Linghao Xiong, the second woman featured in the documentary, is a visually impaired woman with musical talent whose story has inspired my game creation. I aim to develop a game that uses music to narrate her experience of her first menstrual cycle. Collaborating with a digital music artist from the Communication University of China, I will create music that conveys emotions and enhances the narrative of her story. The goal is to allow players to empathize with the main character and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by visually impaired women.
Gameplay I hope this game will be a 2D mobile game, with the primary interaction method being players using their fingers to touch interactive objects on the screen to perform narrative-driven music.
Narrative The protagonist, Valeria (derived from Latin "valere," meaning "to be strong"), is an 11-year-old visually impaired girl with remarkable musical talent. Her subjective emotional world is expressed through musical melodies in the game. The story unfolds over the first three days of her menstrual period, starting on the afternoon of August 23rd. Day 1: 8.23, Saturday Valeria is out having lunch with her family. A simple, relaxing soundtrack (Soundtrack A) plays. Valeria suddenly feels her panties become moist. The Soundtrack A then transitions into phase two, becoming slightly tense. Unaware that she is menstruating, Valeria initially thinks it is an excess of discharge. After a while, someone around her notices the blood stains and alerts her. The Soundtrack A then moves into stage three, becoming more embarrassed and flustered. With this soundtrack, Valeria, assisted by her cousin, enters the restaurant's restroom. When she opens the door, the soundtrack stops. Her cousin gives her a bit of paper to wipe with, and Valeria begins to clean the blood from her privates, clothes, and thighs. Interaction: The player drags the paper towel to wipe the blood, producing bemused syllables with each wipe. As Valeria wipes, more menstrual blood drips out. This scene is a side view. Interaction: A new intense soundtrack (Soundtrack B) begins. Blood drops fall rhythmically to the soundtrack, and the player must tap on them when they cross the hit line. However, there are too many blood drops for the player to tap on all of them. Missing a drop will trigger a dissonant syllable. The perspective changes from a side view to a first-person view: Valeria cannot see where the mouth of the crouch is, making it difficult to align, causing blood to drip onto the ground around the crouch. The tense Soundtrack B continues. Interaction: The player needs to maneuver up and down. The pitch of the syllables in Soundtrack B will vary depending on whether the blood drops are on the floor or at the mouth of the crouch, and the player will need to judge the position according to the sound to guide the blood drops into the crouch. After dinner, back at home, Valeria's mother teaches her how to use sanitary napkins. Due to her inexperience and inability to see, Valeria often places the napkins crookedly. Interaction: The player needs to hold down several dots on the napkin simultaneously or in a prescribed order at a specific moment, accompanied by a soundtrack (Soundtrack C) that conveys emotions of unfamiliarity and puzzlement. Day 2: 8.24, Sunday When Valeria's mother takes her to the supermarket to choose sanitary napkins, Valeria finds that she cannot clearly distinguish the type and length of the sanitary napkins by touch alone. She takes two packs of sanitary napkins off the shelf that feel about the same thickness, thinking both are daytime napkins, and asks her mother if she has chosen correctly. Her mother tells her that she is holding a pack of daytime napkins in one hand and a pack of nighttime napkins in the other. Interaction: Initially, both the left and right audio channels play the same soundtrack (Soundtrack D). Once Valeria knows the difference, the left and right channels differentiate, with one representing the daytime napkins and the other representing the nighttime napkins. Upon returning home, Valeria is instructed by her mother to change her sanitary napkin. Her mother teaches her to move her butt slightly forward to prevent blood from dripping onto the floor. Interaction: The player drags the tissue to wipe the blood, producing curious syllables with each wipe. As Valeria wipes, more menstrual blood drips out. Interaction: The player needs to maneuver up and down. The pitch of the syllables in Soundtrack B will vary depending on whether the blood drops are on the floor or at the mouth of the crouch, and the player will need to judge the position according to the sound to guide the blood drops into the crouch. Interaction: The player needs to hold down several dots on the napkin simultaneously or in a prescribed order at a specific moment, accompanied by Soundtrack C. This time, fewer points need to be pressed and held, suggesting that Valeria is gradually becoming more skillful. Day 3: 8.25, Monday Today, Valeria went to school and, just before class, she overheard a small group of female students quietly discussing “having their period.” Curious, she approached them and asked, “Are you talking about menstruation? I'm having my period too.” The other students told her that they called it ‘that stuff,’ not menstruation. Valeria felt slightly confused after hearing their responses. During class, she feels that the napkin is a little crooked. In the second stage of Soundtrack A, she can't resist pulling on her panties with her hands. Interaction: The player drags their finger to tug on the panties, wiping while producing awkward, bemused syllables. After class, Valeria takes the napkin out of her book bag, preparing to go to the restroom to change. A simple, relaxing soundtrack (Soundtrack E) plays. Just as she takes it out, her deskmate presses down on her hand and says, “There are boys over there! Aren't you afraid of being caught? You can smuggle it out of your bag and into your pocket like I did.” Interaction: The volume of Soundtrack E suddenly becomes very low after being stopped by the deskmate. Because the napkin did not stick well, Valeria’s panties have some blood stains. After class, she returns to the dormitory to wash her pants. Following her roommate’s method, she uses post-it notes to mark the blood-stained spots on the inner and outer pants to focus on scrubbing later. Interaction: The player taps the screen to find the stained parts using different sounds to place the post-it notes on them. However, when she soaks the pants in the basin, the stickers fall off in the water, making it difficult for her to tell where the blood stains are. Interaction: The player simulates doing laundry, with Soundtrack F mimicking the sound of washing clothes. Accented, important syllables indicate where there is blood, requiring repeated scrubbing. The mood starts as impatient and anxious but shifts to a sense of accomplishment as she washes. Ending: 8.30, Saturday Soundtrack G: Warmth, affection, growth. Valeria came home for the weekend and complained to her mom, “Why do girls have periods? It's uncomfortable. I can't stick napkins on well, and blood occasionally drips on the floor. Why can't boys have periods? I don't want one either. I've not had a very good time at school this week. I feel like I suddenly have so many extra things to worry about. My friends and classmates are afraid to bring up menstruation, which makes me afraid to bring it up too.” Mom: “Honey, I know you're feeling very uncomfortable right now. It's perfectly normal for you to feel this way, and many girls feel similarly when they have their first period. But I'm proud of you for being upfront about how you feel physically and mentally, because it's a great sign that you're growing up. Menstruation is a part of every girl's growing up process. It's how our bodies prepare for the possibility of conceiving life one day. Each month, an organ in your tummy called the uterus forms a lining in preparation for a potential pregnancy. If there is no pregnancy, this lining is shed and expelled from the body in the form of menstruation. While it can be inconvenient, getting your period means you're awesome! A girl's body is amazing and powerful. Going through these changes and having the ability to conceive a new life is a very special ability. It's because mommy gets her period that you are in the world. So, we shouldn't be ashamed of it, but proud of it! While boys don't experience menstruation, they have other unique experiences and abilities. If it's uncomfortable and bothersome for you, we can take time off and be at home during your period. Maybe it will be easier for us to deal with it together. Okay?” Valeria listened with a deeper understanding of menstruation and her girlhood and said, “Uh-huh! I get it. You make me feel so much better. I love you, mom. But next time I have my period, I don't want to take time off. I'll practice a few more times at home, and I want to try to handle it on my own!” Mom: “Okay, that's so great to hear, my baby!”
Art "Visually impaired individuals cannot see, so the game art doesn't need to be realistic. It can be more abstract and childlike, and related to music."
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