Between was one of the most fascinating games at AMAZE Sheffield. The project asks players to sit face-to-face under a projector, holding hands and moving in unison to create geometric shapes floating in the space between. There are no win conditions. Instead, the installation hopes to spark meaningful physical connections that might blossom when players leave the glowing play space.
The installation was created by New York-based designer and artist Claire Kwong, who sought to overcome her fear of touch. “I'm painfully shy,” she told attendees at her Hyper Talk. “I'm a little phobic of touch and I wanted to overcome that. People always talk about overcoming their fears by facing them, and I think art and games have a unique power to do that. I wanted to challenge people and myself.”
Touch, where are you taking me?
Kwong believes that “touch” is an underexplored gameplay mechanic. He’s developed projects in the past that had people move, but those experiences never led to physical, tangible interaction. “Society really sets strong boundaries against touching each other, and for good reason most of the time, right?” he adds. “Touch can be vulnerable and uncomfortable. But at the same time, touch can bring people together. Touch can be intimate. Touch leads to more.”
During the design BetweenShe wanted players to touch each other, but admits it was “hard to figure out the mechanics.” A flurry of playtests helped her figure out what people were willing and unwilling to do. The end result was a design that encourages strangers to hold hands.
“Research shows that most people only touch their hands and not other parts of their body. […] It’s important to design for player consent. People have to be willing to play your game. They have to be comfortable being non-compliant,” he continues.
For example, Kwong flirted with the idea of doing something quite daring like projecting himself onto a bed, but felt that might push players too far. In contrast, asking players to hold hands seemed safer and more socially acceptable, but still “transgressive.” This meant that when it finally debuted BetweenMost people jumped into the experience, although a few simply touched their arms or used their suspended hands to fool the projection.
The level of engagement, combined with the fact that some people were still looking for an alternative solution, convinced Kwong that he had found the “sweet spot.” After watching people play, he also realized something else: while he had set out to create a “serious” experience, Between ultimately it required a certain level of stupidity.
“I imagined people looking into each other's eyes and falling in love,” Kwong laughs. “But you have to be silly to do that. Touching another person to play this thing is really silly and you have to break the tension.”
“People [who played] He told me it was very intimate. Almost romantic or sexual. Some people told me they felt closer after playing. Some even told me they hooked up after playing.
“I once played this game with a stranger and I didn't know whether to feel proud of myself because I felt awkward or embarrassed because I felt awkward, but then we sat next to the installation and talked for an hour. So making this game was a way for me to connect with other people and I think it ultimately made me less shy.”
Between helped Kwong realize that video games can encourage players to suspend normal social norms if they can create a safe, consensual space for play. “When you enter an installation and someone else does, you accept that it’s a game and you can explore the boundaries,” he adds.
In development Betweenfeels like she’s pushed her own boundaries and created a space for others to do the same. “Games can expand the possibilities of movement and touch,” she says, “and touch can bring people together like nothing else.”
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