Brain Art

Josiah and I shared a morning shift at Mud Bay yesterday. It was a slow and steady day, not much excitement as far as coffee goes (I simultaneously hope for and dread an overwhelming, adrenaline pumping rush of people. One that requires ground espresso war-painted on my cheeks and leaves the shop completely destroyed). The last hour of our shift was dragging by particularly slow until one of our friendly regulars, Galen Radtke, came through the door. He carried a board with him that looked like some kind of mosaic artwork. Immediately, our interest was sparked.

Our first guess wasn't completely off the mark- the piece is artwork in part. I would argue, in fact, it's closer to "art" than the heart I poured into Galen's cappuccino. It's also a game. The working title, Galen says, is Tic-Tac-Toss. A very different game with the same title does already exist, so he also says to let him know if we think of any awesome names.The game is seriously awesome, and I'm not sure I'm up to the task to be honest.

These Xs (who shall not be named) are about to get beat by these Os.

Long story short, Tic-Tac-Toss is a complex version of the simple game (you guessed it) Tic-tac-toe. Just like the original, each player is either X's or O's and exchanges turns placing their respective letter in the hopes of getting three in a row or preventing their opponent from doing so. This is where the similarities end. Instead of paper and pencil, you have a game board and pieces. The pieces are illustrated with a small version of a Tic-tac-toe board and a directional arrow. The arrows illustrate the direction the opposing player's piece must slide on the board. Three in a row can be achieved anywhere on the board, but pieces can only be placed in the red center. The result is an intricate puzzle experience; both eye-candy and brain-food.

Galen has been playing Tic-tac-toss with people for a few months, gathering feedback and working in new ideas. Now on his third prototype, it's advanced beyond the idea phase to a beautifully made, well executed game. Not to mention, it's ridiculously fun. Josiah and I played at least four times. Galen spent just a few minutes explaining the concept and rules, then sat aside to occasionally officiate. From the first piece we placed, our brains were being tested.  

Josiah fervently places an X with Kendal and Galen's encouragement.

While Josiah and I battled, we discussed Galen's plans for the game. I mentioned that it would make a neat I-Phone app, but Galen's response was even better. Inspired by games like chess, which can be carried around and played anywhere, the most recent Tic-Tac-Toss prototype includes a hidden, cut out space to store game-pieces. "I want it to be a game you can play in the park," he said. He envisions making the board and pieces out of wood, and burning in the details. He doesn't want to lose the aesthetic aspect of the colors in his current prototype, however, so we discussed different ways to include them. My favorite idea was a cloth board and tile pieces. The cloth would double as a satchel to carry the pieces. Since they're tile, the pieces would hold down the board on windy days at the park. 

Galen, the creator and designer of Tic-Tac-Toss.

Galen pointed out an aspect of community in his game that I'm sure he didn't overlook. Rather than a game that can be played alone or against a computer, his creation thrives on friendship. When two people sit down to play Tic-Tac-Toss, they share an experience that's growing more rare as the technology age advances. The sheer inventiveness of the game puts the players in the position to learn together. Beyond this, it's a chance to interact with, discuss, re-think, and co-create a piece of art. 

      *The game-board and pieces in the above images, along with all written descriptions and rules, are the copyright property of Galen Radtke.