Also in this section…?

Development of the game

Cargo-a-go-go| is not just a fun game, it has its roots firmly in Liverpool's maritime heritage and a very important part of seafaring history - the development of the Plimsoll line|.

Stage 1: concept drawing

As well as writing a thorough brief for the game, the web team at National Museums Liverpool drew up a very rough sketch of how they imagined the game would look for the initial meeting with the game's developers, Glow New Media|.

rough sketch of cargo being stacked on board a ship

Stage 2: research

Thom Shannon, technical director at Glow, found inspiration for one of the key elements for the game right outside the Merseyside Maritime Museum on the quayside:

"We wanted to make a fun game which was very easy for all ages to use. As part of the research, I went over to Albert Dock and that's when I caught sight of the original wheeled crane. That was the solution right there and it has become an integral part of the game" Thom Shannon

You can see the full set of Thom's photos of the crane on Flickr|.

The game is set around the late 19th century - the time that the Plimsoll line was introduced and the docks were extremely busy. Examples of cargo ships from the era were provided by the curator of maritime history at the museum.

Stage 3: illustration

Based on this information the artist Sophie Green| produced an initial illustration which the game's graphics were based on.

artist's illustration of a ship being loaded in the dock

Stage 4: game graphics

All of these elements are reflected in the final graphics for the Cargo-a-go-go game|.

graphics showing a ship being loaded in the dock from the game Cargo-a-go-go