Dollhouse
2023
Game Development, Physical Computing, Interaction Design
Using: Unity, Arduino, RFID, C#
About
Dollhouse is an interactive mixed-reality experience connecting a physical wooden dollhouse to a digital counterpart. Players place RFID-tagged dolls on a hidden scanner built into the dollhouse; each doll unlocks a different home to explore, with its own story and environment. This was my undergraduate capstone and the first full project I built end to end — a four-month process of teaching myself Unity-Arduino communication, game development, and asset creation simultaneously.
Concept
I was interested in one specific question: what happens when a physical, tactile object becomes the interface for a digital story? Rather than a game controlled entirely on-screen, Dollhouse ties progression to a real object in your hands — placing a doll is the input, and the dollhouse itself is half the experience.
My Role: Lead Unity Developer & Game Artist
- • Built Unity–Arduino communication via custom serial protocol and RFID hardware
- •Designed and built a 2.5D/3D game rendered within a 2D environment
- • Created all in-game sprites and assets from photographs of the physical dollhouse and its objects
- • Implemented point-and-click and NavMesh-based navigation
- • Built an interactive dialogue system for storytelling and object interaction
My Role: Lead Unity Developer & Game Artist
- • Built Unity–Arduino communication via custom serial protocol and RFID hardware
- •Designed and built a 2.5D/3D game rendered within a 2D environment
- • Created all in-game sprites and assets from photographs of the physical dollhouse and its objects
- • Implemented point-and-click and NavMesh-based navigation
- • Built an interactive dialogue system for storytelling and object interaction