Game Case Study
Guth Eile
Unity-based educational game teaching Irish Sign Language
Role
Designer & Developer
Status
Completed
Tools
Unity / C# for prototypes
Context
- Guth Eile asked whether game mechanics could make sign language practice more approachable. The project used interactive gameplay, visual feedback, and progression to teach Irish Sign Language vocabulary.
Problem
- ISL learning resources were limited and mostly non-interactive.
- Learners needed a more engaging way to practice basics.
My role
- Designer & Developer
- Tight university timeline with a small team.
- The experience had to work as both a game and a learning tool.
- ISL accuracy required expert and community input.
Design decisions
- Development followed iterative playtesting, with adjustments to difficulty pacing, sign clarity, feedback, and reward structure.
Outcome
- Placed 9th globally in the 2020 Unity Connect Student Challenge.
- Presented at the IGBL Conference in 2019.
- Showed that game loops can support sign language learning.
What this shows
- The project received international recognition and shows how I apply game systems to motivation, feedback, and learning problems.