A chaotic, food-fueled multiplayer arcade game that blends narrative design, interaction mechanics, and physical cabinet play.

Created as part of The New Arcade course at NYU, It’s Raining Vegetables! is a fast-paced, two-player game set in a whimsical universe where players dodge junk food and collect nutritious ingredients to keep their gelatinous friend, Jello, alive.

As a member of a collaborative team, I contributed to the design and development of the entire arcade experience from scratch. Our goal was to reimagine arcade play as something tactile, communal, and narratively rich — a love letter to chaotic co-op games and absurd worldbuilding.

Project Goals

• Design a playful, fast-paced arcade experience with real-time cooperative gameplay

• Build an intuitive and joyful physical interface that encourages hands-on interaction

• Develop a compelling game world that invites player investment and immersion

• Seamlessly merge storytelling, visual design, and mechanics into a unified experience

Phase 1: Worldbuilding and Narrative Design

We began by building the game’s fictional universe — a surreal world where rival cities are made entirely of food. I developed the lore to give real meaning to player actions. For example, what happens when Jello gets fed too much sugar, and why certain ingredients carry more weight than others? These narrative elements were not just decorative. They directly influenced game logic, character behavior, and visual style. Anchoring the chaotic gameplay within a coherent story gave the world purpose, encouraging players to care about the experience beyond just winning.

Phase 2: Gameplay and Interaction Design

With the world established, I helped design a high-energy cooperative gameplay loop where players team up to catch healthy ingredients while avoiding harmful ones falling from above. We fine-tuned timing, scoring, and penalties to encourage communication and shared focus. I worked closely with the development team to balance increasing challenges with accessibility, making sure casual players could jump in without feeling overwhelmed. Every detail, from ingredient types to game pace, was shaped with the lively arcade environment in mind.

Phase 3: Cabinet Interface and Physical Design

Bringing the game into a physical space, I collaborated on the cabinet’s visual identity and helped design its interface, including button layout, screen framing, and overall size. Our aim was to create something that sparks curiosity and draws players in. The cabinet features bold food-themed visuals, oversized buttons, and a sturdy build designed to withstand playful chaos. Together, these elements create a tactile, sensory-rich experience where players can lose themselves in laughter, movement, and cooperative fun. This arcade experience extends well beyond the screen, making the game truly immersive.

It’s Raining Vegetables! isn’t just a game — it’s a joyful collision of story, play, and physical design. This project deepened my ability to design across mediums and taught me how to build cohesive experiences that engage players emotionally, physically, and socially. It reminded me that good design can be weird, loud, and full of vegetables — and still be deeply meaningful.