Video still for The Goody Bullet

An SMS game for up to 400 players that lasts three hours.

A group of tourists are visiting an underground government bunker in the Welsh mountains. As the climax of the tour, you get to eat dinner in the huge ballroom hewn out of the rock. Disaster strikes when the massive metal doors of the room are locked from the outside and everyone is trapped. Unrest turns to panic when a tourist falls dead at their table. Then another, and another. Work out who is doing the killing and, for god's sake, save yourself.

The game table at V&A

To begin you select a small plastic figurine from a purpose built metal table, choosing from names such as Cutty Hugh, Edible Jenks or Meat Buttons. Your figurine is then moved onto the game table and you are given a badge to wear which shows your figurine’s name.

As you join the game your character is sat at a table with three other players. You can send text messages to the other people at your table and chat with them. Or you can move to another table.

As the evening progresses unease descends into panic. The Maitre D’ is forced into ever more extreme measures to keep order. If you call him to your table to make an accusation against another player, he will orchestrate the kangaroo court and, almost without fail, deliver the summary execution. As each death takes place the figurine slides through the game table to its grave. A video projector shows who is playing and each new death in the style of a disaster movie credits sequence. A few times each hour all players get messages about the unfolding events giving them clues and the aim of the game is to save yourself and identify the murderer before time is up.

The game is visually engaging, very quick to join and is designed to be played in a party atmosphere. It prompts conversations, allows strangers to chat to one another via SMS and develops a rich set of interactions in the virtual world of the game alongside the actual conversations in the room.

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