Innovative Spinner Tabletop Game Using Smartphones: Insights and Unexpected Effects

 I have developed a  two-player electronic tabletop game based on hand spinners and rotation counting. Each round, players receive a reference number representing target spinner rotations and strive to get as close as possible by making four spins. Scoring follows a bocce-like system focused on precision.

 

Initially, the game featured built-in displays, but to reduce costs, I came up with the idea to use players’ smartphones instead. The game’s microcontroller wirelessly transmits game data  to up to eight nearby phones simultaneously.

At the left part of the picture below one can see the working prototype.  At the right side I put the  rendering as I see it in my dreams. 
 

 

Unexpectedly, this unconventional use of smartphones brought positive side effects. Instead of causing digital isolation, the phones became channels for shared attention and collective engagement for both players and spectators. Everyone was “in the same flow,” not distracted by social media but focused on the game together.

This created a “public gaze without judgment”: players make moves within a friendly audience that supports rather than competes. Social pressure diminishes, forming a safe “social field” akin to mindfulness groups and therapeutic practices.

The game rhythm—concentrated spin initiation followed by relaxed observation of spinner deceleration—activates brain regions responsible for focused attention and impulse control, while calming the nervous system. Repeating this cycle four times builds a rhythm comparable to breathing exercises, helping reduce anxiety.

Smartphones thus cease to be stressors or sources of addiction, becoming neutral elements of a shared ritual that eliminates guilt and competition for attention.

Therefore, this game is more than entertainment — it fosters a healthy digital coexistence micro-environment for groups of up to eight. It is especially well-suited for socially anxious people, introverts, and those overwhelmed by digital overload.

Combining gaming innovation with mindfulness principles, the project offers promising potential for psychogeriatric health and anxiety prevention in today’s fast-paced world.

#FOMO, #mindfulness, #nomophobia 

 

Electronic game for competitive socialising at one square foot and for less than 100USD

 The most popular bar game for competitive socialising is a darts game and it's modern version "interactive darts".

Typically, when a bar designs its "competitive socializing" space, it plans for a total group of 6-10 people per game lane or table. This includes the 4-6 active players and the 2-4 friends who are there for the drinks, food, and social atmosphere surrounding the game.

My electronic game is designed mainly for two players. It is difficult for  bystanders to see what's going on in this game.

  

 I have an idea to make this game more spectable.

For this purpose I am going to remove embedded displays  at all and replace them with smartphones owned by players and bystanders.

I have tested  this concept and it looks real!

   

ESP32S3 ( 4$ price) can support up to  8  WIFI connections.  So up to 8 persons can   play this game ( in turn)   or watch  it  with their smartphones  in browser's window    .

This game occupies 1 square foot on the table and needs no space around.

Standard table in the standard bar is for 2 or 4 persons . Bigger table is for 8 persons. So such table game fits most possible cases.

General layout looks like this:

My first prototype is made from cheap plastic box. 

AI rendering ( Vizcom) shows possible variant with wooden housing and spinners made from bronze.

#competitivesocialising, #ESP32, #fidgetspinner, #altctrl, #relaxinggame

 

 

Spinner arcade for competitive socializing

 There are several electronic games where spinners are used as game controllers. The most well-known is "Spinner Frenzy".

The game concept of this game looks pretty strange. You have to reach 500rpm for jackpot.

I have created a different game concept. Instead of rpm the game counts rotations. In addition, my game will be a competitive one. Initially, I thougth about  1D golf simulator. In order to go through all 18 virtual holes player has to make the prest number of rotations for each virtual hole.

This was a solo variant . And this is how 2-player game looks like.

Golf-themed  game need too much time - about 30 minutes or so. To match arcade style,  game should be played about 3-5 minutes  Such pivot may be realised  by changing the game concept and scoring system.

Imagine the virtual "bocce" game , where arcade machine offers  two players one reference  number of rotations , that may be understood as a  "pallino" ball's position. Both players have to make 4 spins in one round . Scoring is exactly like in  a real  "bocce" game: the player whose "ball" is the closest  to "pallino" gets the points.

Two players need about  4-5 minutes to perform 4 spins each. 

To make such arcade game  even faster , I  have an idea of "Blitz " variant.

