Week 1: A Board Game with Switch-operated LEDs

Physical Computing Week 1

Readings: Actuator: converts electrical energy into other forms – what forms exactly? Or, which forms are not included? Lots of information is coming back after several rounds of electronics in physics classes over the years. A running list of things I feel like I’ve heard the answer to: What is...

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Concept: Using some extra board game pieces and aluminum foil, we can create a simple, visually responsive board game in which each piece on the board can complete a switch corresponding to an LED.

Components:

• 1 red, 1 green, and 1 yellow LED
• 12V DC power supply and 5V regulator
• 220 ohm resistor
• 7 open switches, each made by wrapping two sides of a small cardboard square with aluminum

Other materials (from the junk shelf):

• 4 pawn-shaped game pieces, wrapped in aluminum foil
• 2 eight-sided dice
• Cardboard chips to label each switch from 2 to 8.
• Cardstock to create rule cards (see Rule Card section below)

Setup:

• 2–4 players, turn order clockwise.
• Shuffle the switch labels and arrange them beside each of the 7 switches.

Gameplay Loop:

1. Player rolls a pair of 8-sided dice, each labeled 1–4.
2. Player moves their piece to the position corresponding to their dice roll.
   • If the position is already occupied by another player, swap with the other player if the current player’s piece is on the board.
   • If the player rolls a double, e.g., (1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3), (4, 4), then swap the labels of any two spaces on the board.
3. Player’s score changes corresponding to the color of the LED after moving their piece to the new position. Any player whose piece is moved as a result of the current player taking their spot must update their score as well.
   • RED: -5 points (the lowest score a player can have is 0)
   • GREEN: +1 point
   • YELLOW: +3 points
4. (Optional) Player may trade 2 points for a rule card from the draw pile, or play a rule card in their possession. Any score calculation after applying a rule card is completed before the next player’s turn.
5. If a player has at least 10 points, they win!

Rule Cards:

• An optional addition to the game through which players can add rules to make the game more competitive (or just confusing).
• Rule cards are purchased at the end of a turn for 2 points. They are drawn from a pile and can be applied the turn after they’re drawn by laying them face up on the table. A player cannot purchase a rule card and play it in the same turn.
• Example rule cards:
  • Remove a rule card.
  • Immediately gain 3 points.
  • …Add your own!

Possible next steps:

• Though I call it a board game, it’s more like a bunch of squares attached by wires – a nicer presentation of the game could go a long way towards its playability.
• I could include different switch operations so that players can also change the number of spots connected to colors.
• What other sensory experiences can we add to the game? How can we mechanize some of the in-game interactions, like tallying points?