The Journey of Biag Ni Lam-Ang

Abstract

The Journey of Biag ni Lam-ang was developed as an offline Android-based 2D role-playing platform game intended to increase awareness of the Ilocano epic Biag ni Lam-ang among Grade 6 pupils of Ambayat Integrated School. The project combined cultural storytelling with mobile gameplay to support cultural preservation, education, interactive storytelling, and audience engagement. A descriptive-developmental research design was used, and Rapid Application Development (RAD) guided requirements planning, user design, construction, and cutover. Godot Game Engine 3.5 and GDScript were used for game functionality, while Aseprite and Krita were used for character, animation, background, and visual asset development. Semi-structured interviews, survey questionnaires, and a Software Usability Measurement Inventory-based gameplay usability test were administered to Grade 6 pupils aged 10 to 12 years. The game included four major stages, Filipino epic-inspired characters and antagonists, weapons, power-ups, maps, story elements, and offline single-player gameplay. The perceived-benefit assessment yielded a weighted mean of 4.50, interpreted as beneficial. Usability scores were 4.37 for efficiency, 4.20 for effect, 4.20 for helpfulness, 4.28 for control, and 4.47 for learnability, producing an overall mean of 4.30, interpreted as usable. The results suggest that the game provided an engaging way to revisit Philippine epic literature while supporting reading interest, problem solving, critical thinking, strategic thinking, and cultural awareness.