10 ms·

Board: New game console recognizes physical pieces, with an open SDK

278 points by nicoles 11mo ago

nicoles 11mo ago
Just launched today at TechCrunch Disrupt. Our 12 game launch portfolio was all developed in Unity using our sdk, and we cannot be more excited to see what developers can make with our launch piece sets!
sjsivak 11mo ago
Looks awesome
- nicoles 11mo ago
  Thank you!
vunderba 11mo ago
Nice job! Very slick demo video. As a dev, a couple of things immediately stand out to me. 1. Launching at $500 means it is going to be a "relatively" boutique product. At around the same price as an iPad Air, you're definitely going to want to focus on how the included games simply would not be playable on a more conventional touchscreen interface without the corresponding physical components. Which leads to my second question: 2. Are the included physical pieces modular / generic enough such that prospective game developers could leverage them in future apps, or would they essentially need to design, 3D print, or contract out to your team to create their own props?
- nicoles 11mo ago
  1. This is absolutely the case for the launch portfolio. These games are super unique experiences that are really only possible from mixing the physical and digital in this way. Does the site not make that clear to you? Super useful feedback! 2. The piece sets can be used as is for new games/apps, especially for prototyping! However if it’s super promising and you want to bring it into our (future) store, we’d love to work with you to make a bespoke set of pieces to go with the game. Whether the launch sets are modular enough as-is is really dependent on the ergonomics and aesthetics of the game you want to make. We’re excited to make ourselves available to devs who want to explore this though, and happy to work with folks to figure out ways forward.
  - gedy 11mo ago
    Looks really cool though did not see what the SDK is or languages it requires? I've built game tables before with flat panel TVs and web tech, but have wanted to integrate miniatures, position, etc into the apps.
    - nicoles 11mo ago
      Currently the sdk is built for Unity, we’re working on Unreal/Godot though!
  - pstuart 11mo ago
    How are the pieces sensed?
    - vitovito 11mo ago
      Not the OP, but in the TechCrunch Disrupt launch, founder Brynn Putnam says, "capacitive material manufactured into the pieces." If you put capacitive material in a unique pattern on the footprint of each piece, and the rest of the piece material was conductive enough to carry your body's charge to register a touch, the shape of that touch could be unique per-piece. There's no mention of syncing pieces, charging pieces, keeping pieces in view of a wide-angle camera, anything like that, so that's my bet. (This would also mean moving a piece using a non-conductive material would be a way to cheat by having it not get registered!) I just shared this on LI this morning, linking back to a video showing showing related touchscreen explorations I did for a colleague in early 2013, sensing different coins by their radii as you touch them: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vmiliano_a-vertical-triptych-of-a-material-exploration-activity-7389283619472584705-KB2o?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABml38BAKQqatbQswcbQR7PB2BQtPNb1EQ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vmiliano_a-vertical-triptych-...
      - nicoles 11mo ago
        This is nearly bang on correct. The pieces don't contain any electronics or sensors, they have a conductive pattern built into the surface using specialized materials and a manufacturing technique we developed in house. Our custom software stack processes the raw data from the device's touch sensor using embedded ML on the NPU, which detects and tracks the pieces in real time. That said, the device can detect the pieces whether you touch them or not. Touching them absolutely does change the response, and we pass that along as a parameter to the SDK. Your coin exploration is seriously cool, please hit me up when you're next in NYC!
- nkrisc 11mo ago
  > At around the same price as an iPad Air, you're definitely going to want to focus on how the included games simply would not be playable on a more conventional touchscreen interface without the corresponding physical components. And why that’s worth $500. I can’t think of any game(s) that are so fun or unique I’d pay $500 to be able to play them, even with my family.
vintermann 11mo ago
Not quite the first such product, Microsoft's original "Surface" advertised similar boardgame potential. But if it worked well, I don't know of anyone who was rich enough to try it! Hopefully the technology has matured since then.
- escapecharacter 11mo ago
  (Disclosure: I worked on both) Detection technology on Board is much more robust. The MS Surface FTIR approach was lovely, but so over-featured no one could imagine a scoped-down (ie. cheaper) version of it.
  - vintermann 11mo ago
    Aha, so there are ex-Surface developers working on this too! That's reassuring actually. Yeah, the boardgame demos of Surface were gorgeous, and I was definitively disappointed that this cool technology didn't "arrive" even as the years went by. Wishing you all good luck, and I may have to see how hard it is to get my hands on one of these...
    - escapecharacter 11mo ago
      To give proper credit: I don’t work at Board now, I just helped them explore the board game piece detection space over a year ago. The tech has done great work since then, really robustifying the detection algorithm and making experiences native to it.
  - deleted 11mo ago
    [deleted]
- october8140 11mo ago
  I played games on a Surface table in 2012. It was fun but very finicy with input. I imagine this as 10+ years of better input detection technology.
- waltbosz 11mo ago
  I think I used there was a Surface used at the "Sum of all thrills" attraction in Epcot in Disney World. It behaved very similar to the Board. It definitely had a "knob" that you placed on a screen could spin to make adjustments.
wmeredith 11mo ago
I don't have a comment on the tech, but Board (homonym for bored) is genius branding.
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
- ethmarks 11mo ago
  And also like a board game, which I think is what they were going for.
monero-xmr 11mo ago
Is there an SDK? The link on the site to Developer program just has copy, no actual API docs
- nicoles 11mo ago
  There's currently a Unity SDK, we're just super focused on our launch and haven't been able to flesh out those pages. We'll be fleshing it out over the coming weeks, email developer@board.fun to hear about it the moment we update!
wmeredith 11mo ago
Me and a dungeon master friend of mine are interested in developing for this. Is there a cost associated with the SDK? Or can we just buy a Board and get to it?
- nicoles 11mo ago
  No cost for the SDK, we'll be fleshing out our SDK pages over the next couple weeks. Email developer@board.fun to be the first to get access!
- hinkley 11mo ago
  Hopefully they offer a large version at some point. This could be a little tricky for DMing.
arjie 11mo ago
Cool product. Is the SDK open? Any time I play a complex board game like Ark Nova, Spirit Island, etc. game running consumes a lot of time. So this tool is to me better showcased with a complex game that needs game-running that computers handle better. Also I'm curious about the board pieces and how more could be made. Do they have stickers on the bottom I could just transpose onto existing pieces, etc
- ryanmeasel 11mo ago
  Yes, the SDK is open. It's built for Unity in C# with Unreal/Godot to follow. Please reach out if interested to develop: https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers My colleague has some discussion here about how pieces are made: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45754851 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45754851
acomjean 11mo ago
As someone who plays amount of “boardgame arena”, I appreciate this. Having software mediate rules helps bootstrap games. But you still need physical pieces to loose and store. Reminds me of a “digital roulette wheel” I saw in a casino.. which was wierd, untrustworthy yet somehow very cool.
