Earlier this week, we mentioned a game called #IDARB, a forthcoming Xbox One release that enables the use of Twitter, changing the conditions of its sports format depending on what users input into their social tweets, using the hashtag of the same name. However, Other Ocean Interactive’s title isn’t the only one that’s making use of this network.
According to VentureBeat, a new game called Hashtag Dungeon will actually allow users to create worlds dependent on tweets made on the site. The game, made for PC by University of Lincoln students Kieran Hicks and Sean Oxspring, depends on users putting together maps from rooms shared by people on the social network. As such, content can be created so that the game isn’t played the same way twice, providing unique places to visit and explore every time.
“Player creativity is key to (Hashtag Dungeon) as you can actually make dungeons yourself using Twitter and our built-in dungeon editor,” said the developers through their website. “Assume the role of a Dungeon Explorer or a Dungeon Master in order to create a unique dungeon crawling experience.”
As you can see from the screenshot below, the game does use specific commands to create the levels, and they can be rather complex compared to the usual tweet. That said, it’s still an inventive way to put together a gaming experience, and watch it play out in real-time.
The text is put together automatically upon building a level in the game, using the built-in editor. From there, they can be pieced together whenever someone starts playing a game, so they can explore that dungeon in real-time.
Hashtag Dungeon us currently in beta testing at the moment, and players that are interested can chip in $5 to give it a try. The team intends to continue providing it updates, including themes, achievements, and an offline mode, for those who want to explore the default dungeons.
So what does this mean for social interaction in gaming It certainly bumps it up a notch. Aside from #IDARB, other gaming companies have tried their hand at integrating Twitter in one form or another. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, a mobile game that released some time ago, utilizes quotes from the story’s characters, which then post live to Twitter as players go through it. Other games are also in the works that, in one way or another, will use the channel.
Obviously Twitter will continue to be used regularly for messaging, news and so forth, but this is a great way to see it work with gameplay — and it’ll be interesting to see what levels come from it as a result.
Check out the video below to see more of the game in action.
