Implement Waste Management Minigame for Sustainability Education

[pandaxin8]

Description: To emphasize the game's focus on sustainability and reduce food waste, a "waste management minigame" should be designed. This minigame will engage players in activities related to sorting waste for composting or recycling after preparing each dish. Efficient waste management should be rewarded, teaching players the importance of sustainability practices in cooking and food preparation.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Create a fun and educational minigame that involves sorting different types of kitchen waste into composting, recycling, or trash.
• Integrate this minigame seamlessly into the dish preparation cycle, encouraging players to think about waste reduction from the start.
• Reward players with in-game bonuses or points for efficient and correct waste management.
• Provide educational feedback on the impact of waste management choices, enhancing the game's learning outcomes.

[pandaxin8]

• Game mechanics: timed challenge where players sort waste into correct categories (compost, recycling, trash) as it moves along conveyor belt. Incorrect sorting could result in penalties, whereas correct actions would boost scores or provide in-game rewards.
• Educational Content: Each waste item could come with a tip or fact that appears when sorted correctly, providing players with real-world knowledge about why certain waste types are handled in specific ways.
• Integration with Main Game: The minigame could be triggered after dishes are served, especially after events where a guest generates unexpected waste. This integrates the minigame naturally into the gameplay flow, reinforcing the connection between cooking choices and waste production.
• Incentives for Players: Rewards for successful waste management could include points towards the player's overall game score, unlockables (like new recipes or kitchen tools that reduce waste), or even a "clean kitchen" bonus that impacts guest satisfaction positively.

[pandaxin8]

Step 1: Define the Assets and Rules

• Assets Needed: Images for compostable items (vegetable peels, coffee grounds), recyclables (plastic bottles, paper), and trash (plastic bags, bones).
• Rules: Items move from one side of the screen to the other on a conveyor belt. Players drag and drop items into the correct bins before they reach the end of the belt.

Step 2: Basic Game Loop

• Start with a Timer: Set a countdown timer for the minigame duration, e.g., 30 seconds. The game ends when the timer runs out.
• Generate Waste Items: Randomly generate items on the conveyor belt at intervals. Ensure a balanced mix of compostable, recyclable, and trash items.
• Sorting Mechanism: Allow players to drag items to the correct bin. Implement simple touch-and-drag controls for mobile or click-and-drag for web/desktop.
• Scoring and Feedback: Give immediate feedback when items are correctly or incorrectly sorted (e.g., a simple sound, visual effect, or popup). Correct sorts earn points, while incorrect sorts might pause the belt briefly as a penalty.

Step 3: User Interface (UI)

• Display three bins at the bottom of the screen, each labeled for compost, recycling, and trash.
• Use a simple conveyor belt animation or moving background to simulate movement.
• Show the remaining time prominently on the screen.
• Optionally, include a score counter to track the player's performance.

Step 4: Educational Aspect

• When an item is correctly sorted, briefly display a fact or tip about why that item belongs in that bin. This can be a simple popup or overlay that doesn't interrupt the gameplay.
• At the end of the game, give a summary of correct and incorrect sorts, with a brief educational note encouraging better waste management practices.

[pandaxin8]

Game screen layout

• image assets for compostable items, recyclables, and trash
• conveyor belt (Container with a scrolling background), waste items (Draggable widgets), bins (DragTarget widgets where items will be dropped)
• countdown timer at top of screen using Text widget that updates based on Timer from dart:async
• display scores or feedback using SnackBar or custom dialog boxes for immediate player feedback

Game logic and state management

• state management: use Provider to manage game state, including timer, current score, list of items on conveyor belt
• generating waste items: randomly generate items on conveyor belt at defined intervals. Might store item data in a Firebase Firestore collection and fetch them periodically or use a local list within game state.
• each item is a model with properties like type (compost, recycle, trash), imagePath, fact
• handling drag and drop: use Draggable for making waste items movable and DragTarget for bins. implement logic to check if item was dropped on correct bin and update game state accordingly. Provide educational tips or facts when items are correctly sorted through modal popups or inline notifications.

Integrating firebase for data and analytics

• store facts or educational content related to each waste item in firestore. fetch these dynamically when items are correctly sorted to keep game content fresh and engaging.
• analytics: use firebase analytics to track how players interact with minigame, including completion rates, scores, and common mistakes
• cloud functions: firebase cloud functions to manage game logic that doesn't need to run on client side e.g. scoring algorithms, generating daily/weekly challenges

Feedback and reward system

• after completing minigame, provide players with a summary of their performance, including correctly sorted items, scores, and any new tips unlocked. Could be a modal dialog or new screen
• reward integration: based on minigame's outcome, update player's main game status e.g. increasing their sustainability score or unlocking new feature. use firestore to persist these changes