Success Story

Don't Mess with Texas

Program-Ace facilitates the government initiative to reduce littering with a gamified solution as a support and motivation for in-school educational programs

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Don't Mess with Texas

Project snapshot

Client
Bakery Agency for Don't Mess with Texas (Texas Department of Transportation)
Industry
Government and education
Platform
iOS, Android, and web browser
Technology
Unity 3D, WebGL

Overview

Bakery Agency, together with the Don't Mess with Texas campaign run by the Texas Department of Transportation, wanted to extend their anti-littering message from adults to school-age children through an educational game. Program-Ace built a gamified solution starring Dillo the armadillo, who confronts a gang of littering raccoons across a map of Texas landmarks, delivered as a governmental-funded initiative for middle and high schools and kindergartens.

The challenge

Create an engaging storyline that motivates children to follow Dillo's efforts to reduce littering without overshadowing the message that even one person can make a difference.
Build a game students want to play while staying true to a governmental education campaign delivered on time and on a fixed public budget.
Make the experience accessible to students with disabilities through an alternate way to play.

Approach and Solution

Program-Ace delivered cross-platform development for iOS, Android, and web browsers in both 2D and 2.5D modes, creating every asset in-house:

Core and advanced gameplay mechanics plus a point system scoring litter collected, enemies defeated, and time on each level
Characters and environments, including Dillo and the Vandals, in low-poly and flat vector styles
Multi-layered backgrounds and stage designs reflecting real Texas landmarks, terrain, and weather
A litter distribution system generating realistic litter types across levels, plus animated cutscenes between levels
An alternate choose-your-own-adventure, voiceover-supported version for students with disabilities
Technology and approach

Technology Stack

A team of one game designer, two 2D artists, one animator, one sound effects artist, and one developer delivered the cross-platform game in three months, built on Unity with WebGL for browser play.
Unity
Unity
WebGL
WebGL
JSON
JSON
3ds Max
3ds Max

Value Delivered

This cross-platform gamification solution became successful across schools and educational facilities and helped our clients receive the following benefits:

The game exclusively is credited to help the Texas Department of Transportation reduce litter in the area by roughly 32%;
Attracting over $2M donations and investments into the initiative to help decrease the problem of littering;
Helping the government develop social responsibility and embrace a more ecologically-friendly behavior applying gamification mechanics;
Attracting a younger, technologically-native audience between 10 and 18 years-old.
Client feedback
“Program-Ace has been well organized, with detailed schedules as to how the project was to be executed. The client was very happy with the game, and at one point said that they couldn't believe the game looked so good.”
Juan Carlo Carvajal
Juan Carlo Carvajal
COO / Managing Partner, Bakery
Client logo

Services and expertise used

Educational game development

Gamified learning experiences that turn educational content into engaging play.

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Gamification development services

Game mechanics applied to real-world initiatives to drive engagement and behavior change.

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Custom software development

Cross-platform tools built around your business and your customers' needs.

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