A banner for the new Deafverse world, Legends of the Eldertree! Image Description: A banner reads: “An all-new adventure about college readiness”. The Legends of the Eldertree logo is the focus of this image. The text looks like stone, with moss and lichen sticking to the text. Text placard affixed to the bottom of the logo reads: “Coming soon”. In the background of the image, Eldertree Vale, a humble college town in a valley with mountains on the horizon, appears to be inviting you to explore it. An unfathomably massive tree looms above everything.
[ALT TEXT: A banner for the new Deafverse world, Legends of the Eldertree! Image Description: A banner reads: “An all-new adventure about college readiness”. The Legends of the Eldertree logo is the focus of this image. The text looks like stone, with moss and lichen sticking to the text. Text placard affixed to the bottom of the logo reads: “Coming soon”. In the background of the image, Eldertree Vale, a humble college town in a valley with mountains on the horizon, appears to be inviting you to explore it. An unfathomably massive tree looms above everything.]

Legends of the Eldertree Press Kit

Germinating, blossoming, and propagating a new Deafverse World

Branding

Logos

The Deafverse logo, with a portal bisecting itself, is accompanied by the World Three placard. The portal swirls invitingly or malevolently, depending on your feelings regarding and cultural exposure to portals in general.

[ALT TEXT: The Deafverse logo, with a portal bisecting itself, is accompanied by the World Three placard. The portal swirls invitingly or malevolently, depending on your feelings regarding and cultural exposure to portals in general.]

Image Description: The Deafverse logo is in black and white. Text: Deafverse. A portal bisects the logo. A placard reading “World Three” is affixed to the bottom of the Deafverse logo. ]

[ALT TEXT: The Legends of the Eldertree logo, text in stone, is growing flush with vines and moss. It’s ready to root into your mind!]

Image Description: The Legends of the Eldertree logo is text in grey. Green moss and lichen grows throughout the logo.]

Tagline

Choose Your Future!

About Legends of the Eldertree

Deafverse: Legends of the Eldertree is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure educational online game set in a fantasy world where elves have disappeared without a trace, leaving behind ruins and a massive, magical tree. Discover important clues to the elves’ mystery as a new student at Eldertree College. Along the way, you’ll go to classes, make friends, and pick up important college readiness skills!

Learning Objectives:

  • After completing Legends of the Eldertree, players will be able to:
  • Understand the expectations of a typical college application process
  • Evaluate the range and impact of common college financing options
  • Become familiar with resources available on campus for students
  • Explore options for building connections with others around campus
  • Navigate barriers to equitable access to the college experience
  • Choose accommodations that are preferred for different situations

Launch Date: TENTATIVELY Jun 5, 2025

Platforms: Web-based (accessible on desktop and mobile)

Target Audience: Deaf and hard-of-hearing teenagers, educators, and parents

New Features: 

  • Explore the world by clicking on maps!
  • Carry an in-game tablet!
  • Discover a fantasy world with elves, creatures and dungeons!
  • Navigate college as a new student!

Data tidbits about Deafverse:

  • 18,109 accounts have been created since Deafverse’s launch in September 2019.
  • Players have earned 30,190 badges since the launch in September 2019.
  • Educators have created 568 virtual classrooms and 1417 accounts for their students since the launch of Deafverse Classroom in November 2023.

From NDC’s Data Report on Deaf College Students:

  • An estimated 5% of deaf people are enrolled in postsecondary education and training, compared to 9.9% of hearing people.
  • 22% of deaf people have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher, which is 15.7% lower than the attainment rates of their hearing peers.
  • Black (15.6%), Latine (15.6%), and Multiracial (21.6%) deaf people have lower bachelor’s degree attainment rates than their white (23.8%) and Asian (40.5%) deaf peers.
  • 1.4% of all college students are deaf. The majority of deaf college students are pursuing bachelor’s degrees (42.1%) or associate degrees (45.8%).

Media Assets

Quick overview of our branding guide – what wording to use, logos and images from the game that can be used in media releases. Hashtags to use with Deafverse. Include image descriptions/alt text!

