Student creates computer game to explore the impact of Alzheimer's disease

A university student studying at Abertay University in Scotland has created a computer game to explore the emotional impact of Alzheimer's disease.

The game was revealed at the Abertay Digital Graduate Show in May. The creator Alexander Tarvet designed and developed the game as part of his Game Design & Production Management degree, focusing on how a computer game can give a first-person experience of a stressful and devastating disease.

The game titled 'Forget-Me-Knot' enables the player to play the role of fictional character Harold Tarvet and discover what life is like living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Mr Tarvet said: "Computer games are one of the greatest ways to let people safely explore a situation they've never experienced, as you’re creating a whole new world to explore. Many games deal with fantasy and fiction, but I wanted to look at something much more serious.

"Alzheimer's disease is a devastating condition for everyone affected and their loved ones, and through playing Forget-Me-Knot the player gets an immediate sense of the confusion the character feels. They’re in their living room, which should be a safe and comforting space, but it has become hostile and unsettling as they've lost memories of the personal objects all around the room.

"The player is in exactly the same position as the person with Alzheimer’s – both have to explore the room and try and piece together an understanding of photos and letters through clues left on shelves and in drawers."

The Alzheimer's Society predicts that there will be more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK by the end of 2015.

In creating the game, Mr Tarvet hopes to increase awareness of the debilitating impact Alzheimer's disease has on the patient but also their close family and friends.

He added: "I hope the project will help anyone who plays the game to understand more about Alzheimer's disease. Putting yourself into the shoes of the person with the disease gives a very immediate, visceral sense of how disorientating and terrifying it must be to live with long-term memory loss."

For more information on Forget-Me-Knot, visit: http://www.alexanderjamestarvet.com/#forget-me-knot