Plug-Plug
A Modular Controller
Plug-Plug is a 2D alternatively controlled game that I designed with François Iakouchev. It's a modular controller that lets players choose what abilities they want their little robots to have by plugging modules into the base of the controller. It uses Arduino boards and various simple but ingenious circuits to function and was coded in Unity. I've been developing it since November 2019 and we've been shortlisted to present it for the alt.ctrl showcase at the GDC in San Francisco. Right now, we are working on upgrading Plug-Plug.
What I worked on for this project
we had a lot
of fun with
this project
^^
Game / Ux Design
I came up with the original idea with François Iakouchev during a school exercise led by Ms. Tatiana Vilela DS on alternative controllers. We spent a lot of time thinking about the various interactions between the players and the controllers, but also about the experience that we wanted them to have. We aimed for the chaotic and childlike fun of mashing together toys to 'combine' them, while being under competitive stress. We can't wait to present it when the current health risks diminish.
Coding with unity and arduino
Plug-Plug has the particularity of mixing Arduino technology with Unity. There is very little to no support for that kind of interaction so I had to make a lot of the logic and connectivity from scratch. I learned how to code in C, to use the Arduino IDE, and how to setup an Arduino board while figuring out how to use digital pins to make a pin code system to recognize which module was plugged in and where. And it all had to work without latency and be understood by Unity with C# code... Suffice to say, I learned a lot with Plug-Plug.
Product design / Fabrication
I made most of Plug-Plug on my own. I designed the game with François, and he drew all of the in game assets, but I made everything else. That means that I also had to design and craft the controller by myself. The very first prototypes were designed in Adobe Illustrator and were made from laser-cut wood. They worked fine as a proof of concept, but now we aim to put Plug-Plug in people's hands. So I am currently designing a 3D model of the controller that I will be printing. The precision of the print will make the controller way more reliable and sturdy. You can catch up on the latest news on the project by following my Twitter account.