Justin Perez, Deafverse narrator, warms up for a scene while Chase, media coordinator, and Ruan, video editor, sets up the camera.
[Alt text: Justin Perez, Deafverse narrator, warms up for a scene while Chase, media coordinator, and Ruan, video editor, sets up the camera. Image description: Three people are setting up a scene to film in a classroom setting. Chase, a white man with black hair and a beard, is setting up the camera, while Ruan, a white man with blonde hair, is observing. Justin, an Afro-Indigenous and Latino man with curly black hair and a goatee and Deafverse narrator, is signing in American Sign Language, and warming up in front of a green screen.]
Kent, game designer, is watching Justin rehearse in front of a green screen.
[Alt text: Kent, game designer, is watching Justin rehearse in front of a green screen. Image description: Justin, an Afro-Indigenous and Latino man with curly black hair and a goatee, is standing in front of a green screen and rehearsing. Kent, bald white man with a short beard, is sitting off to the side and watching the rehearsal. His laptop is open and displaying Deafverse to compare with another monitor displaying Justin.]
The Deafverse team discusses how to finetune the camera angle and lighting while Justin P. waits for feedback on his signing.
[Alt text: The Deafverse team discusses how to finetune the camera angle and lighting while Justin P. waits for feedback on his signing.] Image description: Kent, white bald man, is pointing out something on the reference monitor, displaying a figure. Ruan, white man with brown hair and a mustache, and Chase, white man with black hair and a beard, takes in feedback before making adjustments. Justin Jackerson, white man with red hair and a beard and the ASL master, watches the rest of the team make adjustments.]
Justin models for the camera between takes for Deafverse: Legends of the Eldertree.
[Alt text: Justin models for the camera between takes for Deafverse: Legends of the Eldertree.] Image description: Justin, an Afro-Indigenous and Latino man with curly black hair and a goatee, stands with pride in front of the green screen. Multiple lights are set up around him. A table is set up in front of Justin with a reference monitor, displaying the scene, and a laptop displaying the game for comparison. The setting appears to be an elementary school classroom.]
Justin narrates and acts out a scene while the rest of the Deafverse team looks on.
[Alt text: Justin narrates and acts out a scene while the rest of the Deafverse team looks on. Image description: Justin Perez, an Afro-Indigenous and Latino man with a goatee and dressed in a bodysuit with wires, goes through the scene in front of a green screen with lights set up all around. The room appears to be an elementary school classroom with the lights off. Kent, bald white man, and Justin Jackerson, white man with red hair, are sitting to the left and watching the reference monitor. Chase, white man with black hair and a beard, stands behind the camera, ready to cut the video. Ruan, white man with brown hair and a mustache, is sitting to the right and checking his laptop.]
Deafverse Primary
The Backpack menu screen displays to show two unlocked badges and many more locked badges!
[Alt text: The Backpack menu screen displays to show two unlocked badges and many more locked badges! Image description: A menu screen titled “Backpack” is displayed. There are three tabs, each belonging to their own Deafverse world. The selected tab is for Legends of the Eldertree, revealing two unlocked badges: “Vale Explorer” and “New Recruit” with their own icons. The rest of the badges and photos are hidden away with locks. This is the Backpack screen in Deafverse.]
Justin presents you with a choice between starting your college application or asking National Deaf Center to fill it out!
[Alt text: Justin presents you with a choice between starting your college application or asking National Deaf Center to fill it out! Image description: Justin, an Afro-Indigenous and Latino man with curly black hair and a goatee, is dressed in his body suit with wires stitched to it. He’s signing “fill it out” in front of an orange background with text: “A” in the lower right corner of the choice screen. Gameplay buttons are under the screen. The clickable choices are to the right of the screen. On the top is the Legends of the Eldertree logo, the Backpack button, and the profile picture. This is the game interface in Deafverse.]
Here’s the map screen where you can click around to explore Eldertree Vale!
[Alt text: Here’s the map screen where you can click around to explore Eldertree Vale! Image description: A screen zooms in on Eldertree College and gives you options to the right: Lecture Hall, Gondola Dock, College Library, and Student Dorm. You’re prompted with text: “You are at Eldertree College. Where do you go?” The Legends of the Eldertree logo, the Backpack button, and the profile picture all live at the top. This is the map screen in Deafverse.]
Justin points at you while mouthing “oooh.”
[Alt text: Justin points at you while mouthing “oooh.” Image description: Justin, an Afro-Indigenous and Latino man with curly black hair and a goatee, is dressed in a navy blue shirt with buttons. He’s pointing at you while mouthing “oooh”. He thinks your idea is great! The background is dark green. The Eldertree College logo, a tree standing between mountains, displays in the top right corner. Mountains take up the lower left corner. This is the application module screen in Deafverse.]
Justin is acting out a hearing person who’s speaking at you from a distance.
[Alt text: Justin is acting out a hearing person who’s speaking at you from a distance. Image description: Justin, an Afro-Indigenous and Latino man with curly black hair and a goatee, is dressed in a navy blue shirt. He’s acting out a hearing person who’s speaking at you from a distance on a bridge. The background is of college buildings, a fountain, and grassy hills beyond. This is a story narration screen in Deafverse.]
Justin Perez, Deafverse narrator, signs “college”.
[Alt text: Justin Perez, Deafverse narrator, signs “college”. Image description: Justin Perez, an Afro-Indigenous and Latino man with a goatee and Deafverse narrator, is dressed in a bodysuit with wires stitched to it. He’s also wearing goggles on top of a beanie. He’s signing “college”. The background is white. This is a takeaway, also a “teaching moment”, screen in Deafverse.]
Download These Images

Media Contact

Reach out to Sara Fair, National Deaf Center’s Communications Director, at sara@nationaldeafcenter.org or use our Contact Us form.

Social Media Links

Deafverse

 

National Deaf Center

Media Spotlights

There are no articles to display at this time.