MSc Serious Games & Virtual Reality School of Innovation & Technology
You Li
Hi, I’m You Lee, you can also call me Lee. I’m studying Serious Games and Virtual Reality at GSA, where I’m diving deep into the world of historical serious games, exploring how they can weave culture and technology together. I have a love for 3D art, constantly creating visually captivating pieces and playful, intriguing projects. If you’re interested in collaborating or just want to share some creative vibes, let’s connect and make something extraordinary together.
Works
Collaborative Works
Unknot: A Scene Design Exploration of Virtual Religion
Unknot is a first-person, linear art interaction game centred around the concept of a virtual religion. The core gameplay revolves around untying intricate knots, which, within the context of virtual religious studies, is reimagined as a sacred ritual. Set in a speculative future—whether in the metaverse or a post-anthropocene—this game invites players to question how religious rituals, traditionally tied to the veneration of the physical body, might be conducted in such a world. What forms might these rituals take?
In this project, I incorporated a variety of concepts related to traditional Chinese culture and Buddhism, making it an exploration of the fusion between traditional cultural elements and 3D art. This approach not only adds depth to the visual experience but also serves as a unique attempt to bridge ancient cultural symbols with contemporary digital artistry.
Kaka’s: A Storybook-Style Children’s Game
Kaka’s is a charming storybook-style children’s game where players step into the everyday life of Kaka in a vibrant, colorful world. Each scene feels like a page from a beautifully illustrated picture book, filled with lively animations and heartwarming details.
In this game, players will accompany Kaka throughout her day, engaging in various activities from waking up, enjoying breakfast, to playing with parents and tending to the garden.
Kaka’s is more than just a game; it’s a delightful slice of life that celebrates the simple joys of everyday moments. Through easy-to-learn gameplay, children will learn about caring for others and appreciating the beauty in small, everyday experiences. Every tap and choice brings them closer to Kaka’s world, where they can experience the warmth and magic of a storybook come to life.
Scene Design and 3D Modeling Project: The Celestial Divination Chamber
This scene unveils a mysterious space inspired by ancient Chinese astrology and astronomical instruments. The Celestial Divination Chamber is a richly detailed environment where celestial bodies, cosmic symbols, and intricate astrological tools come vividly to life in 3D. This room is not merely a place for play; it is imagined as a sacred space where players can interact with the stars and interpret the signs of the universe. The scene invites exploration and contemplation, blending ancient wisdom with immersive digital artistry to create a truly enchanting experience.
Project Links
Gamification of Digital Heritage: Enhancing Learning, Exploration, and Sharing of Medieval Andalusian Villa Culture through a Decoration Design Game
In this project, players step into the shoes of a noble from the Umayyad Caliphate, tasked with crafting their own countryside villa—known as a munya. The game offers a diverse array of customization options, allowing players to engage in meaningful dialogues with their servants to select various architectural elements and design features that reflect their preferred style. Each choice is accompanied by a detailed explanation, providing historical context and insights. From selecting the perfect location to curating activities within the villa, players will immerse themselves in the opulent lifestyle of Andalusian nobility during the Umayyad era, experiencing the elegance and grandeur of this fascinating period in history.
Through this project, I aim to explore more effective ways of incorporating digital heritage into gaming, embedding the historical context of architecture into the gameplay. My goal is to give players a strong sense of involvement and accomplishment as they build their own villa within the game. By doing so, I hope to enhance their appreciation and recognition of Munya culture, fostering a deeper connection and admiration for this historical heritage.
[Board Game / Group Work] Spelling Journey
This is the final project for the course Serious Game Design and Research in MSc Serious Games and Virtual Reality at the Glasgow School of Art.
The domain of the board game Spelling Journey primarily focuses on English word spelling and vocabulary.
English, as an internationally recognized language, has a vast population of English learners, including young native speakers. As a foundation for living, studying, and working in English-speaking environments, the accumulation of everyday vocabulary is essential.
However, with the development of modern technology, the adoption of spelling autocorrection and voice input has led to a decrease in the importance placed on word spelling. People have become more accustomed to conveying information through abbreviations or emojis. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that spelling is an integral part that English learners cannot skip. It is an important component of effective communication and language expression in our daily lives.
Therefore, we hope to construct a scenario through an engaging and serious board game to awaken English learners’ awareness of word spelling and help them improve and reinforce their everyday vocabulary. This will assist them in better adapting to an English-speaking environment and alleviate the problem of neglecting spelling.
[Game Design / Group Project] Stream Strider
This is the final project for the course Serious Games Development in MSc Serious Games and Virtual Reality at the Glasgow School of Art. It’s an interdisciplinary project in collaboration with MDes Sound for Moving Image.
In the game Stream Strider, you will play the role of a water quality inspector and go to Water Town to do some tests. The city officials are planning on the future of Water Town, so your report on the area and advice will be supportive. During your three days here, apart from your daily job, you can not only travel around and fish like a local, but also talk to the villagers to know about the stories in the Water Town.
The main theme of the game is the dilemma between environmental protection and economic development. The Water Town is a town surrounded by the water based on Chinese culture and tradition. It’s a remote place, so compared with other town, the Water Town is less developed. There are several villages in the town, and most of the people here live a life through fishing.
Through the conversation with different villagers, player can have a thorough understanding towards the town and get to know their thoughts for the future. Some are attached to the environment, while others want to bring prosperity to the town. With these thoughts in mind, the player needs to decide: which solution bring the best of the Water Town? Environment protection or economic development?
Maritime Silk Road Express
Design theme: Based on the history of the Maritime Silk Road, representative cultural relics and regions are introduced. Through online games, this history can be recognised by young people and promote cultural dissemination.
Design method: On the one hand, the historical text materials of the Maritime Silk Road were summarised and sorted out, and five types of cultural relics, including porcelain, silk, spices, copper coins, and compasses, were selected to build the background. Five fictional stories were designed based on the historical stories and characters related to the relics. On the other hand, papers on serious game design theory were consulted, and the mature game design ideas on the market were referred to, and the theme of the game was determined to be ‘Time and Space Express Station’. Players play the role of express station manager, receiving express requests from all over the world. They need to select the correct cultural relic model according to customer prompts, repair and pack it, and complete the delivery. The game designs five delivery cases, corresponding to five narratives of cultural relics.
