ABOUT THE GAME
Voice Controlled Hangman is a technical demonstration of voice-driven gameplay, reimagining the classic word-guessing game with speech recognition technology. Instead of typing or clicking letters, players speak their guesses aloud, creating a hands-free and accessible gaming experience.
The game features dynamic difficulty scaling, multiple word categories, and a timer system that adds pressure to each round. It's designed as a technical showcase demonstrating how voice recognition can be integrated into Unity projects to create more immersive and accessible gameplay experiences.
Voice Controlled Hangman explores the challenges and possibilities of voice input in games—handling accents, background noise, and the inherent latency of speech-to-text processing while maintaining a responsive and enjoyable player experience.
SYSTEMS I IMPLEMENTED
The core technical challenge was integrating speech recognition into Unity in a way that felt responsive and reliable. I implemented a voice input system that listens for individual letter guesses, processes them through speech-to-text, and validates them against the game state.
I built a Word Management System that handles multiple categories of words with varying difficulty levels. The system selects appropriate words based on the current difficulty setting and tracks which letters have been guessed correctly or incorrectly.
The Dynamic Difficulty System adjusts based on player performance—if you're guessing quickly and accurately, the words get harder and the timer gets shorter. If you're struggling, the game eases up to keep the experience enjoyable rather than frustrating.
I also implemented a Timer System with visual feedback, an Audio Feedback System to confirm voice input recognition, and a UI System that displays the hangman progression and letter states.
WHAT I LEARNED
Technical Skills Developed
Working on Voice Controlled Hangman gave me hands-on experience with speech recognition APIs and the challenges of integrating external services into Unity. I learned about handling asynchronous input and providing appropriate feedback during processing delays. I also developed skills in audio processing, including microphone input handling and noise filtering to improve recognition accuracy.
Design Lessons
Voice input requires much more feedback than traditional input methods—players need confirmation that they've been heard and understood. I learned that accessibility features often improve the experience for all players, not just those who need them. The project also taught me about graceful degradation—what happens when voice recognition fails, and how to keep the game playable.