Wilmink Theater Project
This project focuses on making the teaching materials used to introduce school children to the Wilminktheater in Enschede more engaging and effective. The current method (teachers explaining while children listen) often results in low engagement, meaning kids don’t retain the rules and chaos can arise during theatre visits. Even though teachers and staff explain the code of conduct before and during school trips, the combination of low interest and the excitement of a new environment makes it difficult for the information to stick.
To address this, the Wilminktheater set out to create a playful, flexible game that can be used both with and without a teacher. The aim is to provide a fun, interactive, and educational tool that helps children stay engaged, learn theatre rules more effectively, and reduce disorder during performances.
The project was originally started by Bo Hamer during her graduation internship at the Wilminktheater. She developed a prototype for a 2D point-and-click game that introduced children to the theatre’s spaces and rules of conduct. Her user tests showed promising results, and the prototype was passed on to our team to further develop and refine the concept.
Team Size: 6
Project Duration: 5 months
Role(s): Game designer & team lead
Project Type: 2D Point & Click game for Wilmink theatre
Tools: Unity, Figma, Jira, Git
My Work
As game designer and team leader, I was responsible for shaping the game concept and ensuring it aligned with both the educational goals and the needs of our young audience (ages 5–10). My contributions included:
Gameplay design & mechanics: I defined the design pillars and gameplay loops, then expanded the prototype into a structured concept. I designed core mechanics like the task list system (to teach theatre rules step-by-step), environmental interactions (to encourage exploration and discovery), and several minigames themed around Wilminktheater’s venues. Each mechanic was developed using the Double Diamond design framework, starting with research, moving into ideation, then prototyping and internal testing.
Prototyping & iteration: I created multiple rapid prototypes in Figma and Unity to validate design hypotheses. For example, I tested different approaches to the task list mechanic, comparing behaviourist reinforcement (clear goals and rewards) vs. cognitive approaches (deduction through environmental feedback). Internal playtests confirmed that the simpler behaviourist approach was most effective for our target audience.
Content implementation: I integrated the art and code produced by team members into the Unity project, ensuring consistency with design specifications. This involved setting up the 2.5D environments, adjusting camera perspectives, configuring player movement, and implementing interactive elements into scenes.
Project management & leadership: I organised weekly sprint planning and retrospectives, kept the backlog prioritised, and made sure the team stayed aligned with client expectations. My role as scrum master/product owner meant balancing creative freedom with deadlines and deliverables.
Skills & Learnings
This project strengthened both my design skills and team leadership abilities:
User-centered & educational design: I learned to translate learning theories (behaviourist, cognitive, constructivist) into game mechanics that are fun but also reinforce behaviour.
Iterative prototyping: I improved my ability to quickly build and test features, learning how to evaluate mechanics even when access to the target audience was limited.
Practical implementation: I gained hands-on experience with Unity scene setup, 2.5D design challenges, and integrating multi-disciplinary assets (art, code, design).
Team coordination: Acting as both designer and leader sharpened my communication, planning, and facilitation skills, ensuring smooth collaboration across different disciplines.
