Kids love video games, that’s a no-brainer. But for some kids, all that time in front of the TV means not getting the exercise they need. That’s why UNLV marketing major Gregory Wingert came up with Battle Pig, an interactive fitness game that features a cute piglet workout buddy, aimed at diminishing obesity rates among children and young adults.

“I grew up wanting to play [sports] but being told in PE that I wasn’t the best,” Battle Pig co-founder Wingert says. “It wasn’t until high school when I started playing football that I was appreciated for my size and accepted in a sports community. I believe anybody at any age should feel that acceptance. And plus, kids love games and I love games, so why not?”

Wingert’s idea for Battle Pig started as a doodle in class, and with the encouragement of his professors, he took Battle Pig to the Google Startup Weekend last April and won.

Since then, his team has been focused on making the app a reality. “We’re pretty excited,” Wingert says. “We’re spending the rest of the campaign strategizing how to make this thing go viral. The ball is rolling, and I’m gonna push it all the way.”

Plans call for Battle Pig to be able to be integrated with wearable fitness gear like smart watches and phones, and for the pig to be fully customizable so players can dress up their fitness warrior before battle. Making the game even more engaging, players will be able to compete with friends, compare progress and also have their pigs battle one another in a traditional arcade game format.

The app won’t be available for a year, but Wingert and his design team just met their Kickstarter goal of $5,000 on January 17, making $5,036 from 31 backers in just 15 hours. If the team can make their stretch goals, Wingert says, a beta version of Battle Pig could be available even sooner.