Yumm

The problem

2020 was marked by the virulent COVID’19 pandemic. While some people across the world have been able to get back to “life as per normal”, vulnerable populations who have been hit the hardest are still struggling to get by. One such group is the chronically ill patients who have suffered from poor emotional well-being and the shortage of interactions with their physicians.

The solution

I have spearheaded the development of a novel game, built using Unity, to not only assist patients in managing and sharing their emotional states through interactive games and journalling, but also allow them to more effectively communicate any discomfort/side-effects they experience when taking their medication/vaccine.

Screenshots of the Yumm game. Left: Breathing guidance scene; Centre: Feeling sharing scene; Right: Shopping scene - Users can buy items from the experience and coins they gather in the app.

Such a solution is extremely valuable for physicians from small and medium clinics to triage and act quickly if harmful side-effects are noticed. Forming a habit among patients to share how they are feeling at different points of the day through a game fosters a positive habit that promotes mental well-being, especially among the terminally and chronically ill.