- pteraspidomorph 11mo ago
  Conceptually, it reminds me of DropMix by Harmonix. The physicality of it was really cool, but it also ended up being really unsuccessful, and I can imagine why: - Compared to a traditional board game (well, most of them), it was expensive and hard to procure; - Compared to a pure videogame, it had many moving parts that are more difficult to transport, manage, store, etc; - Since it was a multiplayer experience, that created added friction on top of everything else (everyone needs to be in the same place as the rare, expensive gadget and parts). The issues seem exacerbated in this idea, however I think it's just as cool. I would love to play on it.
Dayshine 11mo ago
> Warranty Included > Every purchase is covered by a 1-year warranty for peace of mind protection. Uh, why are you marketing a bare minimum (often legally required) warranty as a pro? It kinda conflicts with "built to last"! You'd be better off not even mentioning it.
opminion 11mo ago
As a player: What's the lag? Does it depend on the game and the gesture? As a developer: I'd like to implement a "game" which would be ideal for Dynamicland (tens of cards with ID stickers on the corners), but this might be a simpler platform to set up and use. Would that be possible with the board as sold?
- fritzo 11mo ago
  Also curious about latency. In the past I've worked around latency using video sensors for high-bandwidth high-latency features, then literally glued a contact mic to my interface to get low latency tap detection. How does the Board hide latency?
yellow_postit 11mo ago
Very cool. I love the tactical board game experience but automatic upkeep for rules is appealing. As a parent I wish it had more details on the durability. I can just imagine spills, slams, non-game pieces being used and abused on this thing.
- nicoles 11mo ago
  We've done a bunch of testing with our manufacturer, and have found that it's really resilient against spills, but don't go setting it in a bathtub.
kcon 11mo ago
I was looking for more info about developing for Board on https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers and became confused because the page mentions an SDK that can be accessed but does not explain how or link to any other information. Poking around the website some more, I found https://board.fun/pages/support?hcUrl=%2Fen-US%23article-2894218 https://board.fun/pages/support?hcUrl=%2Fen-US%23article-289... which clarifies: > Can I add or create my own games? > Soon. We’re building tools that will let anyone design their own Board games, starting with developers and expanding to players. The future of play is one you can help create. Learn more at board.fun/developers. So I think I understand the SDK is not available yet. Can you clarify that developer tools are not yet available but are coming soon on https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers to avoid confusion?
- MarsIronPI 11mo ago
  To expand on the topic of the SDK: will the SDK be open-source? Will I need to register as a developer or pay a fee to get the SDK? If the SDK is open-source with no registration or fees required, then you have my attention.
  - nicoles 11mo ago
    The SDK is open-source, no fees required. Coming in the next week or two. We're figuring out the specific details regarding registration, and would love feedback one way or the other if this is critical for you. If you want to be notified the moment it hits, email us: developers@board.fun
    - embedding-shape 11mo ago
      > The SDK is open-source, no fees required. Coming in the next week or two. We're figuring out the specific details regarding registration It sounds like you've already figured out that the registration would have to be optional, as you're planning to make it open-source (it will be open-source once you release it, it isn't open-source yet :) ).
jkhdigital 11mo ago
I can tell this is much more than just “Tabletop Simulator on a tablet”, although at $500 you’re likely to get a lot of attention from the Twilight Imperium and Gloomhaven crowd. I know more than a few childless people in my local gaming circle who would drop a half-large on accessories that simplify game execution. But clearly this product isn’t about making existing board games easier to set-up/play/clean-up. I think the marketing dept has a lot of heavy lifting to do, convincing buyers that this isn’t just Juicero for existing board games.
- Novosell 11mo ago
  Exact same thoughts here. This should, imo, be marketed at boardgame nerds, who are adults, and not 3-7 year olds which it seems to currently be. Which toddler is asking for this for christmas? I suppose a boardgame nerd might buy it to use with their toddler, but that is a niche of a niche of a niche.
  - 0xDEAFBEAD 11mo ago
    Maybe if they pitched it as a way to get your kids away from solitary iPad usage and interacting with each other instead?
    - mindjiver 11mo ago
      Well, parents could also set some ground rules for iPad usage and enforce them! I don't think another screen is a good solution to get someone off a screen. You can just play a normal board game with the kids.
- 2muchcoffeeman 11mo ago
  I play games like Gloomhaven and TI4. Not sure how this product would simplify anything. Far too small for any of the more complex board games. I guess I could scroll around but then what does physical piece detection give me? Then it’s $500USD. My game group and myself got Gloomhaven from Epic for free and played through the campaign together. BGA subscription is cheap. So many games have online implementations that are free. And I can buy a lot of boardgames for $500. What’s the draw here?
somethoughts 11mo ago
Pretty cool! My hot take is that there are seem to be really two markets here: 1.) Candy crush type board games targeting kids with well-off parents. Basically really focused on immersive and interactive visuals like effects and cutscenes. 2.) Serious board games targeting older teenagers and adults playing heavy games with BoardGameGeek weightings of above 3.5 with money to spend on their own hobby. Think games like 18XX, Brass Birmingham, Dune, Terraforming Mars or Gloomhaven. They would find the digital board game experience useful for accessing expansion maps (i.e. 18xx) or expansion campaigns (Gloomhaven). Additional features of interest might be solo play against automated players, game state/score tracking, game tutorials. It almost feels like these two groups would have such different profiles that two separate marketing approaches should be attempted.
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
Hackbraten 11mo ago
Are you planning to ship to the EU? The order form only allows US shipping adresses as is.
- nicoles 11mo ago
  Starting with the USA for now, expanding over time!
EmilStenstrom 11mo ago
Looks really fun, but only ships to the US… such a disappointment after reading up on it, and being ready to buy.
- nicoles 11mo ago
  Apologies! We're a small team, and have to focus our efforts on one market for the time being. We'll be looking to expand as soon as we're able.
  - EmilStenstrom 11mo ago
    @nicoles: Understand. Is this just about shipping? Or don't you own the games on the platform, so they can't be shipped overseas?
    - nicoles 11mo ago
      Every country has different requirements and regulations, it's unfortunately not just about shipping. We own all the games, but are focused on the USA for right now.
      - EmilStenstrom 11mo ago
        Happy to be put on a sendout list if/when this changes.
snicky 11mo ago
Pretty cool! Did you think about a way to handle games that need some secret elements (e.g. cards with roles/resources) that should be kept away from other players?
- nicoles 11mo ago
  We've played around with detecting various hand and arm gestures to digitally reveal/hide hidden information, but none of our launch titles ended up needing it. If you've got an idea that requires it, happy to work with you to make it happen!
rcgy 11mo ago
Very very snazzy tech. Get Foundry VTT on it, and you'd do quite well with the TTRPG crowd.
