7. Sustainability, Ethics and Accessibility

7.1 Environmental Sustainability#

Although Capoo is a lightweight 2D game, we made conscious decisions to minimize its environmental footprint. We optimized asset sizes, limited unnecessary visual effects, and avoided resource-heavy rendering techniques. By choosing p5.js—a browser-based and lightweight JavaScript library—we ensured that the game runs efficiently on low-spec hardware, reducing the energy cost required to render and interact with the game.

The game is hosted on GitHub Pages, a static hosting platform that reduces server overhead compared to dynamically hosted environments. While we did not measure energy use directly, our decisions were informed by a preference for minimalist design and efficient execution.

Reflection: Future iterations could further reduce environmental impact by compressing image assets, optimizing animations, and exploring green hosting options for game deployment.

7.2 Social and Ethical Impact#

Capoo was designed to be accessible and enjoyable for a broad range of casual players. The game’s humorous tone, simple controls, and low cognitive demands make it approachable for players with varying levels of experience. Difficulty levels (L1 and L2) are included to cater to different preferences and skill levels.

The visual theme—centered around a whimsical character solving puzzles in a non-violent world—was deliberately chosen to promote positive, non-aggressive play. No enemies or combat mechanics are involved, and puzzle solutions are based on logic, timing, and creative thinking, aligning with ethical principles of inclusive and peaceful gameplay.

The development process also followed ethical software practices, including:

• Original asset use or fair-use adaptation.
• Respect for contributors’ time and fair role distribution.
• Transparent task tracking via GitHub for accountability.

Reflection: While the game promotes positive interaction, more diverse character options and narrative depth could better represent varied social backgrounds in future expansions.

7.3 Accessibility Considerations#

We made several design choices to improve accessibility:

• Color-independent puzzle elements: Visual indicators such as shape and motion complement color cues to aid colorblind players.
• Simple controls: All game mechanics are operated through standard keyboard inputs with minimal complexity.
• Tutorial and difficulty settings: An optional tutorial and adjustable difficulty settings help new or casual players ease into the game.
• Responsiveness across platforms: As a browser game, Capoo is accessible across Windows, macOS, and mobile browsers without installation.

Reflection: While the game accommodates casual play and basic visual limitations, it lacks full accessibility features such as screen reader support. In future versions, we aim to add audio cues to improve inclusiveness.

7.4 Sustainability-Oriented Requirements#

Our project team used the Sustainability Awareness Framework (SusAF) to guide decisions across environmental, social, and technical dimensions. The following are sample user stories reflecting our sustainability mindset:

Environmental Requirements

• As a developer, I want to reduce asset size and rendering load so that the game uses less GPU power.
• As a maintainer, I want to reuse code components to minimize redundancy and improve efficiency.

Social Requirements

• As a new player, I want an easy mode with guided controls so that I can learn the game comfortably.
• As a colorblind user, I want non-color-based cues to help me navigate puzzles.

Technical Requirements

• As a developer, I want modular systems for puzzle logic so that I can extend levels without major code rewrites.
• As a tester, I want the game to run in a browser so it can be tested on different devices easily.

This section concludes our discussion on how Capoo was built with sustainability and accessibility in mind, while acknowledging future improvements that can be made in hosting efficiency, inclusive design, and social representation.