Game Developer for Accessible Exergames
Applications are invited for the position of Game Developer in the Liberi Exergames project at the EQUIS Lab, School of Computing, Queen’s University, Canada. Highlights of the position include:
- Advanced game development in Unity and C#
- Working in a multidisciplinary project involving computer scientists and medical professionals
- Designing for and with children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Children with cerebral palsy often do not have the same opportunities for physical activity as their typically-developing peers, and often have social isolation, spending most of their time with adults rather than other children. We are addressing this problem via the Liberi Exergames, a suite of pedal-to-play games. Children pedal a custom-designed recumbent bicycle to power their avatar in the game. The games are action-packed, with a light-hearted, amusing visual style, including a lizard racing game, a jellyfish brawler, a zombie cat defence game, and a space hockey game. The games are networked, allowing children to play in small groups from home. We have tested Liberi in home, clinical, and school settings for periods as long as 10 weeks, with very positive feedback from children and their parents. There is, however, still significant work to be done to make the games robust, fun, and engaging over the long term.
The game developer will be expected to extend and enhance the Liberi suite of exercise video games and bring it to a stable and playable form suitable for long-term deployment in clinical settings and children's homes. This will include work on game architecture, game networking, game balancing, and generally enhancing the fun and playability of the game.
The candidate will join an inclusive and diverse interdisciplinary team as part of the EQUIS Lab. We work in a newly opened studio research lab with an open-plan space for collaboration and creative design, closed offices for quiet work, and individual cubicles for privacy.
Queen’s University is located in the wonderful historic city of Kingston, Ontario, with a bustling downtown, beautiful parks, hiking and cycling trails, and freshwater sailing. Kingston is located in the UNESCO Frontenac Arch Biosphere, featuring beautiful scenery while being close to the major centres of Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
Queen’s is ranked first in Canada and fifth in the world in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings of global universities advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals within and beyond their local communities. The School of Computing is one of Canada’s leading research departments in computer science. HCI at Queen’s includes the EQUIS Lab, the iStudio Lab and research groups in Ingenuity Labs.
Queen’s encourages applications from underrepresented groups including women, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities. All applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The candidate must have eligibility to work in Canada.
For any informal inquiries, please feel free to reach out to Prof. Nicholas Graham.
Applying
Apply through the Queen's University Careers site.
Application deadline: January 3, 2022
Preferred starting date: Early 2022
Position duration: one year, renewable pending availability of funding