- chrysoprace 11mo ago
  Does Foundry have any of the interactive features this product offers? I'd imagine the real killer feature would be to place your miniature (I'm sure somebody could make a killing selling Board-compatible minis) on the board and have its position update in the software.
chrysoprace 11mo ago
It's cute but it's definitely niche, especially given the price. It's got some real potential for immersive D&D games though if the Board could use feedback from pieces people placed on the board.
october8140 11mo ago
There is a huge demand for an off the shelf device like this for TTRPGs. There are entire companies making animated maps that are predicated on people laying a TV on its back on a table and building a custom case for it. I imagine they would all love to sell their maps on a dedicated off the shelf product.
- qwertytyyuu 11mo ago
  its too small to work for TTRPGs at the moment but if we could get the capacitive pattern tech and expand that to work on digitiser layer on a tv sized screen, i would be really cool.
  - sleepybrett 11mo ago
    It depends on the size of your table, of course. The area looks no bigger than game's i've played that use a battlemap or like a little miniature scene with dungeon tiles. Bigger is certainly better as we age or if the physical table you play on is huge though.
- shib71 11mo ago
  Yes, I could see a lot of GMs being interested in plug in and go product that fills that niche. Implementing the right feature set is challenging, as existing dedicated virtual tabletops have already shown. But something like a simple Owlbear Rodeo extension that adds basic miniature recognition might be all we need.
  - kdmoyers 11mo ago
    Sure! It's smallish, but ttrpg players are accustomed to filling in with their imagination. You might even have a pan feature that would shift the map and show markers to help minis get replaced correctly. This might help with the size problem a bit.
- 1313ed01 11mo ago
  Many say they would be useful for RPGs, but how? I know those that play with a large screen (i.e. old tv) on the table to display maps while playing. You do not need to track the pieces for that though? Typically the GM has a phone or laptop with a UI to control what is displayed when, to reveal new areas etc. I can't imagine a game or time when it would make sense that a player moves a miniature/token on a digital board and triggers something that happens automatically? Maybe if you were playing more like a solo or coop CRPG without a GM, but that is a completely different kind of game and everyone here is specifically mentioning using it to support TTRPGs.
october8140 11mo ago
If I wanted to build one where could I get a touch screen that big? edit: found this https://arkenforge.com/using-a-touch-screen-with-your-digital-table/ https://arkenforge.com/using-a-touch-screen-with-your-digita...
- renewiltord 11mo ago
  Dude I had jamboards with this idea but I could never get root on the device to make it work but clearly the hardware must exist. In the end I had to sell the damn things.
daviscaoimhe30 11mo ago
[dead]
johannesf 11mo ago
This looks super cool, thanks for sharing! Very interested. How much storage does a typical game require? I assume the SD slot allows for storage expansion? Are you able to share what it's running on under the hood? I assume Android/Linux?
sleepybrett 11mo ago
Honestly it's nice enough as an encased screen for TTRPG virtual tabletop play. I have a few friends that have built custom tabletops to hold consumer TVs or have set up top down projectors (worse)... those are solutions for the deeply dedicated. Something even simpler that this is a pretty nice form-factor for a somewhat more modest table.
bee_rider 11mo ago
Could be neat for DnD. Or maybe even a proper wargame, although I guess it might be too small.
coffee-- 11mo ago
Looks a lot like The Last Gameboard[1], which almost worked well (but didn’t, at least for me). It had a mechanism for detecting and tracking pieces, and a module for FoundryVTT, but the tracking was too glitchy. And the hardware was too slow. [1] https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gameboard1/gameboard-1 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gameboard1/gameboard-1
- croes 11mo ago
  At least you got your board unlike many others
throwaway743 11mo ago
Kinda related/unrelated, but I'm dying for something that solves the problem of fog of war for tabletop games, while still allowing for physical minis
mcintyre1994 11mo ago
I love this! Not in the US but this looks really cool and looks like it’d be a blast to play with an SDK for it!
npodbielski 11mo ago
1 year warranty is good? In EU you get two years warranty for everything. I.e. for shoes or a light bulb.
whitehexagon 11mo ago
This looks like a perfect match for the music synth ReacTable, something that never ported well to ipad because of the lack of physical pieces. But my concern would be that this becomes just another Ad platform, but targeted at kids. For me a board-game is offline time. So I would picture this with no WiFi and SD card based games. Which could still be profitable via an other-device app store. But would also avoid temptation for developers to add these more addictive online/networked games.
- fhcbix 11mo ago
  > For me a board-game is offline time. That's fair but not universal. Plenty of communities exist around playing board games online and often that's the only way to meet players of equal strength or run large tournaments.
  - whitehexagon 11mo ago
    Sure, but then maybe it should be two models; one with WiFi for adult gaming, and one that is 100% offline safe model for kids to play with. With the added advantage that the SD card based games can be managed by parents to help manage 'game time'.
- fwip 11mo ago
  If you didn't see it, the FAQ partially addresses your wifi concerns: "Does Board need WiFi or batteries? Board plugs into the wall, no batteries required. WiFi is only needed when you want to download new games. Once it’s powered on, you’re ready to play." Obviously they could add ads later, but it's a little reassuring to know that it's designed from the outset to work without an always-on connection.
  - whitehexagon 11mo ago
    Not sure. As a developer I like the concept, but the more I read of the legal, the more concerns I have. It reads more like an online tablet, but without service guarantees. Maybe some of the legal was for the website, it wasn't clear to me. But there was also mention of social media, complete game usage collection, and phone and email direct marketing, defaulted to opt-in.
evertedsphere 11mo ago
This reminds me a lot of…something Dynamicland.
mrighele 11mo ago
Reminds of Microsoft Surface, the original coffee table [1]. It was quite cool at the time, but too expensive for what could have been useful application. Hopefully for them, this will have more luck. On a side not, the website is completely blank on Firefox. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRU3NemA95k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRU3NemA95k
- sleepybrett 11mo ago
  Not really a coffee table, it's more akin, at least the one i have, to an old arcade cocktail cabinet in almost every way.
gostsamo 11mo ago
what is the accessibility story with this? One of the most difficult thing for blind people is having accessible board games where multiple cards or board state should be remembered and AR-ing the table seems to have some potential. If the board can pair with airbuds and the state could be easily described, it might have lots of blind clients.
internet_points 11mo ago
I was about to say "this could make Ticket to Ride scoring so much easier" but then I see someone has actually made an app for that already https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/q4vwdl/ticket_to_ride_score_calculator_app_automatic/ https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/q4vwdl/ticket_t... :) Anyone tried just taking a picture of a messy Ticket to Ride-board with ChatGPT?
sagacity 11mo ago
This looks really cool but at $499 I wouldn't let any kids near it. Hopefully it can come down in price by a lot after a few revisions, because it sure looks fun.
