Fascinating to see how many hallmarks of the immersive medium were presented fully formed in the passport-style playbill for TAMARA. Setting expectations for a play with scenes staged simultaneously across many rooms still isn't easy, but they did it beautifully in this example from 40 years ago.

And if there's a separate ranking for interactive lantern installations, Fright Fest has somehow taken the lead.

Fright Fest at Magic Mountain hasn't traditionally been part of my annual haunt rotation, but that changed this year. I was very impressed by the build quality of their maze environments, the variety and inventiveness of their gags, and the sheer volume of live entertainment offerings.

It's slime time!

The folks who make The Room series of delightful puzzle games are crowd-funding a plush of the mysterious safe from their first level!

Hat & Beard Press is publishing a book of Blade Runner contact sheets!

The new "Inked" maze at Knott's Scary Farm is a masterpiece.

Fewer labor disputes in a post-scarcity economy.

The Datapad is dead. Long live the Datapad.

The screen is redeemed at the end of the movie.

If "providing interactive play areas for recreational purposes" means Murder She Wrote at Fan Fest, Universal wins.

Corporate cowards allowed themselves to be hoodwinked by silicon valley conmen fearmongering on "being left behind" despite having no path to profitability. Not sure which to blame, the fool or the fool who follows him. There will always be hucksters, but we don't have to follow them off a cliff.

I think I've found a new third space in the @lucasmuseum.bsky.social library.

Affordances for the reality of your audience's participation style and the limitations of your capacity relative to demand — I believe these are the experience designer's responsibility. There are design solutions that could address the difficulties of this concept.

You have displayed more consideration for the narrative experience of the guest in this comment than the design of this walkaround will afford.

Speaking of this, Sunday was the first time at Ghost Town Alive that I felt they've entered the territory with their playerbase's level of commitment to costume and participation that they need to give an identifiable "Calico Resident" badge of some kind to all of the official performers.

I share your concerns. If the operations play out as they described, it is deeply negligent interactive experience design. (Unsurprising given the designer's track record on this front.)

Another vibrant Founder's Day, filled with hitchin' traditions, book clubs, time capsules, secrets revealed, and a visit from the Governor declaring, "Calico belongs to the people!" Ghost Town Alive remains a shining beacon of boundless communal play in an increasingly passive theme park landscape.

If you could use a laugh, and also feel suffocated by corporate malfeasance, please go see COYOTE VS ACME in a theater this weekend.