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FOLDward     → CMU ETC Project / Game Design, UI
    2025  




Cooperative Game FOLDward is a two-player cooperative game where players fold paper airplanes and launch them to pop balloons across multiple stages. Built in Unity, the game uses an Xbox Adaptive Controller with custom button inputs to turn the act of folding paper into a shared physical interaction.

Each player controls five buttons: four buttons are used to fold different parts of the paper, and one button is used to launch the completed airplane. Players must coordinate their inputs, fold the correct airplane form, and launch it within the time limit to clear all the balloons in each stage.

The project explores how simple physical controls can create a playful and collaborative game experience. Motion and folding animations were developed using Blender and Unity, connecting the tactile feeling of pressing buttons with the visual transformation of paper into flight.
Project Deliverable Game Design
3D Design
Game UI 
Tools UsedUnity
Blender
Maya
Figma
Xbox Adaptive Controller
Substance Painter
 
Timeline 2025
Team     

Overview Challenge

The main challenge was translating the physical feeling of folding paper into button based interactions through the Xbox Adaptive Controller. We had to design folding sequences that felt intuitive while balancing the difficulty between different airplane forms.

To help players learn the system naturally, we started the game with a tutorial stage and gradually increased the difficulty in later levels. We also added golden “?” balloons to create unexpected moments and keep the gameplay engaging.




My Role
    I worked on the game design, UI, motion, and interaction logic for FOLDward. My focus was translating the physical idea of folding paper into clear button-based actions using the Xbox Adaptive Controller.

    I also contributed to the visual development pipeline, including interface moments, folding feedback, and motion assets made between Blender, Maya, and Unity.  
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