msk-lywenn 11mo ago
Marbotic does the same kind of stuff with specially crafted wooden pieces on a regular android/ipad tablet. Maybe focusing on kids wasn't the best path to success... https://www.youtube.com/@marbotic https://www.youtube.com/@marbotic
pjmlp 11mo ago
Not the first, has everyone forgotten the Surface/PixelSense table? https://blog.azureinfra.com/surface/ https://blog.azureinfra.com/surface/ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Surface_table.JPG https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Surface_table.JPG https://www.theverge.com/2012/6/19/3096652/microsoft-surface-table-rebranded-as-pixelsense https://www.theverge.com/2012/6/19/3096652/microsoft-surface... "Microsoft Surface PixelSense 'Coffee Table' Hands On" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh9cOlVFItQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh9cOlVFItQ Granted, this is very hard to search for, when not being around the time it was available, as most results will be about the current tablets marketed as surface.
- Hydraulix989 11mo ago
  But perhaps the first well-executed?
  - pjmlp 11mo ago
    All the best to them, this remains to be seen, including how the SDK tooling will look like. I consider Microsoft's one great, given its C# and .NET based SDK, instead of yet again C and C++.
    - ryanmeasel 11mo ago
      The Unity SDK is C# and slots right into the typical Unity patterns for touch input. Two contact types are provided: Finger – Representing a single touch point, e.g, a finger Glyph – Representing a tangible object For each contact, you get ID, Position, and Phase. For Glyphs, you also get orientation and touched status, as in the system knows whether the object is being touched or not. There tunable parameters for the tracking system as well. For event systems (e.g., menus, etc), BoardUIInputModule in provided in place of Unity's default InputSystemUIInputModule. Please reach out if interested to develop: https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers
      - q2dg 11mo ago
        Godot SDK should be the goal
sirwhinesalot 11mo ago
I think this is a neat product but not one I have any interest in. I play board games in part to avoid the digital world. If a board game needs a computer to handle the rules, then it is a needlessly complicated board game.
- reactordev 11mo ago
  Surely a companion app wouldn’t count, right? I couldn’t DM without it. I would need binders and binders of information or my iPad. I prefer my iPad.
  - roxolotl 11mo ago
    To be honest as someone who's built a dozen dice rolling and dming tools for myself I've recently switched mostly back to paper. There's just something really nice about rolling physical dice on a physical table while flipping through physical books and notes. It's super cumbersome and I don't think there's anything wrong with using digital tools. I play most of my games over a digital tabletop since those I play with aren't near by.
    - reactordev 11mo ago
      Yes on the physical dice rolling, no on the tombs and tombs of dead trees to lug around with me. Even just the handbooks are over 1,000 pretty printed shavings of poplar pulp. Having a cardboard paper screen and a small scratch pad and empty character sheets is the most paper I’ll bring. Physical books feel better because it’s physical. You can touch it, you can smell it, you can read it, and some you can hear (when you open them or turn the pages). This is why we prefer it. However, I reserve those for the shelves at home.
      - galagawinkle489 11mo ago
        Referring to books as "dead trees" is such a pathetic thought-terminating cliché. If you don't want to cart books around that's fine but you can easily play the game with only the basic three (and players just need one). If you are using a book just for a spell or an item or two you can just photocopy the page.
incomingpain 11mo ago
I love the idea, but none of the games quite fit for me. What programming language is the games made in? Can 3d printed pieces be used?
- ryanmeasel 11mo ago
  Yes, the SDK is built for Unity in C# with Unreal/Godot to follow. Please reach out if interested to develop: https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers My colleague has some discussion here about 3D printing pieces: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45754851 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45754851
Vaslo 11mo ago
Very cool product but at $500 you can get a meta quest 3. I get that the meta quest is not multiplayer but still.
- embedding-shape 11mo ago
  How many people can use a Meta Quest 3 at the same time? Since you're positing this as an alternative. Or what about getting a desktop PC instead for that same price? Or a snowboard? Obviously neither of these things are alternatives to a table-top device meant for playing table games together with other humans...
deadbabe 11mo ago
It’s been an idea before but personally until it’s an e-ink display that looks indistinguishable from printed game boards I won’t bother. Don’t like the digital aesthetic.
a022311 11mo ago
The concept of combining a digital game with physical game pieces really reminded me of Osmo [1] (although their games are more focused on education and most are single-player). This could definitely enhance that experience significantly. Good luck with the project! I hope it turns out as good as it looks (or better :D) and that someday I can justify the cost! [1]: https://www.playosmo.com/ https://www.playosmo.com/
aitchnyu 11mo ago
Those knobs made me think we could put (or retrofit) knobs and sliders on car touchscreens.
- fwip 11mo ago
  I imagine that it would be difficult to hold the knob in place on the touchscreen while you turn it, especially given that the car screen is close to vertical. If I'm understanding right, the knob for the Board is a simple cylinder (no moving parts inside of it), so by rotating it, you're inherently breaking the static friction that would help hold it in place. You'd want either A) magnets to hold it in place or B) a two-part knob, like the Surface Dial.
notjustanymike 11mo ago
At $500 for a large screen and CPU/GPU, my first concern would be power. This is a small company, so it's not realistic to expect iPad performance. I'm curious what the underlying hardware is, and if it's an existing mediaboard. Mediaboard hardware is notoriously underpowered, especially with 3D. The touch response times are also questionable, usually designed for tap instead of swipe.
CapsAdmin 11mo ago
I don't really play board games, but if I did I can imagine being worried about forced updates, general online connectivity, inevitable ads, microtransactions, longevity, etc being a concern. The current people behind Board might promise to deliver now, but who knows what will happen 5 years down the line.
d--b 11mo ago
To those who "meh" it: Board games suffer a lot from lack of progression and narrative compared to video games. Take Mario 1, there are so many different worlds, and enemies, it's a constant wow. In comparison, board games are always the same. I play a fair amount of board games, but as much as I like the 'IRL' experience, the game play just doesn't compare. Some board games try to replicate this with level bags and legacy things and what not. But make a Final Fantasy that can be played on a board with my kids, and I am definitely in. This has huge potential.
- The-Bus 11mo ago
  Progression is your level of skill as you get better at a game (whether it's something simple or its chess). I've had narrative events happen in games that, because they are guided by decisions of other players, I still remember more than actual stories in video games. The idea is interesting, but at the same cost (or more) as a console, or the cost of a dozen board games, it falls into a space where the market is going to be limited. I would definitely try this if it was available at a board game cafe, just not something I need for home.
ryanmeasel 11mo ago
Hey, Board Engineering team here. Happy to answer any questions. Please reach out if you are interested in developing: https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers

