Within the framework of our 10-year anniversary we spent a day to just work on new mixed-reality concepts. During the Gbanga game jam five directions were worked out based on dozens of mixed-reality game ideas in a single day.
1. «Talk Back»: A location-based, story-driven, multi-linear, voice-controlled game
By Team «I want your name and your number» (Dano, Ramona, Kyra)
Blocked phone calls are always kind of mysterious, right? This game certainly builds upon this situation. The phone inspired app calls you and an anonymous guide gives you instructions on what to do and where to go next (similar mechanics but not anonymous: Johan in our StadtNatour). Simulated phone calls are triggered at certain locations and can be given feedback via voice controls. An exciting way to experience your surroundings – all with a possible content creation tool so you can create spooky stories for your friends who will listen to the guidance of your voice.
2. «Epic Geo-Creeps»: a multiplayer, location-based DNA-collecting breeding game
By Team «Monsters , not incorporated» (Tabea, Yury, Robin)
Collect monsters around you (like in our Zooh project) and use their procedurally generated DNA to breed new monsters. Then use them in chess like battles where different monster skills will decide over the outcome of grand battles. It has very own take on location-based games: it’s inherently multi-player with heavy use of battles and monsters that never look alike. So the question is: who can create the most epic battle monsters?
3. «Kill me if you can»: a 2-player, camera-driven escape game
By Team «Alcatraz» (Manuela, Balazs)
A new take on escape games: Player 1 is the prisoner, Player 2 is the hacker outside the prison trying to get Player 1 out. While the prisoner is only aware of the surrounding room, the hacker has access to the blueprint of the prison and the prisoner’s location thanks to a hacked access of the surveillance cams within the building. The hacker gives instructions while the prisoner tries to find tunnels, accesses and – now it gets exciting – parts to build a bomb. On its way out, the prisoner will use the bomb at the weakest point of the prison. Which of course, only the hacker knows. An exciting 2-player-game based on camera tracking tech (similar to our Galaxy Invaders) where every play session ends with a big bang.
4. «M.A.Y.B.E.»: instrumental, interactive, immersive
By Team «Superhuman music masters – with glasses» (Andi, Beni)
This interactive experience is based on one of the first electronic music instruments created in the 1920s – the Theremin. An instrument which you can play and make music with without touching. Let’s bring this to the year 2017 based on the Microsoft Kinect which is of course a perfect fit for this kind of project. And heureka! Andi and Beni successfully created a working prototype with Kinect to control pitch and volume with your hands.
5. «Project X»: Bringing a retro classic to the mixed-reality era
By Team «Retro Renegades» (Matt, François)
All projects above have great potential, some from a market side, other from an installation side, to be set up as an event game. In the end we decided that we wanted to further continue development on what we now call «Project X» – where X stands for the 10 in our anniversary year. The concept is to bring a retro classic into 2017 and transfer its mechanics into the real world. You walk around in the city and battle your opponents. A working prototype was successfully created and we can’t wait to further announce details about this anniversary project in upcoming blog articles: the next steps are brainstormings and a team retreat on mechanics, story and setting.
