Not hiding but seeking
Another year, another Hide&Seek weekender! But this year was different, because Michael and I were organising a game, as well as playing.
Time*Trails was our first outing for Michael's new creation, PlaceWhisper (a DigitalFlapjack production - more info here), a mobile location-based app, which lets you leave and collect messages attached to specific places; like geocaching, only without the tupperware. Time*Trails uses an iPhone app to let users explore the South Bank area as it was in the 20th century, particularly during the Festival of Britain in 1951 - with the support of some terrific period maps. We had over 50 "whispers" with facts about South Bank history, so that players could learn about the places they visited as they would have been in the past. Also, we had three story trails, which let you follow in the footsteps of three people in 1951 as they explored the festival.
It was wonderful to get it out in the open at last, to see so many excited players, and to have an excuse for some very up to the minute tech support gadgetry...
During preparation time on Friday, in between folding Time*Trails maps, we got to take part in a dry run of Silent Relay, run by Berlin Invisible Playground. Wearing an earpiece to feed instructions from HQ, I ranged around the National Theatre, collecting items from drop boxes, exchanging codewords with contacts, and generally avoiding surveillance (ie suspicious looks). It was a surprisingly immersive experience, and even though we weren't able to use the live link to Berlin for the final stage of the game in this practice run, we were gripped to the end.
We'd've loved to have a chance to play Visible Cities on Friday night, but we were still setting up Time*Trails and practising our pitch. It was the big game of the weekend, with a huge crowd of players, and some unusually costumed people disappearing into the city to, well, do whatever they did. Michael took his brother Tristan to watch Super Political Street Fighter, (Contact, Manchester), and a great deal of applause and laughter ensued as policies were created, debated, and fought over with help from the audience.
Saturday was hot, and busy.
We had lots of players and interest in Time*Trails, and ended up talking with people pretty much non-stop.
Note our period table; our beautiful maps and historical reference book; and our original guide to the 1951 Festival of Britain - full of amusing advertisements (thanks to Sophie!)
Later in the day, we found our highest scoring players - Fruitbat - who collected almost all our Whispers. We were as pleased as they were at their success.
Michael found time to play Shabbat-Put! (from the PlayRites Collective), which involved teams of four trying to complete Olympic athletics challenges whilst obeying orthodox Jewish Shabbat rules, most of which involve not doing anything. He came back smiling, and surprisingly not sunburnt - it was really very hot, and very sunny, out on the field where they played. Reminded me of visiting the original Olympics site in Greece, actually, although with more animal skins and other games accessories...
I had a go at Explorers (Peter Law and Katy Beale). Playing the role of a fussy monarch, I was lead around the palace grounds by my putative explorer, who attempted to sell me the exciting things she could bring back if only I funded her voyage. This was made more interesting by my being blindfolded, so that I could better appreciate how small palatial items could be imagined into wondrous plunder from far off lands. I was particularly taken with the promise of castle-building robots, and a giant throne, which drew musicians to it by magic. I only hope she delivers - I paid her 4 gold coins in advance.
We also briefly played Walking Smiles, collecting smiles from people around London and texting in the locations and occasions of each. Their map of pins was a sight to behold as the South Bank became peppered with recorded smiles.
Briefly, we tried in vain to translate the multiligual poem of the London Poetry Game, but I could only really manage the French - we were hopeless at finding people to help with the other languages.
Then it was Saturday night, and time to head off to the ICA, to find new friends by matching flags (I had the unlikely but impressive Boat flag, above, from Saint-Pierre et Miquelon) and shout and giggle through the Ping Pong Quiz. Michael's hat played a starring role, helping (briefly) maintain Alex's dignity during the strip pong round. (Luckily, I have no photos from that round, but here's one of Blind Pong, with the players masked!)
On Sunday, things were quieter all round, and we were able to squeeze in some more playing.
We both played Sangre y Patatas (from Coney), and Babel (by Midnight Beast). Sangre was a quick and low tech game, an experiment with using only sound to create a game experience in which all the players have their eyes closed. It was surprisingly compelling, as players moved around in shared darkness, hoping to avoid the monster who moved amongst them, and dying loudly and dramatically when they failed. Babel pitted three teams against each other as they tried to hide, collect and re-hide their team totem, and to steal the other teams's totems - whilst unable to speak or write, except for the single word babel. Our game was a little chaotic - I'm not sure we all entirely grasped the rules - but everyone was happy.
We watched from afar the ribbons and feathers and paper of Pass the Impossibly Large Parcel, and admired the balloons and crazy headgear that filled the South Bank afterwards. We wound down with a sedate run of International Golf Proxy, as more players were needed, and I'd been assured no golf was involved. Simon Katan ably scored the game.
In the peace of Sunday afternoon, Michael had a go with the sonar gear from The Bloop (which had run out of tickets before we could get some, alas; it sounded excellent, with whales chasing krill and navigating solely via sonar).
It was a long weekend, but a good one - even though we were running a game (and in fact our first game ever) - we managed to play some things too, and not to collapse despite the heat.
It was a great start for Michael with PlaceWhisper - today, the UK App Store and a bunch of players in London and beyond, tomorrow, the world! He'd put a huge amount of effort into ensuring the technology and the game went smoothly, and they did. A well-deserved success.
