Project info
- Developer Charlie Wake
- Showcase year 2025
- Programme Game Design and Production
Synopsis
"Designing for One" is a project that explores how game designers can develop game mechanics while working within strict constraints, specifically only using one button for interactivity. Through the development of a one-button dungeon crawler called GetKeyDown, the project investigated the affordances of a single button and how such a constraint can nurture creativity. Additionally, the project explores how these one-button games can affect game accessibility, with a focus on users that have suffered and are recovering from a stroke.
What has been a highlight of your time at Abertay?
Probably participating in Dare Academy in 2024. I had a great time travelling down to London with the other teams and showcasing our games at EGX.
What motivated you to develop/create this project?
I was inspired to do this project after a close family member recently suffered from a stroke and activities they enjoyed such as gaming would be more challenging for them due to limited dexterity after their recovery. Around the same time, I discovered a talk by Ryan Green and Mike Perrotto from Numinous Games in which they discussed their experiences developing one-button games for users that have limited mobility and may only be able to push a single button to interact with and play games. They wanted to ensure that despite their game using one button, it should still be just as fun as any other game and appeal to a wide audience. I thought this would make for an interesting design project and wanted to explore designing games around the one-button constraint through the lens of designing for a user that may have suffered from a stroke.
What are your hopes and future ambitions for after graduation?
Hopefully to continue working in games and to keep learning and making projects when I can!
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