NYC Resistor debuted Future Crew, an interactive game of pressing buttons, jacking plugs, and twisting knobs, at their recent interactive party.
Even better, it has a science fiction bent to it — as the project description reads, Flip switches! Push buttons! Use a variety of retro-futuristic consoles to manipulate the timestream and save the universe! Sounds pretty good to me.
The basic idea is that the players work together like a frantic bridge crew, shouting commands and punching buttons. Only instead of computer panels, the consoles are pieces of repurposed junk; there are a toy piano, a rotary phone, an old patch console, and a teletype, among others. In the case of the piano, a player might have to play “Row Row Row Your Boat” in order to complete the mission. Each console is unique, converted from obsolete electronics with the addition of a Raspberry Pi boards and Teensys.
The hackerspace will be bringing the game to World Maker Faire later on this month, so swing by to give it a try! They’ll also have additional NYCR projects like a new iteration of Chris Fenton’s electromechanical computer.
If you can’t make it, Future Crew is an open-source project and they have set up a code repository. Make your own! [photo credit: William Ward]
