Education of abuse of substances in the United States has long been considered a bandit. (Think: Dare) But a non-profit organization based in LA Overdose Is trying to make a related field through a browser game called Narcat world, Adventure at a point and clicking that teaches players how to react to the overdose of opiates and save lives by administering Narcan.
Game (which you can play for free on clerk Narcat’s world website) Contains colorful pixel art and there is a charming cat – the title narcat – which must administer CPR and Narcan to save the life of an overdose victim at a dance club. Players who finish the first stage of the game (the only level that is currently possible to play) can register to send a free dose Narcan, which can reverse the effects of opiate overdose in a few seconds if it is properly managed.
End an overdose of publicist Mike Giegerich told Polygon that the NON -PROFIT organization also brings Narcat’s world Live events, such as music festivals and fairs, in which recreational drug operate is common, and customary training methods can be arduous due to interference such as noise. It is not uncommon DanceafeAt such events, but so far overdose is distinguished by the operate of video games in personal information activities.
As for why non -profit in the field of game development? Polygon talked to the founder and general director of the End Overdowie, Theo Krzywicki via e -mail to learn everything about the continuous development of the game – and find out what will happen next Narcat world.
Polygon: How long does it Narcat’s world You were in development and where did the game idea come from?
Kyzywicki: He has been in development for a year, but the concept has been going on for two years. This version is the first launch for testing pixels, playability and user reactions (which we are still developing with recent stages focused on various substances). We operate it to find out what functions they resonate the most and how it works in various settings, including touch screens during live events. If you’ve ever been at the public health fair, you know how arid these cabins can be. They are informative, but they lack a wide commitment. Visually stimulating and quick game crosses this dryness and draws people.
Who is your target group? Is there a specific age range you aim for?
We are heading primarily at the age of 17–25, but in fact every 17+ can get involved with it. We also see an appeal with older millennia who grew up. The goal is to make learning to be familiar and fun for them. Our pace is inspired by speedy games such as Cup Or Hotline MiamiThat is why we want to stimulate learning by engaging gameplay.
How quickly do you expect to play other stages (alcohol, stimulants, etc.)?
It depends on financing, but preferably over the next year. We plan to launch each stage synchronized with appropriate training implementation: online, in person and through social media campaigns. The alcohol stage is probably next. We already have a figure named Alcohol Albatross and a framework for teaching with BAC levels and how to respond to alcohol intoxication.
In relation to other stages, is they more arduous than the opioid stage?
It is not more arduous, just different. In a sense, they even allow greater creativity. For example, with alcohol, we can visualize blood alcohol (BAC) as a gameplay mechanics. One of our ideas is to create two perspectives: a drinking person and corresponding to narcat. As the player’s BAC increases, they gain recent powers until they reach an emergency point that reflects the true physiological trajectory of alcohol poisoning. We examine how unique gameplay loops can reflect the unique symptoms of overdose.
Overdose of LSDs is quite occasional – people can take too much and have a “bad journey”, experience negative side effects after consuming the substance falsely marked as LSD or the fight against impaired judgment, but death related to LSD toxicity is almost unfair. Is the stage of LSD in Narcat’s world Focus more to aid someone who has a bad journey, or maybe it’s more like an opioid stage and make players look for medical signs of LSD overdose, and then take steps to treat it?
You’re right! LSD overdose is extremely occasional. This stage focuses on helping someone in a bad journey. You will play both perspectives: a person experiencing this (toad) and narcat leading them to a unthreatening place. The goal is to emphasize them to remove them from raucous, excessive stimulation of the environment, maintain their peace and emphasize the importance of the Buddha system.
Considering how much benzodiazepine abuse has increased rapidly in the USA and how fatal it becomes when mixing with alcohol or opiates, you plan to add a benzodiazepine stage Narcat’s world in the future?
Will players play as a narcat for the whole game, or is the animal at every stage that will play?
The long -term goal is both. Each overdose experience has two arches: a character passing symptoms, and then Narcat tries to save them. It is about teaching players both danger and intervention means.
As a cocaine caterpillar, you chase high control and manage symptoms. Then, as a narcat, you answer by bringing aid and restoring them to their base line. This experience, because both characters make learning as addictive and layered as possible.
Narcan, of course, works miracles in the event of an overdose of opioids, but substances such as alcohol and stimulants, unfortunately, do not have a magic ball, such as Narcan, to counteract effects. How do you deal with these stages?
In terms of stimulants, we also have a concept for this. Users will play as cocaine caterpillar, a lightning form “powered”. But as you progress your heart rate, your body overheats and the ECG waves are irregularly flashing on the screen. You start losing thermoregulation, needing a course through ice cubes to stay alive. This level accelerates like Tetris to strengthen the symptoms of stimulating overdose. Then you play as a narcat and rescue of cocaine cocoins from the edge. This contrast between cocaine and narcat caterpillar will lead a lesson home in a way that people remember.
