The Fairy’s Wish
Ever since I was little, I’ve been fascinated by fairies — the idea that tiny magical beings could exist just beyond what we can see has always made the world feel more enchanted. That love, combined with a growing interest in interactive art and physical computing, inspired me with this thought
The Concept
The Fairy’s Wish is a playful, interactive project where players guide a brave little cat through an enchanted forest to collect three magical items. The controls aren’t just keyboard keys — they’re real-world physical inputs (joystick, buttons, maybe even pressure pads) connected through an Arduino.
When the cat finally reaches the fairy and completes the quest, something truly magical happens. A real-life fairy — represented by a handmade Barbie doll with glittering wings — comes to life. Her wings flutter using servo motors, her body glows with soft LED lights, and she thanks the player with a glowing blessing, making the whole experience feel magical and earned.
Ideas in Motion
The core idea started with this question:
What if beating a game didn’t just give you a virtual reward, but sparked something real in front of you?
From there, I began sketching:
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Physical Controls: A joystick to move the cat, a big friendly button for jumping, and possibly a rotating dial to navigate hidden paths. All inputs run through Arduino to control the game made with p5.js.
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Game Design: The forest has three areas, each holding a different magical item. Players solve simple puzzles or navigate mini challenges to unlock them. Dialogue boxes from forest spirits guide the way.
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The Real-World Fairy: Built with a Barbie, fairy wings made from wire + sheer fabric or acetate, servo motors hidden behind her, and color-changing LEDs in her base. Her activation is synced with the game logic — so she only “blesses” you when you’ve truly earned it.
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Sound and Light: I’m exploring the idea of adding a soft melody that plays when the fairy activates — maybe even using a piezo speaker or pre-recorded message. I’d also love to add sparkly lights or a mini bubble machine for that extra fairy dust moment.
Production Plans & Future Thoughts
Here are some dreams I’d love to work toward:
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Make the fairy’s wings feel more alive — using multiple servos for a more natural fluttering motion.
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Create a “fairy blessing” moment with lighting effects and maybe even scent (imagine a lavender puff when you succeed).
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Build a portable fairy shrine: a beautiful little display box that holds the fairy and all the electronics, decorated like a miniature forest shrine.
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Expand the story into a chapter-based quest where the cat meets more characters, with the real-world doll responding differently depending on what items were collected.
I’m using p5.js to make the game. It’s a simple way to build cute graphics and animations with code.
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I’m using Arduino to handle the physical parts (like the joystick and fairy’s wings).
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When your cat touches the fairy in the game, p5.js sends a message to the Arduino.
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Then the fairy doll lights up and her wings flutter (with servo motors).
It’s like the game and the real world are talking to each other!
Some Cool Features I Want to Add
I’m still building it, but here’s what I’m planning:
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Joystick movement for the cat — maybe even a big “jump” button.
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A forest with different paths and challenges to find each magical item.
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The fairy doll will glow in different colors depending on what you collected.
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A soft melody when the fairy activates (maybe using a tiny speaker).
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A beautiful mini “fairy shrine” where she lives — decorated like a real enchanted forest!
Challenges (aka The Tricky Stuff)
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Timing: Making sure the fairy only reacts at the exact right moment in the game.
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Syncing Arduino with p5.js smoothly — there’s some trial and error here.
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Making the wings move naturally without looking too robotic.
But I’m excited to figure it all out!
Future Thoughts
Once I finish the basic version, I’d love to:
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Add more levels or characters to the game.
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Let players customize their cat before starting the journey.
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Add sound effects and sparkles for extra magic.
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Maybe even make a version that other people can play at an art show or event.