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Kind of tangential, but I think it could be a lot of fun to make a "boardgame" computer that has a thermal printer, some number displays, and some buttons. It w
by ianbicking 5y ago
Kind of tangential, but I think it could be a lot of fun to make a "boardgame" computer that has a thermal printer, some number displays, and some buttons. It wouldn't try to run the whole game, but would only assist. It could print out scoresheets or special tokens, roll dice, keep track of a few numbers, that sort of thing. Maybe a barcode/QR scanner so you could round trip, like scan a printout and then choose an option as described on that printout.
The printer in particular could open up all kinds of generative and variable interactions or play pieces in a game while still preserving the physical tracking of the game. Maybe with some plastic holders you could even turn the printouts into rough cards...
- knute 5y agoWhen I was DMing a D&D campaign I had an idea for using a receipt printer to print a "token" that would represent items that the players acquired and they could keep it or pass it around or turn it back in after it was used or destroyed.
- trynewideas 5y agoYou weren't alone: https://github.com/BigJk/snd https://github.com/BigJk/snd
- kuang_eleven 5y agoAlthough not a tangible as what you suggest, there already is a trend in modern board gaming to have app-assisted games, usually to manage hidden state and real-time elements, and primarily in cooperative games. A couple examples are Space Alert, X-COM and Mansions of Madness 2e.