278 points by nicoles 11mo ago

Just launched today at TechCrunch Disrupt. Our 12 game launch portfolio was all developed in Unity using our sdk, and we cannot be more excited to see what developers can make with our launch piece sets!

sjsivak 11mo ago

Looks awesome

nicoles 11mo ago
Thank you!

vunderba 11mo ago

Nice job! Very slick demo video. As a dev, a couple of things immediately stand out to me. 1. Launching at $500 means it is going to be a "relatively" boutique product. At around the same price as an iPad Air, you're definitely going to want to focus on how the included games simply would not be playable on a more conventional touchscreen interface without the corresponding physical components. Which leads to my second question: 2. Are the included physical pieces modular / generic enough such that prospective game developers could leverage them in future apps, or would they essentially need to design, 3D print, or contract out to your team to create their own props?

nicoles 11mo ago
1. This is absolutely the case for the launch portfolio. These games are super unique experiences that are really only possible from mixing the physical and digital in this way. Does the site not make that clear to you? Super useful feedback! 2. The piece sets can be used as is for new games/apps, especially for prototyping! However if it’s super promising and you want to bring it into our (future) store, we’d love to work with you to make a bespoke set of pieces to go with the game. Whether the launch sets are modular enough as-is is really dependent on the ergonomics and aesthetics of the game you want to make. We’re excited to make ourselves available to devs who want to explore this though, and happy to work with folks to figure out ways forward.
- gedy 11mo ago
  Looks really cool though did not see what the SDK is or languages it requires? I've built game tables before with flat panel TVs and web tech, but have wanted to integrate miniatures, position, etc into the apps.
  - nicoles 11mo ago
    Currently the sdk is built for Unity, we’re working on Unreal/Godot though!
- pstuart 11mo ago
  How are the pieces sensed?
  - vitovito 11mo ago
    Not the OP, but in the TechCrunch Disrupt launch, founder Brynn Putnam says, "capacitive material manufactured into the pieces." If you put capacitive material in a unique pattern on the footprint of each piece, and the rest of the piece material was conductive enough to carry your body's charge to register a touch, the shape of that touch could be unique per-piece. There's no mention of syncing pieces, charging pieces, keeping pieces in view of a wide-angle camera, anything like that, so that's my bet. (This would also mean moving a piece using a non-conductive material would be a way to cheat by having it not get registered!) I just shared this on LI this morning, linking back to a video showing showing related touchscreen explorations I did for a colleague in early 2013, sensing different coins by their radii as you touch them: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vmiliano_a-vertical-triptych-of-a-material-exploration-activity-7389283619472584705-KB2o?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABml38BAKQqatbQswcbQR7PB2BQtPNb1EQ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vmiliano_a-vertical-triptych-...
    - nicoles 11mo ago
      This is nearly bang on correct. The pieces don't contain any electronics or sensors, they have a conductive pattern built into the surface using specialized materials and a manufacturing technique we developed in house. Our custom software stack processes the raw data from the device's touch sensor using embedded ML on the NPU, which detects and tracks the pieces in real time. That said, the device can detect the pieces whether you touch them or not. Touching them absolutely does change the response, and we pass that along as a parameter to the SDK. Your coin exploration is seriously cool, please hit me up when you're next in NYC!
nkrisc 11mo ago
> At around the same price as an iPad Air, you're definitely going to want to focus on how the included games simply would not be playable on a more conventional touchscreen interface without the corresponding physical components. And why that’s worth $500. I can’t think of any game(s) that are so fun or unique I’d pay $500 to be able to play them, even with my family.

vintermann 11mo ago

Not quite the first such product, Microsoft's original "Surface" advertised similar boardgame potential. But if it worked well, I don't know of anyone who was rich enough to try it! Hopefully the technology has matured since then.

escapecharacter 11mo ago
(Disclosure: I worked on both) Detection technology on Board is much more robust. The MS Surface FTIR approach was lovely, but so over-featured no one could imagine a scoped-down (ie. cheaper) version of it.
- vintermann 11mo ago
  Aha, so there are ex-Surface developers working on this too! That's reassuring actually. Yeah, the boardgame demos of Surface were gorgeous, and I was definitively disappointed that this cool technology didn't "arrive" even as the years went by. Wishing you all good luck, and I may have to see how hard it is to get my hands on one of these...
  - escapecharacter 11mo ago
    To give proper credit: I don’t work at Board now, I just helped them explore the board game piece detection space over a year ago. The tech has done great work since then, really robustifying the detection algorithm and making experiences native to it.
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
october8140 11mo ago
I played games on a Surface table in 2012. It was fun but very finicy with input. I imagine this as 10+ years of better input detection technology.
waltbosz 11mo ago
I think I used there was a Surface used at the "Sum of all thrills" attraction in Epcot in Disney World. It behaved very similar to the Board. It definitely had a "knob" that you placed on a screen could spin to make adjustments.

wmeredith 11mo ago

I don't have a comment on the tech, but Board (homonym for bored) is genius branding.

deleted 11mo ago
[deleted]
ethmarks 11mo ago
And also like a board game, which I think is what they were going for.

monero-xmr 11mo ago

Is there an SDK? The link on the site to Developer program just has copy, no actual API docs

nicoles 11mo ago
There's currently a Unity SDK, we're just super focused on our launch and haven't been able to flesh out those pages. We'll be fleshing it out over the coming weeks, email developer@board.fun to hear about it the moment we update!

wmeredith 11mo ago

Me and a dungeon master friend of mine are interested in developing for this. Is there a cost associated with the SDK? Or can we just buy a Board and get to it?

nicoles 11mo ago
No cost for the SDK, we'll be fleshing out our SDK pages over the next couple weeks. Email developer@board.fun to be the first to get access!
hinkley 11mo ago
Hopefully they offer a large version at some point. This could be a little tricky for DMing.

arjie 11mo ago

Cool product. Is the SDK open? Any time I play a complex board game like Ark Nova, Spirit Island, etc. game running consumes a lot of time. So this tool is to me better showcased with a complex game that needs game-running that computers handle better. Also I'm curious about the board pieces and how more could be made. Do they have stickers on the bottom I could just transpose onto existing pieces, etc

ryanmeasel 11mo ago
Yes, the SDK is open. It's built for Unity in C# with Unreal/Godot to follow. Please reach out if interested to develop: https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers My colleague has some discussion here about how pieces are made: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45754851 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45754851

acomjean 11mo ago

As someone who plays amount of “boardgame arena”, I appreciate this. Having software mediate rules helps bootstrap games. But you still need physical pieces to loose and store. Reminds me of a “digital roulette wheel” I saw in a casino.. which was wierd, untrustworthy yet somehow very cool.

pteraspidomorph 11mo ago
Conceptually, it reminds me of DropMix by Harmonix. The physicality of it was really cool, but it also ended up being really unsuccessful, and I can imagine why: - Compared to a traditional board game (well, most of them), it was expensive and hard to procure; - Compared to a pure videogame, it had many moving parts that are more difficult to transport, manage, store, etc; - Since it was a multiplayer experience, that created added friction on top of everything else (everyone needs to be in the same place as the rare, expensive gadget and parts). The issues seem exacerbated in this idea, however I think it's just as cool. I would love to play on it.

