Playbook of The World

Inspiration

The inspiration for Playbook of the World came from the goal to preserve the rich diversity of human culture through play. While modern digital gaming is a global phenomenon, many traditional games that have connected communities for centuries are fading from memory. We wanted to create a "digital bridge" that reconnects people with these ancient pastimes, encouraging real-world social interaction and cultural appreciation.

What it does

Playbook of the World is an interactive discovery platform and social network for traditional games. Users can explore a global map to find games from different countries, learn their histories, and follow structured instruction guides. The app features an instant recommendation function that suggests the perfect game based on a user's specific need (e.g. number of players, setting, energy level). Users can also track their progress in a digital Passport, where they earn stamps as they learn games from around the globe, and share their experiences on a community social feed.

How we built it

We brainstormed and drew out the structure and functionality of the app, and then used Claude to consolidate these ideas, and produce prompts which we then inputted into Google AI Studio. We built up the website one tab at a time, and connected it to API's such as the Google Maps API and the UNESCO Database in order to load in an interactive map, and to get usable data to display about the different traditional games. In order to store data about each traditional game, we connected the website to Firebase, to store items such as youtube links for the tutorials on how to play each game, etc.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges that we ran into was having extremely similar ideas as other groups. At the start we were thinking about building a time-capsule project that preserves memories and culture through photos uploaded by users. However one of the mentors suggested that a time capsule might only be relevant to individual users and preserving memories from the present onward. Since then we moved onto the idea of preserving traditional games through the form of educating users, where it lines up more with our goals and guidelines.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are particularly proud of the Passport System, which successfully combines cultural education with the depth of preserving cultural heritage. The Instant Recommendation Engine is another highlight, where the selection of combinations like "3 players, outdoors, high energy" immediately get a curated list of traditional games like Kabaddi or Tag.

What we learned

This project taught us how to adapt existing information and platforms into something that's meaningful and useful for the users on daily bases. We preserved culture through teaching traditional games to the users. We also learned a great deal about handling geographic data in the browser and the nuances of designing social interfaces that encourage positive, community-focused interactions.

What's next for Playbook of the World

The next phase for Playbook of the World involves expanding the library through traditional games submitted by users from their own heritage. We also plan to implement a "Local Play" feature that uses geolocation to help users find nearby groups or events where these traditional games are being played in person, moving the experience from the screen to the real world.