Game of Play,
Construction game for social entertainment
Game of Play is a project initiated by the purpose of creating a tool for introvert at a social event. Use the sense of touch and verbal communication between players to build the break the boundary through the game experience.
2016, Personal project

THE CHALLENGE
When you do not know how to start a conversation
Imagination you went a social party, you do not know anyone at there. The people next to you are chatting passionately. You want to join the discussion but do not know how to start the conversation. The only thing you do was sitting there, pretending to drink with confidence.This scenario always happens on every introvert. As one of them, I understand what problems they meet. Instead of focusing on thinking about the common topic to participate conversations, I aim to help people create the comfortable phenomenon to enjoy the social time.
THE OUTCOME
Create a playable tool for social interaction
Understand the motivation of the introverts, their considerations and what drives their social behaviors was the key to this project. Game of Play helped to connect people through play experience. It is an open construction platform that the result of the game is different every time. Players can not see what inside and combine objects and joints with one hand in the box under the limited play time. The difficulty of the game increases the entertainment and motivated users to talk with each other which develop the goal the design purpose.


Prototype
Concept Idea
DESIGN PROCESS
Interaction and tool
Before starting the project, I was thinking about what is the interaction design. Many people stay at home every day and live in the digital world of computers and mobile phones. Why modern people addicted to digital interfaces, such as smartphone? The only interaction with the digital interface are slide, slide, and slide. We are humans; we live in a real world. People rely on the interactive touch experience with hand to move, rotate and pick up.
Why are hands important? A handshake will be friendly and courteous when meeting for the first time at social party. Through the handshake and a greeting, the user built a connection. Let me press the pause button at this moment. The handshake is a turning point. The significance of this project is also here. Through the hands of the entire interactive process set up to achieve the purpose of making friends.


How to play Game of play
This game includes play box, puzzle pieces, joints, and connectors. Box has four windows to participate. It can allow at least four users to play at the same time. Two players also work on the game. To start, players set a timer. Through the play process, each of them cannot see what in the box. They should use the sense of touch with hand and verbal communication to finish the teamwork.



Play with four players
Approach
3D printing and laser cutting used to build the joints, puzzle pieces, and box. To find the perfect joints and connectors, I test several types of wood stickers. As the rule of the game, players use the sense of touch to feel the objects. Some little pattern added on the objects to print for hands to explore and play. The box size designed large enough to handle at least four users' hands on it. On top of box, watch icon guided the user to set a timer. And each side of box, the hand icons' drive players to understand what the function of this window. The figure shows number of people allowed at this game.




Box Design



