A game table for a youth detention centre

In 2019, while I was at Kaliber, I helped build a game table for DJI, the Dutch custodial institutions agency. The table is used in group sessions with boys in a closed youth detention centre, to get them talking about things that are hard to talk about: working together, moral dilemmas, money, sexuality. The concept and the game design weren't mine. A coworker and I built the first working prototype, hardware and software, and tested it in the detention centre. Once it worked, another coworker built a sturdier table.

How it plays

A group of up to eight sits around the table. A question is projected onto the surface, for example what you'd do if you really wanted a pair of sneakers but had no money. Everyone answers with a push button in front of them. Scores, badges and a bit of healthy competition keep it lively. A good argument can earn extra points even when the first answer scores low. A method coach can change games and interaction flows, because every group is different.

The video above has the full story of the concept and the results. It's in Dutch.

Finding hardware that survives

There's no internet in the building and the boys can't have smart devices, so a phone app was out. The table had to be something they'd use without thinking about it, and it had to survive them.

I started with a TV as the tabletop. It turned out to be far too fragile. Next I tried a Kinect for input, but it can't cope with eight people who don't sit still.

What worked was a short-throw projector on the table surface, with sturdy arcade push buttons wired to a computer. I mapped each button to a keyboard key, so the Unity game only had to listen for key presses. No drivers, no tracking, nothing to calibrate.

Result

Observations in the centre showed visibly more engagement.