Pirates! Using the Physical World as a Game Board

We explore how computer games can be designed to maintain some of the social aspects of traditional game play, by moving computational game elements into the physical world. We have constructed a mobile multiplayer game, Pirates!, to illustrate how wireless and proximity-sensing technology can be integrated in the design of new game experiences. We describe Pirates! and its implementation, and report insights gained during a demonstration at a scientific conference. Observations of test users indicate that Pirates! can be deployed in a social setting where co-located people play together in order to promote social interaction between players and non-players alike.