Not Enough Spoons

University Module - 2023

Not Enough Spoons is a game made during my university degree. It is based on “Spoon Theory”, which is a metaphor for how everyday tasks have a cost associated with them for people with mental health chronic illnesses.

You play as an office worker who has to send a ton of emails in a day, but each email costs you a “spoon”. You can gain spoons by collecting moments as they come down the screen, such as listening to music, having a hot drink or chatting to a friend. You can also lose multiple spoons if you hit “have you got five minutes?” where a co-worker or boss ambushes you for an unplanned chat.

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This concept only covers one day, but an expanded version would include multiple work days which progressively get harder as time goes on. With less moments available as various policies are enacted by HR such as “no more headphones in the workplaces” or “the hot water is out of order”. If you lose too many spoons, then it’s game over.