Universal game based on traditional children's outdoor games

Abstract

A universal game, Daruma, has been developed that can be played by both healthy people and people with physical limitations. It is based on the Japanese variation of the traditional outdoor children's game Red Light, Green Light. We devised two ways to play the game: one is by swinging an arm; the other is by tapping a desk with two fingers. Players can select either of these choices, enabling people with physical limitations to enjoy the game. We conducted experiments to verify their ease of play and to evaluate their degrees of enjoyment and utility. We found that both ways of playing were appropriate for the visually impaired and that healthy people also enjoyed playing Daruma. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.