You spend long days at a sewing machine and even the repetitive actions are designed to reflect the physical strain of that kind of work. People do not always think about those realities.
“I chose to set the game in India because I am Indian myself and I felt I had the cultural understanding to tell the story.”
D’Arcy hopes to continue developing the project and added: “I started working on Maya when I was in S6 and I think it still needs more time. Six months of development is not very long in game design.
“My hope is that being part of the BAFTA competition could help me get a foot in the door of what is a very competitive industry. I would like to become a full-time software engineer one day.”
Meaningful stories
Professor Martin Halvey, Head of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, said: “D’Arcy’s nomination reflects both his creativity and ability to use game design to tell meaningful stories.
“We are delighted to see his work recognised by BAFTA.”
The winner’s ceremony will be streamed on BAFTA’s YouTube channel on Thursday, 18 June at 5pm.