UnearthU

This paper describes the experimental desktop and mobile game UnearthU which follows an A.I. named KARE, designed by a fictional Silicon Valley start-up called FRTHR which has created her to guide the user through a seven-day wellness bootcamp of sorts. The game is about the intersections of capitalism and disability and the potential for videogames to instead orient players towards reflection, care, and healing. It aims to not only model a healing journey within the narrative where the A.I. moves from disconnection to connection with her inner self, but the gameplay is designed to create a reflective space in which the player can connect with their own inner life.