Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Aysegul Yayimili

College

College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)

Discipline(s)

Software Development, Marketing, Computer Science

ORCID Identifier(s)

0009-0003-0700-7889

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-30-2026

Abstract

This project is the development of a virtual, interactive career aptitude test set around the Valparaiso University Campus. The aim of this project is to create a tool that prospective students could use to explore options for their potential area of study, while also familiarizing themselves with Valpo's campus in a fun way. Players explore campus interacting with various torches which prompt them with various occupational questions taken from a US Department of Labor career test. Players answer the questions and upon reaching the end gain insight into what types of careers may be good for them, and how Valparaiso can help them get there. The project enables players to explore and interact with various parts of Valpo's campus to better acquaint themselves before their arrival. Godot game engine was used to build this experience as it was readily available, well documented, and provided an extensive library of reusable assets that made development more efficient. Most development was done in the agile style, which improved flexibility as the scope of the project was worked through. The primary challenge was making an intractable system that enabled all different types of models, assets, and interactions to work seamlessly together. Godot's engine provided an excellent array of tools that made populating the map with new assets easy. Abbey Bodine and Courtney McDonald from the marketing team have made excellent artwork for the game, which brought the whole thing together as a useful exploration tool that truly feels like Valparaiso University.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Mason Tulacz is a senior computer science major who has built numerous projects at Valparaiso. He got interested in this project when approached about doing it after taking the Video Game Programming class. Having significant experience in software development and project management, Mason has worked with various campus partners in an effort to build this game as a (sort of) senior capstone project.

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