Dayshine 11mo ago

> Warranty Included > Every purchase is covered by a 1-year warranty for peace of mind protection. Uh, why are you marketing a bare minimum (often legally required) warranty as a pro? It kinda conflicts with "built to last"! You'd be better off not even mentioning it.

opminion 11mo ago

As a player: What's the lag? Does it depend on the game and the gesture? As a developer: I'd like to implement a "game" which would be ideal for Dynamicland (tens of cards with ID stickers on the corners), but this might be a simpler platform to set up and use. Would that be possible with the board as sold?

fritzo 11mo ago
Also curious about latency. In the past I've worked around latency using video sensors for high-bandwidth high-latency features, then literally glued a contact mic to my interface to get low latency tap detection. How does the Board hide latency?

yellow_postit 11mo ago

Very cool. I love the tactical board game experience but automatic upkeep for rules is appealing. As a parent I wish it had more details on the durability. I can just imagine spills, slams, non-game pieces being used and abused on this thing.

nicoles 11mo ago
We've done a bunch of testing with our manufacturer, and have found that it's really resilient against spills, but don't go setting it in a bathtub.

kcon 11mo ago

I was looking for more info about developing for Board on https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers and became confused because the page mentions an SDK that can be accessed but does not explain how or link to any other information. Poking around the website some more, I found https://board.fun/pages/support?hcUrl=%2Fen-US%23article-2894218 https://board.fun/pages/support?hcUrl=%2Fen-US%23article-289... which clarifies: > Can I add or create my own games? > Soon. We’re building tools that will let anyone design their own Board games, starting with developers and expanding to players. The future of play is one you can help create. Learn more at board.fun/developers. So I think I understand the SDK is not available yet. Can you clarify that developer tools are not yet available but are coming soon on https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers to avoid confusion?

MarsIronPI 11mo ago
To expand on the topic of the SDK: will the SDK be open-source? Will I need to register as a developer or pay a fee to get the SDK? If the SDK is open-source with no registration or fees required, then you have my attention.
- nicoles 11mo ago
  The SDK is open-source, no fees required. Coming in the next week or two. We're figuring out the specific details regarding registration, and would love feedback one way or the other if this is critical for you. If you want to be notified the moment it hits, email us: developers@board.fun
  - embedding-shape 11mo ago
    > The SDK is open-source, no fees required. Coming in the next week or two. We're figuring out the specific details regarding registration It sounds like you've already figured out that the registration would have to be optional, as you're planning to make it open-source (it will be open-source once you release it, it isn't open-source yet :) ).

jkhdigital 11mo ago

I can tell this is much more than just “Tabletop Simulator on a tablet”, although at $500 you’re likely to get a lot of attention from the Twilight Imperium and Gloomhaven crowd. I know more than a few childless people in my local gaming circle who would drop a half-large on accessories that simplify game execution. But clearly this product isn’t about making existing board games easier to set-up/play/clean-up. I think the marketing dept has a lot of heavy lifting to do, convincing buyers that this isn’t just Juicero for existing board games.

Novosell 11mo ago
Exact same thoughts here. This should, imo, be marketed at boardgame nerds, who are adults, and not 3-7 year olds which it seems to currently be. Which toddler is asking for this for christmas? I suppose a boardgame nerd might buy it to use with their toddler, but that is a niche of a niche of a niche.
- 0xDEAFBEAD 11mo ago
  Maybe if they pitched it as a way to get your kids away from solitary iPad usage and interacting with each other instead?
  - mindjiver 11mo ago
    Well, parents could also set some ground rules for iPad usage and enforce them! I don't think another screen is a good solution to get someone off a screen. You can just play a normal board game with the kids.
2muchcoffeeman 11mo ago
I play games like Gloomhaven and TI4. Not sure how this product would simplify anything. Far too small for any of the more complex board games. I guess I could scroll around but then what does physical piece detection give me? Then it’s $500USD. My game group and myself got Gloomhaven from Epic for free and played through the campaign together. BGA subscription is cheap. So many games have online implementations that are free. And I can buy a lot of boardgames for $500. What’s the draw here?

somethoughts 11mo ago

Pretty cool! My hot take is that there are seem to be really two markets here: 1.) Candy crush type board games targeting kids with well-off parents. Basically really focused on immersive and interactive visuals like effects and cutscenes. 2.) Serious board games targeting older teenagers and adults playing heavy games with BoardGameGeek weightings of above 3.5 with money to spend on their own hobby. Think games like 18XX, Brass Birmingham, Dune, Terraforming Mars or Gloomhaven. They would find the digital board game experience useful for accessing expansion maps (i.e. 18xx) or expansion campaigns (Gloomhaven). Additional features of interest might be solo play against automated players, game state/score tracking, game tutorials. It almost feels like these two groups would have such different profiles that two separate marketing approaches should be attempted.

deleted 11mo ago
[deleted]

Hackbraten 11mo ago

Are you planning to ship to the EU? The order form only allows US shipping adresses as is.

nicoles 11mo ago
Starting with the USA for now, expanding over time!

EmilStenstrom 11mo ago

Looks really fun, but only ships to the US… such a disappointment after reading up on it, and being ready to buy.

nicoles 11mo ago
Apologies! We're a small team, and have to focus our efforts on one market for the time being. We'll be looking to expand as soon as we're able.
- EmilStenstrom 11mo ago
  @nicoles: Understand. Is this just about shipping? Or don't you own the games on the platform, so they can't be shipped overseas?
  - nicoles 11mo ago
    Every country has different requirements and regulations, it's unfortunately not just about shipping. We own all the games, but are focused on the USA for right now.
    - EmilStenstrom 11mo ago
      Happy to be put on a sendout list if/when this changes.

snicky 11mo ago

Pretty cool! Did you think about a way to handle games that need some secret elements (e.g. cards with roles/resources) that should be kept away from other players?

nicoles 11mo ago
We've played around with detecting various hand and arm gestures to digitally reveal/hide hidden information, but none of our launch titles ended up needing it. If you've got an idea that requires it, happy to work with you to make it happen!

rcgy 11mo ago

Very very snazzy tech. Get Foundry VTT on it, and you'd do quite well with the TTRPG crowd.

