Synopsis:In the mysterious afterlife, newly deceased individuals
review their life's actions to validate their place for eternity.
Players are subjected to harsh examination by heavenly entities (Good
Guy and Bad Guy), who assess all deeds and intentions. The difficulty is
demonstrating one's merit in reaching paradise or meeting a grim fate.
Let's first discuss the physical haptic elements of our game, which
include the 'Big Book' and the 'stamp.' If you've seen the video—or
even just the first 15 seconds—you'll notice a question posed,
instructing players to write their response in the Big Book. This book
is crucial at both the beginning and end of the game. Alongside it, we
have a stamp marked ‘DENIED,’ which plays a vital role in the game’s
final task. While I won’t spoil the ending, the book provides a
tangible way for players to interact with the game, and the stamp adds
a sense of permanence to the players' actions.
Fig.1 - Our table installation setup before the doors opened for the
arcade viewers on Friday, April 26th, 2024.
Fig.2 - Prof. Sheldon Schiffer passing by our installation.
Fig.3 - Here, you see the famous 'Big Book,' which players were
instructed to write entries in before our viewing. With the
storyline of our game, there had to be a few other entries in the
book before the players played, so each group member took turns
writing (1-2) 'fake' entries answering the prompt. These images are
thanks to a reviewer from the product listing on Amazon website.
Fig.4 - The 'DENIED' stamp plays a significant role in the game
towards the end. Stamping this feels unexplainable; it is very
haptic and permanent; you can't erase it.
Our setup at the arcade differed from other groups. While most games
were playable on-site, our game was featured at our table alongside
our flyers, with two of us there to greet attendees and inform them
that our main presentation would occur at 3:30 PM in the Critical
Making Studio, located just to the right of our table. The studio was
set up like a movie screening—large screen, chairs arranged for
viewing, and lights off—creating the perfect atmosphere for guests to
experience our interactive video game.
Fig.5 - Ama welocming in partcipants. As you see on the screen, the
image we had thumbnailed while participants came in was "Write why
you desire to go to the good place in the Big Book." Unbeknownst to
any of the context of our game, this was the first task we asked
players to engage in before the game started.
Here are some helpful instructions for those who are inspired by our
game and want to recreate this installation remotely in your
environment.
Get the following materials ready: a book of some sort. This could
be a folded stack of papers, a small journal, loose pieces of
paper, napkins, or whatever is readily available to you that you
can flip through with enough pages per person participating.
In the original installation, we used a 'DENIED' stamp with red
ink. In this installation version, you can use a red (or any
colored) marker and, in the end, cross out an entry by doing an
'X'; if you don't have a marker, you could choose to rip the page
someone is rejecting.
Also, it is recommended that you play with at least 2 other people
(so 3 in total). The game will be more fun this way.
Finally, as you immerse yourself in the game, dim the lights,
ensure the audio is clear for all participants, play the video
FULL SCREEN, try not to conversate with other partcipants, and
most importantly, have a blast!
Re:Imagine creators: Alyanna McGrath, Amylisha Mykyta, and
Seolbin Hong. Part of
Haptic Media Spring 2024 @ Occidental College. Website created by
Alyanna McGrath.
Re:Imagine
