171 StoryBook

There’s an undeniable tactility to physical books that makes them alluring, and is partly why they haven’t been completely replaced by our digital consumable media. Exploring unique interactivity more, I think books and digital media don’t always need to be so segregated.

This game aims to blend the experience of reading a book with that of playing a game on your iPad. This isn’t simply a “flip to the next page on your iPad” type of experience though. The book is purchased and comes with a download for it’s (required) companion iPad application, and the iPad guides you through the entire experience. While you’re reading the book, the iPad acts in ambiance mode. Tap the screen each time you flip a page in your physical book, and it will follow along with your progress through the story, playing sound effects and creating ambient soundscapes while adding supplemental visuals (but not distracting or imagination-blocking) to the scene. The book tells you when it’s time to switch to using the iPad, and the story’s experience continues through play. Actions taken in the game affect the overall narrative, and when a game portion is finished, the iPad directs you to which page you should pick up the story from (not dissimilar to a choose-your-own adventure novel).

The game is meant to engage you in the ways that games are best at doing, through interactivity. Meanwhile, the book is designed to engage you the best way books do, through deep and immersive story telling and writing. The play between the two creates an unforgettable player story.

#experimental-game, #narrative-game