Design Statement
When I listened to the theme music, I imagined a small life setting out into a wider world. I wanted to translate that feeling into acts of care: drawing soil for a seed, offering water and light, and making shelter when the weather changes.

I chose an irregular crayon style to make the world feel like a childhood picture coming alive. The player's marks are both decoration and tools, so caring for a plant also changes the composition of the drawing.

The journey begins with one flower in a meadow, then moves through desert, snow, cliffs and an underwater garden. Each place introduces a different relationship between the plant and its surroundings. Harvested seeds connect these places, while the world map gradually gains colour.

Through repeated playtesting, I focused on making cause and effect visible without overwhelming the picture with instructions. My aim was a gentle adventure where small gestures feel meaningful, and the finished artwork becomes a keepsake of the player's journey.

Game Instructions (launch steps, controls, and gameplay overview)
Launch:
Download ABloomAway-r19-Windows.zip, extract the entire archive, and run ABloomAway.exe from the extracted folder. No installation or internet connection is required.

Controls:
Use the mouse to select tools and interact. Hold the left mouse button and drag to draw. Select a seed packet, then click suitable soil to plant it. Use the eraser or Undo to adjust your drawing.

Gameplay:
Begin in the meadow and follow the introductory guide. Draw soil, water and sunlight to care for your first plant. Click a ready flower or seedpod to harvest. Select newly unlocked seed packets to discover more plants, and follow the map to new worlds.

Later areas introduce wind shelter, snowmelt irrigation and drainage, support for plants on slopes, and underwater currents and fish visitors. Watch the plants and environmental feedback, and use “Show me again” if you need guidance.

You can save your artwork as a PNG from Settings. English is the default language; Simplified Chinese is also available.

Gameplay walkthrough video
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CU42TLCOY45JcklVHWf2U1vugG6SGnbn/view?usp=sharing

Trailer / Other Additional Video Material (Optional)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17w6RMf1uHmxiiwuOnznoMu259EHOI8wP/view?usp=sharing

Did your project use any AI tools or assets? If yes, please specify.
Yes. A Bloom Away was created and directed by 芥子, who shaped the concept, gameplay progression, crayon art direction and emotional experience, selected assets, and guided revisions through hands-on playtesting and player feedback.

OpenAI image-generation tools created background illustrations, plant and creature artwork, and selected UI and promotional assets. Background music was generated with MiniMax and selected by the creator.

ChatGPT/Codex assisted extensively with programming, procedural visuals and synthesized sound effects, animation, UI and tutorial text, translations, debugging, automated tests and documentation.

All generated assets are bundled locally. The game runs offline and does not use live AI services or microphone input.