Trail of the Guard: Ranger Story (TotG) is an educational top-down game where players embody a forest ranger. The game involves managing trails, preserving wildlife, and ensuring ecological balance. All while entertaining and seeing to public relations via an ensemble cast of NPC personas, each with their own personalities and requiring tedious care meant to reflect the experience of handling delicate social conventions and expectations. 

Set in varied natural environments, players solve problems like trail erosion, invasive species control, and wildlife protection, allocating their extremely limited resources. These resources are budgeted and permitted to the ranger on a per-request basis making requests to the Park Manager or Superintendent. The game combines strategy with real-world conservation principles, offering an experiential and hopefully embodied interaction for players enlisted in the DOI fir relevant positions.

ISLT 7384 | Level 4: Reflecting on the Game Design Journey of “Trail Guardian: The Ranger’s Journey.” – The Ludonarrative Chronicle (wordpress.com)

Development log