Crisis Care University

Crisis Care University is a visual novel experience depicting Mental Health among college undergraduates

About
The game is a representation of the typical college student experience of being on your own for the first time while navigating broader circumstances such as making friends and finding a sense of belonging in a new place. Additionally, it touches on the diverse approaches regarding various mental health conditions or symptoms like anxiety and depression, which are common among college students.

Background
Crisis Care University has been a developing project since 2022, with contributions from a total of 8 students at Coastal Carolina University, with over half in the Digital Culture and Design (DCD) program working on the project in 2023 and 2024. The overall idea of the project developed from our own personal college experiences and mental health obstacles with the decision of creating it in an interactive, personal perspective like a visual storytelling novel. As DCD students, this project provided us with a broader understanding of a multitude of topics, including storytelling, programming, graphic design, user experience, and cross-platform teamwork with the visual novel program, Ren'Py.

2023 Contributors: Celina DeCordova, Gianna Casey, Kaylie Carpenter, Kathleen Avvento, Blair Ayscue, and Emily Webb.

2024 Contributors: Celina DeCordova, Rachell Skinner, and Kaylee Conklin.

Project Advisor: Dr. Sarah Laiola, Ph.D, Digital Culture and Design Program Director at Coastal Carolina University.