This Gurugram-based University Has Developed a New Game to Help Spread Covid-19 Awareness

Faculty members and students of Gurugram-based BML Munjal University have developed a new game with an aim to spread awareness about the Covid-19 pandemic. The game is known as "Unlock Me", that serves as an educational and entertainment purpose and is available on all Android smartphones, running on Version 4.4 and above. Furthermore, the game doesn't ask users for any personal details like name, age, and address and also happens to be a secure app. The game can be download from the Google Play Store using the following link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Shreyansh.UnlockMe

Speaking on the launch of the game, Prof Maneek Kumar, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology BML Munjal University says, “In these times, we read so many advisories related to COVID-19 but aren’t sure how they’ll play out once we’re out in the open again. The game "Unlock Me" simulates the real-life situations and experiences to help give players an understanding and feel for discriminating between right practices and wrong practices, and thereby reduce their risk of contracting the virus.”

"Unlock Me" plays out as a simulation of real-life risks related to Covid-19, wherein players get infected by the deadly virus. Users need to make the right choices and be careful of the risky practices as they move through the game. Through a series of events, players earn sanitisers which act like powerups and after gaining enough experiences, a question is presented in order to test the player's knowledge regarding the current scenario. Interestingly, these questions are solved in a different section of the game where samples of the virus are analysed. Players also get to learn about the announcements made by the Union Health Ministry as they progress. Moreover, after completing a specific number of levels and getting all the answers right, players get to unlock a "cure" for the Covid-19, thereby unlocking a new mode in which the player needs to deliver it to those in need. "Unlock Me" has been developed in Unity3d as a top-down arcade game, and according to developers, new levels will be added to the game in the coming months along with an Arena Mode that will get unlocked after players reach level 100.

“BMU has taken a leap forward in tech innovation to create a game that has deeper penetration and easier understanding for the masses”, says Prof. Manoj Arora, Vice-Chancellor, BMU. "The development of these state-of-the-art technologies and tech-oriented studies have allowed students and faculty to explore uncharted territories in the face of this pandemic and develop ingenious solutions that contribute to the betterment of society," he added.