1.1 Problem Identification

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of actively online gamers across the internet has increased greatly. The first figure is the distribution of times when gamers are playing before the pandemic. The second figure shows the distribution of the same people after the pandemic (Barr, 2021). This shows a clear shift towards an increased playtime across individuals, indicating that during this time of stress people resort to video games to spend their time, where they can connect with others online. There is also studies to show that online multiplayer games have a beneficial effect in diminishing anxiety and stress among young adults and college students in the UK, US, and Italy (Pallavicini, 2022). Having a fun and simple game to play during free hours is a great stress reliever and a way to balance work and rest.

Figure shows distribution of gamers' playing times pre COVID-19

Figure showing same gamers' playing time distribution post COVID-19

During the coronavirus pandemic, esports has prospered thanks to people stuck at home looking to fill the empty hours with gaming or watching others gaming on streaming websites such as twitch (Clark, 2020).

Twitch viewership has surged since the start of the pandemic

In 2018, a government census showed that 92% of all US households had at least one type of computer, and 85% had an internet subscription (Bureau, 2021). Similarly, in the UK it was found that 96% of households had internet access as of 2020 (Prescott, 2020). This means that an online multiplayer game with little hardware requirements is accessible by a very large amount of people.

For these reasons, I have decided to make an online multiplayer 2D game with simple graphics and features which make it easy to pick up and play for anyone, without needing a high-end computer. The game won't be very competitive or challenging making it a relaxing environment for the players, but mastering the mechanics of the game will make you win more giving the players a reason to want to play.