This document outlines the implementation of an augmented reality prototype that adds digital elements to enhance gameplay of the board game Power Grid. The prototype has three phases: 1) Implement digital money and auctions; 2) Add digital resource management; 3) Incorporate augmented reality for connecting cities and providing additional game information. An initial prototype was created and tested that replaced physical money and auctions with digital versions. Based on user feedback, improvements are needed for screen size, connectivity issues, and refreshing information. The next steps involve addressing these issues, adding resource management, and integrating augmented reality features before final evaluations.

1. Electronic Augmentation
of Board Games
through Smartphones
Gert Thijs
Mentor: Gonzalo Parra
Promotor: Prof. Erik Duval

2. Overview
• Recap
• Implementation phases
• Implementation first prototype
• Demo
• Evaluation first prototype
• Required changes
• Next steps

3. Recap - Subject
• Hybrid analog-digital board game:
• Smartphone supports gameplay
• Still physical components
• Still people coming together
• Why smartphones?
• Portable, powerful, ubiquitous
• Bring your own device

4. Recap - Power Grid

5. Recap - Power Grid
• Player manages a power company:
• Buys power plants
• Buys resources for plants
• Connects cities to power grid
• Powers cities using resources to earn
money
• Player who can power the most cities
wins

6. Recap - Power Grid
• Currently:
• Play money: one player needs to
play bank
• Power plant market: requires
reorganizing
• Resource market: needs to be
restocked
• Menial tasks that don’t add value

7. Implementation
phases
• First prototype:
• Digital money
• Digital power plant auctions
• Second prototype:
• Digital resource management
• Final prototype:
• Augmented Reality for connecting
cities and “magic lens”

8. First prototype
• First prototype:
• Digital money
• Digital power plant auctions
• Temporary screens for other phases
• Physical money no longer required
• Resource management not yet
implemented
• Plant cards and resource tokens

9. Implementation CHAPTER 7: Network Design Overview 133
• GameKit
• Peer to Peer
• Bluetooth or
WiFi
Figure 7–1. A visual representation of a peer-to-peer network using six iOS devices

10. controller
MainMenuVC GameVC
-x -x
-y -y
LobbyVC PlayerOrderVC AuctionPlantsVC BuyResourcesVC ConnectCitiesVC PowerCitiesVC
-x -x -x -x -x -x
-y -y -y -y -y -y
model
AuctionSM PlayerOrderSM
-x -x
-y -y
helper
PowerPlant Player Game
-x -x -x
PGSessionHelper -y -y -y
-x
-y
PowerPlantMarket ResourceMarket PowerPlantDeck
-x -x -x
-y -y -y

12. Demo

18. Evaluation
• Goal: determine if it all “makes
sense”
• Method:
• 5 users played the game with
devices
• Afterwards: SUS & custom
questionnaire
• Results:

19. Evaluation results
• Less social
• Especially felt during auction phase
• Doesn’t “break” fun parts
• Reduced physical interactions not
problematic
• Mixed opinions about screen size
• Original game provides a better

20. Required changes
Find a way to simultaneously show both
screens or swiftly switch between them

21. Required changes
Increase scrollable area

22. Required changes
• Info panels did not refresh
immediately
• Loss of connection causes deadlock
• Better inform players when it’s their
turn
• Indicate which players can still bid

23. Next steps
• Fix issues found during test
• Implement resource management
• Second prototype: Test again
• Add augmented reality
• To connect cities
• To consult public info (magic lens)
• Final evaluations

24. Next steps
• Aspects to evaluate:
• social aspect
• “fun”
• efficiency
• Method:
• 1/2 game original version
• 1/2 hybrid version

25. Planning
26/03 - 01/04 Presentation + Writing Ch. 1, 3
02/04 - 08/04 Implement prototype 2 Ch. 2
09/04 - 15/04 Implement prototype 2 Ch. 4, 5
16/04 - 22/04 Evaluate prototype 2 Ch. 5,
23/04 - 29/04 Implement prototype 3 Poster
Ch. 6
30/04 - 06/05 Implement prototype 3 Ch. 6, 7
07/05 - 13/05 Evaluate prototype 3 Ch. 7
14/05 - 20/05 Evaluate prototype 3 Ch. 7, 8
21/05 - 27/05 Rewrite draft
28/05 - 03/06 Rewrite draft
04/06 - 10/06 Rewrite draft

26. Statistics
Literature study 84 Thesis meetings (+ prep.) 25
Designing paper prototypes 50 Report 8
Testing paper prototypes 18 Paper 20
Evaluating paper prototypes 16 Presentations 20
Power Grid survey 6 Thesis text 15
Power Grid play sessions 17.5 Writing blogposts 40
AR libraries 9 Reading blogs 13
Reading documentation 28 Helping others 3
Implementation 173 Storyboards 7
Testing digital prototype 6 Planning 1.5
Evaluating digital prototype 5 Testing iPad games 2
Total = 567h

27. Statistics
Tweets 118
Blogposts 29
Comment 32 (other)
s 14 (own)

28. ?