regardingjohn

Tag

Simple Rules

Will Wright: My favorite game is an old Chinese board game called Go. It has only two rules, but really deep strategy. Games are meant to have simple rule sets that generate maximum possibility space. Go seems to have the best ratio in that respect. [via Functional Autonomy]

I may be over thinking the design of location-aware games.

Perhaps, instead of looking to board games and video games for inspiration, I need just look at some of the classic outdoor games. Saturday, at the MadDesigners.org game jam, our group created Souvenir — a multi-floor version of “Capture the Flag” that included a few other elements like barter and trade.

• Tag is a simple game with a million variations in play, and one basic rule: “tag.”
• Scavenger hunts are simple games with a million variations and one basic rule: “find x.”

There may be one or two other basic ideas for outdoor group games, but I can’t think of them. The question though might become one of adapting current games like tag, and Scavenger hunts, and seeing what other affordances we build into the game engine.

Amoeba Race

Supplies: Long lengths of rope AND a predetermined track/course.

Divide your group in teams of at least 5 or more. The larger the team size, the more difficult it is. Tie the rope around the entire team at waist level. Make the rope as snug as possible without hurting the students.

Put them on the obstacle course and turn them loose. Teams can be timed during their running of the course, or you can actually have a couple of teams race! The key is to work together as a team to accomplish a common goal.

NOTE: The course can be inside or outside, just make sure the route/course is a safe one! Also, make sure it is clearly defined. It would be a significant bummer for a team to get “lost” because the course was not outlined properly.

AR Variation: Instead of a rope can we use the location-awareness to have a proximity field for the teams? They can wander anywhere within that field in order to do as many tasks as possible, but must be aware of their teammates in the field, and if one moves beyond the field, they die.

Variation #2: the field starts very small, but grows in size as they scavenge. When enough things are scavenged, the amoeba can split?

More Coming…