The Unwritten Realm is a browser-based educational RPG designed for a Creative Writing Through D&D course (Grades 9–12). It's a top-down, tile-based adventure game where students explore a fantasy world, interact with NPCs, and complete quests — all centered around creative writing prompts tied to educational standards.
Key features:
- 5 units with 44 quests, 22 NPCs, 10 interactive puzzles, and 7 maps — each quest weaving writing assignments into the game narrative
- 25 writing prompts aligned to standards (CCSS, ISTE, NSQ 2025), each with scaffolding support
- 33 badges, 24 items, and an XP system to motivate learners
- Character creation with customizable appearance (including accessibility-forward options like wheelchair and crutches)
- Teacher Evidence Report — a generated PDF showing student proficiency across standards
- Journal system for tracking lore and a glossary with 20 terms
- Minimap, quest HUD, progress tracker, and self-paced mode
- Greyscale fog-of-war for unexplored areas
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA compliant, ARIA announcements, readable font toggle, typewriter speed settings, translanguaging support (via Lingua NPC)
- Mobile responsive with d-pad controls and safe-area padding
The core design philosophy is that writing submissions affect the game world — after students complete prompts, NPCs acknowledge their work and the narrative progresses, making the writing feel meaningful rather than disconnected from gameplay.