Overview
A multiplayer interactive game/installation teaching visitors how environmental decisions shape the future of Lake Winnipeg and surrounding communities.
The Challenge
The Manitoba Museum wanted a highly immersive digital experience that could make complex ecological dynamics approachable for a broad audience. The project required not just translating scientific data into interactive gameplay, but coordinating an intricate production ecosystem: a digital studio team, a design team, an interpretive planning team, curators, 3D modellers, writers, animators, editors, sound designers, and front- and back-end developers.
From a technical perspective, the exhibit needed carefully specified hardware—touchscreens, computers, speakers, and projectors—coordinated with a fabrication team to build a multi-screen interactive table and projection surface. Gameplay had to support multiple modes: single-player, multiplayer, and docent-guided. Players received feedback at each stage, and in-game “storm events” triggered integrated visual and audio cues while altering gameplay, reflecting real-world environmental consequences. Balancing scientific fidelity, engaging gameplay, and a seamless, multi-mode interactive experience required intensive coordination and iterative testing.
My Role
As Producer /Project Manager I led multi-studio production for this large $1 million + interactive exhibit with a rollout of nine months.
- Managed the entire production pipeline from concept to installation
- Directed multi-disciplinary teams including 3D modelling, animation, sound design, game logic, front-end and back-end development
- Coordinated with external design and interpretive planning teams, museum curators, and fabrication vendors to align technical, aesthetic, and experiential requirements
- Defined and specified all hardware and technical infrastructure—including computers, touchscreens, projectors, and audio systems—and ensured integration with the physical exhibit
- Oversaw the development of gameplay for single-player, multiplayer, and docent-guided modes, including dynamic environmental events such as storms and algae bloom feedback
- Managed iterative testing, QA, and integration of multimedia assets to ensure scientific accuracy, educational impact, and an intuitive user experience
Outcome
An immersive, award-winning exhibit that engages thousands of visitors, providing a memorable hands-on simulation of Lake Winnipeg’s environmental systems. The multi-mode gameplay and dynamic environmental events create a powerful visual and interactive representation of ecological consequences, successfully blending scientific accuracy with fun, collaborative learning. Summit International Awards winner. See a video of the finished game in use here.
