Exploring the Interaction Possibilities when Combining a Tablet and Smartphones in a Game Context

Abstract

Smartphones and tablets are becoming more common. The aim of this study was to find what interesting interaction possibilities emerge when combining a tablet with a smartphone. The research was performed by implementing a game using this medium. A Settlers of Catan game was created using the tablet as the board and the phones as the private hands of the players. The application was implemented using Bluetooth, and a system based on drag and drop, using portals to send items between the devices was found useful to mediate the board game experience. Another important aspect that can be used in a game like this is the fact that users can use oral communication to plan common decisions, which can simplify the use cases for certain actions. It is also possible to add special rules that only work in a digital setting, but it seems it is difficult to find rules that make the game more interesting.