The Hungry Ghost - Casual Puzzle Mobile Game
History of the Hungry Ghost Festival
Have you heard of the Hungry Ghost Festival? On August 25th, Buddhist and Taoist communities around the world will hold their own Hungry Ghost Festival. Sound spooky? It is! The whole seventh month of the lunar calendar is actually called “Ghost Month” when it’s believed that the gates of the afterlife open to allow spirits to roam the Earth. It’s a very haunted holiday, but it is also a celebration to honour ancestors and relatives.
The origin of the Hungry Ghost Festival comes from a very old story from ancient China. In the story, a monk named Mulian asks the Buddha to help his mother in the afterlife. Mulian’s mother was very hungry. But because she was a ghost, she couldn’t eat! So the Buddha instructs Mulian to make offerings of food and new robes to the monks instead. Thankful for the gift, the monks pray for Mulian’s mother and she is then reborn as a human, ending her hunger. Just like in Mulian’s story, being stuck in the afterlife means ghosts are pretty hungry! So during the festival, families prepare elaborate meals that are served to empty seats around the table so the ghosts of family members can sit and enjoy.
Challenge: This is one of several traditional festivals in China to worship ancestors. My challenge is to create new experience that excites them without offending/ disrespecting the culture, people or religion.
Idea: During the festival, they perform special ceremonies to honor the dead and worship their ancestors such as putting the family’s ancestral tablets on a table, burning incense, and preparing food three times that day. We found out that people, especially teens, may suffer from the boredom due to the same activities every year, the lack of new experiences and the disconnection between them and the dead. Therefore, I provided people with a unique and new experience to inspire them to connect with the ghosts of family members this holiday.
Execution: "The Hungry Ghost" is a casual puzzle mobile game that suitable for all ages. With cute art style, It’s enjoyable to play with anyone, any ghost, at any place and any time without feeling scared xoxo.
Special thanks to:
* Mr. Nguyen Tien Thong (T-Art Workshop) - a great, humorous and supportive teacher!
* The Jiangshi folklore for inspiration.
Would love to hear your feedback about the project. Thank you!