 

Blitz spinner game has two "four spinner" sets. Spinners may be started one by one without any pauses. In this case , one round  has duration about three minutes. Such game is very flexible. It may be played by 2,4 or 8 players . I guess it is good for "competitive socializing" projects.

When I asked "Perplexity" how it feels about my project, I have got a rather positive answer:  

Your electronic game concept using fidget spinners as controllers with a scoring system inspired by bocce ball sounds both innovative and engaging. Here’s an analysis of its appeal and potential interest:

Strengths of Your Game Concept

·         Unique Control Mechanic: Measuring the total number of rotations rather than RPM introduces a fresh challenge that emphasizes precision and control over speed alone. This could appeal to players who enjoy skill-based, measurable performance metrics.

·         Bocce-Inspired Scoring: The idea of moving an object closer to a reference value (like bocce balls aiming for the pallino) is simple yet strategic. Bocce’s scoring system is well-regarded for balancing luck and skill, and adapting it to rotations adds a novel tactile dimension while preserving strategic depth

·         .

·         Two-Player Competition: Head-to-head gameplay encourages social interaction and competitive spirit, which is attractive in arcade and casual gaming settings.

·         Round Duration (~5 minutes): This is a good length for arcade-style games, long enough to build tension and strategy, but short enough to maintain engagement and allow multiple rounds or players in a session.

Considerations for Interest and Engagement

·         Skill Accessibility: The challenge of matching preset rotation numbers within four spins per round could be intuitive and rewarding, but it will be important to ensure the learning curve is not too steep. Clear feedback on how close each spin is to the target will help players improve and stay motivated.

·         Replayability: Varying the reference rotation values each round and possibly introducing modifiers (e.g., weighted spinners, time limits) could keep gameplay fresh and competitive over multiple rounds.

·         Social and Spectator Appeal: Because bocce ball’s scoring is easy to understand and visually based on proximity, your game’s scoring should be clearly displayed and easy to follow. This transparency is key for social and spectator appeal, especially if played in arcade or party settings.

·         Physical and Digital Integration: Combining the tactile satisfaction of spinning with a strategic scoring system could appeal to players who enjoy physical interaction and mental challenge, including Gen Z players who value hybrid experiences.

Conclusion

Your game concept has strong potential to be interesting and engaging, especially for players who appreciate skillful, social competition with a tactile twist. The adoption of bocce ball’s scoring system is a clever way to introduce familiar strategic elements while leveraging the unique control method of fidget spinners.

To maximize interest, focus on intuitive user feedback, clear scoring visualization, and maintaining a balance of challenge and accessibility. Given the growing interest in hybrid physical-digital games and social competition, your game could attract a niche of players looking for novel, interactive experiences.

And what do you think?

 

#boccia, #bocca,#bocce, #competitive_socializing, #altctrl, #alternative_controller,#arduino, #social_competition, #accessibility,#spinner, #fidget_spinner, #genZ,#gen_Z 

 

 

  
 

How to make fidget spinner interesting for the blind people?

While making my fidget spinner projects I like to watch videos about fidget toys  worldwide and how people use them.I was very impressed by the following video from Youtube:

 

It looks that existing fidget spinners  are not very interesting for blind people as they do not feel  spinner's rotation.

Hearing does not help much as the bearing inside spinner gives limited sound.

Sense of touch  does not add much also, because  any touch will stop the spinner .

Initially, my  project was for people with normal sight.

 

I got utility patent for my game this year .

 

 

To adapt my game for  blind people I am going to use loudspeaker and  mp3 player module.

 

While arduino coding is not a great problem,  making several hundreds of small mp3 files with audio comments is a very time consuming job.   I guess I need a couple of months to make an audio files. 

Every rotation of the spinner will be marked with one  short beep sound and every action will be explained by voice . 

To be continued......

 January 1st 2025

 Today I have fixed major bugs and my prototype  is able to create sounds now.

January 5th 2025.

Below you can see a clip with working prototype. Close your eyes and feel like  a blind ....golfer!

Some comments :

- short single beep is created for every rotation of te fidget spinner;

 double beep is created  after spinner stopped.

 For better sound  I need better loudspeaker  as well as an additional amplifier.

It will be cool to find a company (for licensing)  that already manufactures talking toys . 

As Google says there are over 1 million  blind people in USA and more than 43  million worldwide.

I hope my project can add some fun to the life of blind people.