First Encounters is a media learning experience consisting of a rich online game, an extensive video and music gallery, and detailed teacher's guides. The game and website are the culmination of over a year's worth of research and development, providing an in-depth look at life in North America when Europeans began arriving from across the Atlantic.
Carleton University's Centre for Indigenous Research, Culture, Language and Education (CIRCLE), in partnership with Heritage Canada's Canadian Content Online Program, commissioned the project to retell the story of first contact between the Norse and the Thule circa 1000 CE, and the French and the Mi'kmaq in the 1500s.
Started on prototyping and code development, then moved to the learning modules for each culture and how they shaped the overall gameplay. Also helped develop the bilingual features and integrated a large portion of the interface and 3D assets.