Safe Cracker Game
This game works on the principle of using and cracking a safe, but with pin and play as the combination/locking mechanisms. Potentiometers serve as dials, and there is a multitude of different buttons, numbers and buttons to press to activate/open the “safe”. Each pin serves as a locking rule or part of a group of locks.
The key use of Pin and Play is use of crude referencing to remember where particular components were. Different games could depend on pin location, pin combination, pin manipulation, pin presence. The aim isn’t really the securing of valuables, but the cracking and combinations. It can be attached to a small novelty toy bank/money collector/sweet depository, but will have key override for safety.
PACT Analysis
People: This is aimed at children/young teenagers. Given its application and activities use, it could easily be playable by adults, as it is designed as a problem solving and memory device. Abilities do not matter as components are added to suit ability. Level combinations should keep even expert problem solvers as well as those with a good memory busy.
Activities: It is a game based learning tool to improve spatial, referential and sequential memory. Cracking the safe in one game could depend on which order pins were added, where they were added, then what combination was inputted. Not all present pins need to be interacted with, some may merely need a presence to increase difficulty.
Contexts: Any context were games can be played would be suitable. Classrooms would be suitable given its educational value. Academics may use it to test various problem solving skill, spatial or sequential memory ability. Mutli-users are encouraged to add competition, and to attempt to crack the other players code.
Technology: The technology behind this would be fairly simple, with a local software chip being the most suitable processing unit. This device does not require a GUI, LEDs, sounds or buzzers can be used to indicate performance and give feedback. All that would need to be detected would be potentiometer positions, pin presence, sequence, manipulation, and basic spatial referencing (i.e. top left, bottom right).