I inspired by a puzzle video game called Witness (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheWitness(2016videogame). Some of the puzzles combine with the environment like the shadow of the tree.

Therefore, I propose there is a room with one side of the wall tracking the shadow of people, meanwhile, the opposite wall reflecting the shape of the shadow into a digital prop or tool. The first idea is to place two people in that space and lets them fight with each other. The fighting capacity based on their equipment which comes from their shadow and their creativity. For example, if someone holds a book and an umbrella, the digital character can have an extra sword and shield.

However, after I considered how to enhance the playful and make the player broaden their mind, I figured out the second version of the game. It is no longer a fighting game, but more similar to an adventure game. The player needs to overcome the difficulties to accomplish the goal, for instance, if the bridge in the game is broken, the player can use shadow to create the shape of a bird to fly through it or use your arm’s shadow to create a new bridge. The shadow is functional, itself is like smashing every 3 dimension object into 2D. In terms of that, the player can also use the power of other people to build the impossible shape like tank, ladder or anything you can create. The example in the game witness:

As the picture demonstrated, the shadow of the girl is actually composed of multiple branches, stones on the second floor of the building behind and a piece of fabric.

The final version of the idea

The system aims to enhance users' creativity by post different shapes of the shadow and let the participant feel relax by the digital game or music instruments.

Dance with Light

Explanation

My concept named Dance with Light.

This installation is consists of three parts. A huge screen, some blocks of different shapes, and the movable light.

People freely assemble blocks together and adjust the light source. By irradiation, a shadow will be formed on the screen. When the shadow's outline match some certain patterns, the system will be triggered and the black shadow will change to the colorful animation to inform the players that they have succeeded. For example, two blocks that look completely unrelated to each other, through constantly rotating and trying at multiple angles, end up with the silhouette of a fish. Then the system is triggered, the fish swells its tail and the screen becomes the ocean.

This installation can be played by multiple players at the same time and also has a competitive mode to make it more interesting. This game needs the player's imagination and creativity, promotes the coordination of hands and brains, and improves the ability to control spatial and planar graphics.

And here is my A3 concept sketch

Inspiration

This installation was inspired by a game I used to play as a child: step on the shadow. We chased each other in order to step on each other's shadow. And hand shadow: use our hands in different gestures to get many different shadows, usually of animals such as butterflies, spiders and wolves.

Progress

Therefore I set out to design my concept. At first, I just thought of a table with blocks on it and a light source suspended in the center above the table (figure 1). Then I thought, why not hang up all the building blocks as well (figure 2), however, another problem arose. What if the light source could not be distinguished? If the light source is fixed in one place, the user will be very inconvenient. So I designed multiple light sources and made them mobile through the track(figure 3). Finally, it occurred to me that the rectangular table was not convenient for the user to put the two blocks together. If the table/screen is designed to circle shape, it will be more reasonable, and also more convenient when the player is in competitive mode(figure 4).

Other resource for the future work

After completing my concept I have done some research and found that one game that really coincides with my idea, called ‘shadowmatic’. Here are some screenshots of the game.

This game is very simple and delicate, I believe it will provide some help to my future work(eg. in the design of scenes and objects).