Be the rat.
Eat the cheese.
Don't get caught.
Embedded Files
The Project
The Project
Cheese Eater is an asymetric multiplayer game for two or more players. The game is played accross two devices, one regular computer and one light sensative screen table (Microsoft PixelSense). One player takes the role of a rat searching for cheese. The others meanwhile play as rat catchers, using real world flashlights to illuminate the world and catch the rat.
Goals and Motivation
Goals and Motivation
The goal of Cheese Eater was to explore advanced methods in graphics and interaction.
Additionally, we wanted to create a memorable and fun gameplay experience deeply intertwined with our graphics and interaction methods.
Multi-Modal Interaction
Multi-Modal Interaction
To keep the game experience accessable and varied. The Rat can be controlled either with a common joy-pad or with a Wii Balace Board.
Meanwhile any sufficiently strong lightsource can be used to search for the rat on the table.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Desinging a compelling gameplay exprience with novel methods of interaction requires much iterative work.
Hardware limitations also forced us to think about priorities and getting as much as possible out of our resources.
Challenges and Obstacles
Challenges and Obstacles
Support for the Microsoft Pixel Sense was dropped in 2014. The lack of documentation, software/driver availability, and archaic hardware were all common sources of problems and frustration.
Isak Larsson
isaklar@kth.se
Anton Lilja
antlilja@kth.se
Jessica Gorwat
Morris Hansing
hansing@kth.se
Mert Demirsü
demirsu@kth.se
Graphics
Graphics
Volumetric lighting
To sell the spotlight as a threatening presences we used volumetric lighting to create the effect of the spotlight illuminating fog particles in the air.
Interactive water surfaces
Cause ripples in the puddles by moving through them, which the hunter will be able to see. The ripples are a combination of vertex displacement and pixel coloring. Basic environmental reflections can also be seen!
Moving bushes
Moving through the bushes causes a slight visible rustling, cluing the Rat-player to the fact that even though the bushes may hide them, it is not a safe place to be. The Table-player can use the slight rustling to locate a careless rat.
Dither effect
A dither effect is used to make small obstacles see-through so that the Rat-player can navigate through them.
Particles
To help the Table-player judge when a dropped cage hits the ground, a simple particle system was used. This allowed us to make the cage strike up a cloud of dust when hitting the dirt.
Interaction
Interaction
Flashlight interaction
Use a real flashlight to illuminate the in-game world and find the rat.
Multiple flashlights
The support for multiple flashlights allows multiple people to gather around the table, allowing for collaboration and a more engaging experience.
Wiimote Nunchuck and Balance Board
Wiimote Nunchuck is used as a rat-catching device on the PixelSense. The simple design allows a user to operate both the flashlight and the nunchuck at the same time.
While the rat is originally operated by classic controllers, an alternate control scheme allows the rat to be controlled using a Wii Balance Board. While some players find this interaction method intimidating, some find it engaging. Some even find it more intuitive than regular controllers!
Sounds!
Hear the rat moving through the environment, with environmental ambience! The flashlight will not only be seen but heard when it's close to you.
Interactive 3D Camera
To maximize customizability, we designed our own interactive 3D Camera with it's own 3D physics, collision and interaction system. Enjoy a seamless interaction with the world.
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