Embodied play concept: Truth or dare?

The game is based on the well known non-technical game “Truth or dare”.

Target group:
Mainly teenagers

Background:
This old game is a very popular game, especially for teenagers. How can we use technology to make it even more fun to play?

Concept:
We want to create a creature/product/object that the participants interact with during the play. Let’s call him Buster. Buster gives the participants questions and tasks, and in addition he has a built in lye detector. By analyzing the voice of the player he comments the answers. He also has the ability to records answers for later use…

Shape of the creature:
We have thought Buster to be a combination of a ball, a grown-up Barney, a hairy wizard and a ghost. We want him to have an almighty personality without being childish, maybe a bit evil. He should have “real” eyes, maybe glowing light inside (changing colour), he also could breathe or shake.

Challenges:
- Should Buster remember the names and identity of the players?
- How does he know which questions to ask? He will probably not be good at knowing the social codes in different settings…

Scenario:
- Pick up the creature and press his tummy
- Buster asks “truth or dare”, and you reply
- If you choose truth he asks you a question, and you have to answer directly to him. Based on you voice, silence, time used etc. he comments your answer. If he finds that you have been lying he could for instance yell “You are sooo lying!” or “Haha, I don’t believe you!” or “Yeah, right..”. Then you have to do one more..
- If you reply “dare”, Buster gives you a task. The other participants have to make sure that the player does what he is told… For instance Buster tells you to stand up and dance or sing along as he plays “Macarena”, “chicken dance”, “Barbie girl” or salsa music.

Possibilities:
- speed dating
- drinking game
- a children version
- Russebuss
- Send massages to Buster via mobile phone