Snuggling and Intimacy

Let me tell you a bit about Graveyard Snuggle.

The concept for Graveyard Snuggle originated way back in the Fall of 2009 while I was attending grad school. I was brainstorming with my friend Su Yon Sohn, and we started talking about how little physical contact we make with other people from day to day. Outside of the bedroom, it’s rare to experience more than a handshake with family, friends, and colleagues.

But it feels nice to be touched by another person. It’s one of the ways we build deep and trusting relationships with each other. We even consider it more intimate to hold hands with someone than to kiss.

So Su Yon and I decided to make a game that invited players to touch each other. We called it Touchi — a Twister-esque game where players gradually entangled their limbs until it became impossible to move without falling apart.

There was something remarkably pure about the way Touchi created fun and surprising interactions. But it wasn’t without its flaws, so a couple months ago I began working on a spiritual sequel to Touchi. That game is, of course, Graveyard Snuggle.

I have a few goals in mind that I’m hoping to achieve with Graveyard Snuggle:

  1. Integrate a digital component that adds structure and challenge to the physical movement.
  2. Clearly define an end state so players know when the game is over.
  3. Incorporate a fantastical narrative context that encourages players to release their inhibitions.
  4. Distribute the game through easily accessible channels.

The game still has to undergo a rigorous playtesting process before I’ll know how close I am to achieving these goals. If you have an iPhone and a group of open minded friends, give me a shout and I’ll send you an early build to play. I’m curious to see what you think :)

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