The Lantern Suite / Behind the design
Wayfinder's Horizon
Steer by the center canoe and let distractions drift past
Wayfinder's Horizon is a flanker task: five outrigger canoes cross a night sea, and players steer by the center canoe even when the fleet points the other way. It gives repeated practice at filtering distraction, tied in its reflections to staying on one's own course.
What players see
The science
Selective attention. Filtering out noise and side conversations helps in a busy living unit, in class, in a job interview, and when sticking to a plan under peer pressure.
The flanker task shows that nearby conflicting items slow responses to a central target. Here canoes replace letters, and matching or opposing fleets create the conflict.
Eriksen & Eriksen, 1974, "Effects of noise letters upon the identification of a target letter in a nonsearch task," Perception & PsychophysicsThe Attention Network Test scores executive attention as the gap between incongruent and congruent flanker trials, the same "flanker cost" this game reports.
Fan, McCandliss, Sommer, Raz & Posner, 2002, "Testing the efficiency and independence of attentional networks," Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Culture players carry with them
Players learn how Pacific navigators hold a course using a star compass, ocean swells and seabirds, and how Hōkūleʻa's 1976 voyage to Tahiti helped revive wayfinding. They also learn that voyaging groups across the Pacific train new navigators today.
- A Compass of StarsHawaiian navigators learn a star compass. It splits the horizon into 32 "houses," the places where stars rise and set. Knowing each star's house helps a navigator hold a heading through the night.
- Reading the SwellsWhen clouds hide the stars, navigators feel the long ocean swells under the canoe. Swells can roll in the same direction for a long time, so their steady rhythm helps keep the canoe on course.
- Birds Point to LandSome seabirds, like the noio and the manu-o-Kū, fly out to sea to fish at dawn and fly home at dusk. Following them in the evening can lead a canoe toward an island.
Culture notes as they appear in the game, between levels and on the title screen.
Impact
For the people who play
Quick, clear rounds and a measured flanker cost let players see their focus improve within the task.
Pacific Islander players see a proud, accurate portrait of their ancestors' navigational science and skill.
A calm night-ocean setting and soft sound support a settled state while practicing.
For your agency
Culturally responsive content for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations
Attention practice built on a standard, well-studied cognitive task
No network connections: an offline file with a strict no-connection security policy
The Lantern Suite offers structured practice and cultural learning. It is not a medical device or a treatment. See our claims and evidence policy.
Pilot Wayfinder's Horizon with your program
Every game is one offline file, ready for your publication and security review.