Description:

Toe Bean Bontany is a High-fantasy RPG farm sim that aims to re-educate foraging and pagan culture. With the power of escapism and cute, colourful cats, a safe space will be made for learning, making mistakes, and bringing fantasy and colour from the game world to ours. The game builds on an interest in urban foraging, medicinal and nutritional plants, and the amazing world of foraging. Foraging encourages this relationship, nourishing us and the environment while giving us food and increasing eco-sustainable knowledge.

The goal was to develop a foraging resource that’s not only more accessible but also easier to understand for a young adult audience. In Western society, knowledge of foraging and botany is dwindling, and it is often regarded as fantasy or fiction. So, why not embrace this and develop a high fantasy game that entertains and rekindles the knowledge and practical uses of botany and foraging culture?

Foraging is the game's core pillar, serving as its soul and setting it apart from other farm sims. With its attention to detail and identification of imaginary plants, the game provides a safe way to promote responsible foraging within the community while also addressing liability issues within the game world. Toe Bean Botany's fantasy design aesthetic keeps the game bright and interesting. High fantasy farm simulations are popular and using a fantasy approach creates a safer environment for learning, eliminating the risk of misidentifying real plants by using fantastical ones. The designs are colourful and stylised to maintain a boundary between the game and the real world, as the goal was to teach good habits like researching and not over-harvesting, not what plants are edible in real life. The idea was to teach habits and inspire people to go to the environment, not give medical advice. Toe Bean Botany has the feel of an epic adventure in this fantastical world and encourages
people to go out and discover the environment in the game and out of the game.

Toe Bean Botany features a diegetic interface to minimise an invasive interface on the screen and maximise the real foraging feel and experience. The main character you play is a cat, which fits the cute, mystical theming of the game and appeals to a young adult audience.

Foraging isn’t a hobby you can pursue without research, as consuming plants you are unsure about is dangerous. It is hazardous for the person consuming it and the environment, with mis-harvesting and over-harvesting issues in the foraging community. Toe Bean Botany provides an easily accessible game that’s easy to understand in a fun, interactive way that will remove the danger and increase botany and foraging knowledge.

Initial public user testing and public presentations of the project affirmed the interest and popularity in Toe Bean Botany. What started as an undergraduate project has morphed into a potentially viable product with interest and support from CODE.