chrysoprace 11mo ago
Does Foundry have any of the interactive features this product offers? I'd imagine the real killer feature would be to place your miniature (I'm sure somebody could make a killing selling Board-compatible minis) on the board and have its position update in the software.

chrysoprace 11mo ago

It's cute but it's definitely niche, especially given the price. It's got some real potential for immersive D&D games though if the Board could use feedback from pieces people placed on the board.

october8140 11mo ago

There is a huge demand for an off the shelf device like this for TTRPGs. There are entire companies making animated maps that are predicated on people laying a TV on its back on a table and building a custom case for it. I imagine they would all love to sell their maps on a dedicated off the shelf product.

qwertytyyuu 11mo ago
its too small to work for TTRPGs at the moment but if we could get the capacitive pattern tech and expand that to work on digitiser layer on a tv sized screen, i would be really cool.
- sleepybrett 11mo ago
  It depends on the size of your table, of course. The area looks no bigger than game's i've played that use a battlemap or like a little miniature scene with dungeon tiles. Bigger is certainly better as we age or if the physical table you play on is huge though.
shib71 11mo ago
Yes, I could see a lot of GMs being interested in plug in and go product that fills that niche. Implementing the right feature set is challenging, as existing dedicated virtual tabletops have already shown. But something like a simple Owlbear Rodeo extension that adds basic miniature recognition might be all we need.
- kdmoyers 11mo ago
  Sure! It's smallish, but ttrpg players are accustomed to filling in with their imagination. You might even have a pan feature that would shift the map and show markers to help minis get replaced correctly. This might help with the size problem a bit.
1313ed01 11mo ago
Many say they would be useful for RPGs, but how? I know those that play with a large screen (i.e. old tv) on the table to display maps while playing. You do not need to track the pieces for that though? Typically the GM has a phone or laptop with a UI to control what is displayed when, to reveal new areas etc. I can't imagine a game or time when it would make sense that a player moves a miniature/token on a digital board and triggers something that happens automatically? Maybe if you were playing more like a solo or coop CRPG without a GM, but that is a completely different kind of game and everyone here is specifically mentioning using it to support TTRPGs.

october8140 11mo ago

If I wanted to build one where could I get a touch screen that big? edit: found this https://arkenforge.com/using-a-touch-screen-with-your-digital-table/ https://arkenforge.com/using-a-touch-screen-with-your-digita...

renewiltord 11mo ago
Dude I had jamboards with this idea but I could never get root on the device to make it work but clearly the hardware must exist. In the end I had to sell the damn things.

daviscaoimhe30 11mo ago

[dead]

johannesf 11mo ago

This looks super cool, thanks for sharing! Very interested. How much storage does a typical game require? I assume the SD slot allows for storage expansion? Are you able to share what it's running on under the hood? I assume Android/Linux?

sleepybrett 11mo ago

Honestly it's nice enough as an encased screen for TTRPG virtual tabletop play. I have a few friends that have built custom tabletops to hold consumer TVs or have set up top down projectors (worse)... those are solutions for the deeply dedicated. Something even simpler that this is a pretty nice form-factor for a somewhat more modest table.

bee_rider 11mo ago

Could be neat for DnD. Or maybe even a proper wargame, although I guess it might be too small.

coffee-- 11mo ago

Looks a lot like The Last Gameboard[1], which almost worked well (but didn’t, at least for me). It had a mechanism for detecting and tracking pieces, and a module for FoundryVTT, but the tracking was too glitchy. And the hardware was too slow. [1] https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gameboard1/gameboard-1 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gameboard1/gameboard-1

croes 11mo ago
At least you got your board unlike many others

throwaway743 11mo ago

Kinda related/unrelated, but I'm dying for something that solves the problem of fog of war for tabletop games, while still allowing for physical minis

mcintyre1994 11mo ago

I love this! Not in the US but this looks really cool and looks like it’d be a blast to play with an SDK for it!

npodbielski 11mo ago

1 year warranty is good? In EU you get two years warranty for everything. I.e. for shoes or a light bulb.

whitehexagon 11mo ago

This looks like a perfect match for the music synth ReacTable, something that never ported well to ipad because of the lack of physical pieces. But my concern would be that this becomes just another Ad platform, but targeted at kids. For me a board-game is offline time. So I would picture this with no WiFi and SD card based games. Which could still be profitable via an other-device app store. But would also avoid temptation for developers to add these more addictive online/networked games.

fhcbix 11mo ago
> For me a board-game is offline time. That's fair but not universal. Plenty of communities exist around playing board games online and often that's the only way to meet players of equal strength or run large tournaments.
- whitehexagon 11mo ago
  Sure, but then maybe it should be two models; one with WiFi for adult gaming, and one that is 100% offline safe model for kids to play with. With the added advantage that the SD card based games can be managed by parents to help manage 'game time'.
fwip 11mo ago
If you didn't see it, the FAQ partially addresses your wifi concerns: "Does Board need WiFi or batteries? Board plugs into the wall, no batteries required. WiFi is only needed when you want to download new games. Once it’s powered on, you’re ready to play." Obviously they could add ads later, but it's a little reassuring to know that it's designed from the outset to work without an always-on connection.
- whitehexagon 11mo ago
  Not sure. As a developer I like the concept, but the more I read of the legal, the more concerns I have. It reads more like an online tablet, but without service guarantees. Maybe some of the legal was for the website, it wasn't clear to me. But there was also mention of social media, complete game usage collection, and phone and email direct marketing, defaulted to opt-in.

evertedsphere 11mo ago

This reminds me a lot of…something Dynamicland.

mrighele 11mo ago

Reminds of Microsoft Surface, the original coffee table [1]. It was quite cool at the time, but too expensive for what could have been useful application. Hopefully for them, this will have more luck. On a side not, the website is completely blank on Firefox. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRU3NemA95k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRU3NemA95k

sleepybrett 11mo ago
Not really a coffee table, it's more akin, at least the one i have, to an old arcade cocktail cabinet in almost every way.

gostsamo 11mo ago

what is the accessibility story with this? One of the most difficult thing for blind people is having accessible board games where multiple cards or board state should be remembered and AR-ing the table seems to have some potential. If the board can pair with airbuds and the state could be easily described, it might have lots of blind clients.

internet_points 11mo ago

I was about to say "this could make Ticket to Ride scoring so much easier" but then I see someone has actually made an app for that already https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/q4vwdl/ticket_to_ride_score_calculator_app_automatic/ https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/q4vwdl/ticket_t... :) Anyone tried just taking a picture of a messy Ticket to Ride-board with ChatGPT?

sagacity 11mo ago

This looks really cool but at $499 I wouldn't let any kids near it. Hopefully it can come down in price by a lot after a few revisions, because it sure looks fun.

msk-lywenn 11mo ago

Marbotic does the same kind of stuff with specially crafted wooden pieces on a regular android/ipad tablet. Maybe focusing on kids wasn't the best path to success... https://www.youtube.com/@marbotic https://www.youtube.com/@marbotic

pjmlp 11mo ago

Not the first, has everyone forgotten the Surface/PixelSense table? https://blog.azureinfra.com/surface/ https://blog.azureinfra.com/surface/ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Surface_table.JPG https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Surface_table.JPG https://www.theverge.com/2012/6/19/3096652/microsoft-surface-table-rebranded-as-pixelsense https://www.theverge.com/2012/6/19/3096652/microsoft-surface... "Microsoft Surface PixelSense 'Coffee Table' Hands On" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh9cOlVFItQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh9cOlVFItQ Granted, this is very hard to search for, when not being around the time it was available, as most results will be about the current tablets marketed as surface.

