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The Ripper's Trail

Date

January - March 2023

Project Role

Game Design, Arduino Programmer & Physical Board Engineer

Project Type

Academic

Genre

Alternative Controller/Mystery

The Ripper's Trail is an Arduino-based alternative controller game that immerses players in the quest to unveil the identity of the infamous Jack the Ripper. As the player, you'll navigate a vast web of resources and clues, pulling threads throughout the game board to uncover the truth and identify the elusive killer. This physical mystery game utilizes the Arduino Mega and Arduino IDE, adding an innovative layer to the gaming experience as you engage with tangible clues and unravel the enigma surrounding Jack the Ripper.

As the Game Designer and Arduino Programmer, I created the backend system from scratch using the Arduino IDE and a library of resources available for Arduino to develop the ideal systems for running the game as designed. Additionally, I served as the Physical Board Engineer, drafting the design for the game's physical board and creating it in our university's (LCC) woodwork workshop.

The Ripper's Trail - Gameplay & Concept Explanation (Video)

This video showcases the gameplay of The Ripper's Trail and provides an explanation of the concept our team developed. It also briefly discusses the narrative we created, expanding beyond the original Jack the Ripper story.

Backend Board System (Video)

This video briefly reveals the behind-the-scenes aspects of the board beneath its polished appearance. All the wires are labeled and colour-coded based on their functions.

The Main Board

The main board consists of a scattered layout of clues with questions to be answered. Players must solve and create a web of connections based on the hints, victim profiles , and suspect profiles provided on the side. Similar information is colour-coded, allowing players to maintain a coordinated view of the details.

Organised Chaos

Underneath the board, an array of cables and wires supports the entire system, all fed from the Arduino Mega. Each button is connected to the Arduino Mega to verify if the player has pressed the correct buttons for the answers. When the player selects the correct combinations, an LED light dedicated to the question will illuminate, indicating that the player has solved the question. The wires are neatly colour-coded and labeled, allowing me to work smoothly without the stress of identifying which button corresponds to which function.

Hints & Profiles

On the side, players also receive hints, suspect profiles, and victim profiles, along with a diary from Andromeda Smith, a fictional character created for this project. Andromeda, a fellow prostitute to the canonical five, outlines an external story, revealing the events happening to her friends. Players can pick out clues from her diary to identify the real killer.

EXTRA: Playtesting

This game required extensive playtesting to ensure it was solvable for players. Numerous changes were made, as there initially weren't enough clues for players to figure out the answers. One significant change was limiting the amount of text, as we noticed that the large quantity of words was hard for players to digest and caused confusion. To address this, we added more visual elements, such as photos, to replace some of the text.

EXTRA: Physical Board Changes

Many changes were made to the physical board and Arduino systems during the initial weeks of development, primarily due to safety concerns for the players. As the engineer of the physical board, I observed numerous electrical shocks and was alerted by lab supports to potential fire hazards in the older versions, as I was using conductible wires. This change was crucial, as I prioritised player safety and didn't feel comfortable putting them at risk to enhance the game's immersion.

Development Log (Link | Click on Image)

If you're interested in looking through the full development log, feel free to check it out here!

Code Repository (Link | Click on Image)

If you're interested in looking through my process of creating the system frameworks, feel free to check out my codes here! Please note that all codes are compatible only with Arduino devices.

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