High praise to the Hide&Seek team and all the other volunteer organisers, too, for another brilliant weekender!
Time*Trails was our first outing for Michael's new creation, PlaceWhisper (a DigitalFlapjack production - more info here), a mobile location-based app, which lets you leave and collect messages attached to specific places; like geocaching, only without the tupperware. Time*Trails uses an iPhone app to let users explore the South Bank area as it was in the 20th century, particularly during the Festival of Britain in 1951 - with the support of some terrific period maps. We had over 50 "whispers" with facts about South Bank history, so that players could learn about the places they visited as they would have been in the past. Also, we had three story trails, which let you follow in the footsteps of three people in 1951 as they explored the festival.
It was wonderful to get it out in the open at last, to see so many excited players, and to have an excuse for some very up to the minute tech support gadgetry...
During preparation time on Friday, in between folding Time*Trails maps, we got to take part in a dry run of Silent Relay, run by Berlin Invisible Playground. Wearing an earpiece to feed instructions from HQ, I ranged around the National Theatre, collecting items from drop boxes, exchanging codewords with contacts, and generally avoiding surveillance (ie suspicious looks). It was a surprisingly immersive experience, and even though we weren't able to use the live link to Berlin for the final stage of the game in this practice run, we were gripped to the end.
We'd've loved to have a chance to play Visible Cities on Friday night, but we were still setting up Time*Trails and practising our pitch. It was the big game of the weekend, with a huge crowd of players, and some unusually costumed people disappearing into the city to, well, do whatever they did. Michael took his brother Tristan to watch Super Political Street Fighter, (Contact, Manchester), and a great deal of applause and laughter ensued as policies were created, debated, and fought over with help from the audience.
Saturday was hot, and busy.
We had lots of players and interest in Time*Trails, and ended up talking with people pretty much non-stop.
Note our period table; our beautiful maps and historical reference book; and our original guide to the 1951 Festival of Britain - full of amusing advertisements (thanks to Sophie!)
Later in the day, we found our highest scoring players - Fruitbat - who collected almost all our Whispers. We were as pleased as they were at their success.
Michael found time to play Shabbat-Put! (from the PlayRites Collective), which involved teams of four trying to complete Olympic athletics challenges whilst obeying orthodox Jewish Shabbat rules, most of which involve not doing anything. He came back smiling, and surprisingly not sunburnt - it was really very hot, and very sunny, out on the field where they played. Reminded me of visiting the original Olympics site in Greece, actually, although with more animal skins and other games accessories...
I had a go at Explorers (Peter Law and Katy Beale). Playing the role of a fussy monarch, I was lead around the palace grounds by my putative explorer, who attempted to sell me the exciting things she could bring back if only I funded her voyage. This was made more interesting by my being blindfolded, so that I could better appreciate how small palatial items could be imagined into wondrous plunder from far off lands. I was particularly taken with the promise of castle-building robots, and a giant throne, which drew musicians to it by magic. I only hope she delivers - I paid her 4 gold coins in advance.
We also briefly played Walking Smiles, collecting smiles from people around London and texting in the locations and occasions of each. Their map of pins was a sight to behold as the South Bank became peppered with recorded smiles.
Briefly, we tried in vain to translate the multiligual poem of the London Poetry Game, but I could only really manage the French - we were hopeless at finding people to help with the other languages.
Then it was Saturday night, and time to head off to the ICA, to find new friends by matching flags (I had the unlikely but impressive Boat flag, above, from Saint-Pierre et Miquelon) and shout and giggle through the Ping Pong Quiz. Michael's hat played a starring role, helping (briefly) maintain Alex's dignity during the strip pong round. (Luckily, I have no photos from that round, but here's one of Blind Pong, with the players masked!)
On Sunday, things were quieter all round, and we were able to squeeze in some more playing.
We both played Sangre y Patatas (from Coney), and Babel (by Midnight Beast). Sangre was a quick and low tech game, an experiment with using only sound to create a game experience in which all the players have their eyes closed. It was surprisingly compelling, as players moved around in shared darkness, hoping to avoid the monster who moved amongst them, and dying loudly and dramatically when they failed. Babel pitted three teams against each other as they tried to hide, collect and re-hide their team totem, and to steal the other teams's totems - whilst unable to speak or write, except for the single word babel. Our game was a little chaotic - I'm not sure we all entirely grasped the rules - but everyone was happy.
We watched from afar the ribbons and feathers and paper of Pass the Impossibly Large Parcel, and admired the balloons and crazy headgear that filled the South Bank afterwards. We wound down with a sedate run of International Golf Proxy, as more players were needed, and I'd been assured no golf was involved. Simon Katan ably scored the game.
In the peace of Sunday afternoon, Michael had a go with the sonar gear from The Bloop (which had run out of tickets before we could get some, alas; it sounded excellent, with whales chasing krill and navigating solely via sonar).
It was a long weekend, but a good one - even though we were running a game (and in fact our first game ever) - we managed to play some things too, and not to collapse despite the heat.
It was a great start for Michael with PlaceWhisper - today, the UK App Store and a bunch of players in London and beyond, tomorrow, the world! He'd put a huge amount of effort into ensuring the technology and the game went smoothly, and they did. A well-deserved success.
High praise to the Hide&Seek team and all the other volunteer organisers, too, for another brilliant weekender!