Hydraulix989 11mo ago
But perhaps the first well-executed?
- pjmlp 11mo ago
  All the best to them, this remains to be seen, including how the SDK tooling will look like. I consider Microsoft's one great, given its C# and .NET based SDK, instead of yet again C and C++.
  - ryanmeasel 11mo ago
    The Unity SDK is C# and slots right into the typical Unity patterns for touch input. Two contact types are provided: Finger – Representing a single touch point, e.g, a finger Glyph – Representing a tangible object For each contact, you get ID, Position, and Phase. For Glyphs, you also get orientation and touched status, as in the system knows whether the object is being touched or not. There tunable parameters for the tracking system as well. For event systems (e.g., menus, etc), BoardUIInputModule in provided in place of Unity's default InputSystemUIInputModule. Please reach out if interested to develop: https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers
    - q2dg 11mo ago
      Godot SDK should be the goal

sirwhinesalot 11mo ago

I think this is a neat product but not one I have any interest in. I play board games in part to avoid the digital world. If a board game needs a computer to handle the rules, then it is a needlessly complicated board game.

reactordev 11mo ago
Surely a companion app wouldn’t count, right? I couldn’t DM without it. I would need binders and binders of information or my iPad. I prefer my iPad.
- roxolotl 11mo ago
  To be honest as someone who's built a dozen dice rolling and dming tools for myself I've recently switched mostly back to paper. There's just something really nice about rolling physical dice on a physical table while flipping through physical books and notes. It's super cumbersome and I don't think there's anything wrong with using digital tools. I play most of my games over a digital tabletop since those I play with aren't near by.
  - reactordev 11mo ago
    Yes on the physical dice rolling, no on the tombs and tombs of dead trees to lug around with me. Even just the handbooks are over 1,000 pretty printed shavings of poplar pulp. Having a cardboard paper screen and a small scratch pad and empty character sheets is the most paper I’ll bring. Physical books feel better because it’s physical. You can touch it, you can smell it, you can read it, and some you can hear (when you open them or turn the pages). This is why we prefer it. However, I reserve those for the shelves at home.
    - galagawinkle489 11mo ago
      Referring to books as "dead trees" is such a pathetic thought-terminating cliché. If you don't want to cart books around that's fine but you can easily play the game with only the basic three (and players just need one). If you are using a book just for a spell or an item or two you can just photocopy the page.

incomingpain 11mo ago

I love the idea, but none of the games quite fit for me. What programming language is the games made in? Can 3d printed pieces be used?

ryanmeasel 11mo ago
Yes, the SDK is built for Unity in C# with Unreal/Godot to follow. Please reach out if interested to develop: https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers My colleague has some discussion here about 3D printing pieces: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45754851 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45754851

Vaslo 11mo ago

Very cool product but at $500 you can get a meta quest 3. I get that the meta quest is not multiplayer but still.

embedding-shape 11mo ago
How many people can use a Meta Quest 3 at the same time? Since you're positing this as an alternative. Or what about getting a desktop PC instead for that same price? Or a snowboard? Obviously neither of these things are alternatives to a table-top device meant for playing table games together with other humans...

deadbabe 11mo ago

It’s been an idea before but personally until it’s an e-ink display that looks indistinguishable from printed game boards I won’t bother. Don’t like the digital aesthetic.

a022311 11mo ago

The concept of combining a digital game with physical game pieces really reminded me of Osmo [1] (although their games are more focused on education and most are single-player). This could definitely enhance that experience significantly. Good luck with the project! I hope it turns out as good as it looks (or better :D) and that someday I can justify the cost! [1]: https://www.playosmo.com/ https://www.playosmo.com/

aitchnyu 11mo ago

Those knobs made me think we could put (or retrofit) knobs and sliders on car touchscreens.

fwip 11mo ago
I imagine that it would be difficult to hold the knob in place on the touchscreen while you turn it, especially given that the car screen is close to vertical. If I'm understanding right, the knob for the Board is a simple cylinder (no moving parts inside of it), so by rotating it, you're inherently breaking the static friction that would help hold it in place. You'd want either A) magnets to hold it in place or B) a two-part knob, like the Surface Dial.

notjustanymike 11mo ago

At $500 for a large screen and CPU/GPU, my first concern would be power. This is a small company, so it's not realistic to expect iPad performance. I'm curious what the underlying hardware is, and if it's an existing mediaboard. Mediaboard hardware is notoriously underpowered, especially with 3D. The touch response times are also questionable, usually designed for tap instead of swipe.

CapsAdmin 11mo ago

I don't really play board games, but if I did I can imagine being worried about forced updates, general online connectivity, inevitable ads, microtransactions, longevity, etc being a concern. The current people behind Board might promise to deliver now, but who knows what will happen 5 years down the line.

d--b 11mo ago

To those who "meh" it: Board games suffer a lot from lack of progression and narrative compared to video games. Take Mario 1, there are so many different worlds, and enemies, it's a constant wow. In comparison, board games are always the same. I play a fair amount of board games, but as much as I like the 'IRL' experience, the game play just doesn't compare. Some board games try to replicate this with level bags and legacy things and what not. But make a Final Fantasy that can be played on a board with my kids, and I am definitely in. This has huge potential.

The-Bus 11mo ago
Progression is your level of skill as you get better at a game (whether it's something simple or its chess). I've had narrative events happen in games that, because they are guided by decisions of other players, I still remember more than actual stories in video games. The idea is interesting, but at the same cost (or more) as a console, or the cost of a dozen board games, it falls into a space where the market is going to be limited. I would definitely try this if it was available at a board game cafe, just not something I need for home.

ryanmeasel 11mo ago

Hey, Board Engineering team here. Happy to answer any questions. Please reach out if you are interested in developing: https://board.fun/pages/developers https://board.fun/pages/developers