Pieces of Eight is a multidevice party game, where one device acts as a communal screen for all the players to see, and each player has their own device in their hands. Pieces of Eight will be available for PC, Mac, Android and iOS, so almost anything can be used as a communal screen.

It was nominated for Best Non-Thesis Project and for Best Software Project in the UQ Innovation Showcase for 2015.

Story

It’s the late 1600’s in the Caribbean and you’ve found yourself at the helm of a fine looking pirate vessel, with a hunger for gold and a thirst for grog. The word is that a new fleet of ships are arriving from Europe bursting with gold. Now is your chance for riches! Beware however, as the navy have come to defend these ships from the likes of you, and other pirates will be on the seas, ready for battle!

Objective

It’s all about the gold! Get as much as you can in the 3 minute time limit. Fight your rival pirates, handle the navy who want to stop you, plunder the ships full of loot, and find hidden treasure.

Game Setup

The game is for 3 to 6 players. Each player’s device and the communal screen device run the same app. After selecting the communal screen device to be the ’lobby’, a lobby name is entered, which player devices will use to join the game.

On the player devices, players choose to be a ‘player’ and then enter the lobby name. If a game round is already in session, the new player will join the next round. Before a round starts, players choose a special crew member for their ship. After every player has chosen, the round begins.

Gameplay

Communal Screen

This screen shows a map of the entire area, displaying the positions of all player, navy, and loot vessels. Player scores and a countdown timer are also shown.

Player Screen

Players can see more detail about their immediate area, including obstacles that will slow a player down. The player’s score, crew, and other information are shown on this screen. During a player fight minigame, the relevant players play the minigames on their own device. Stealing money from a loot vessel also starts a minigame on the player’s device.

The Game

Players are in control of a pirate ship, trying to get as much gold as they can within the time limit. There are loot ships traveling around the map full of gold for the taking, and when a player reaches one of these ships, they must tap/click their device as fast as they can in a short time to steal as much money as possible. After the loot ship has been plundered, it sinks and disappears.

To defend the loot ships, the British navy patrols the sea and fights any pirates that they find. Navy battles use a minigame chosen from a bank of minigames. If the pirates win they carry on, but if they lose they re-appear at their starting island.

Not only are the navy a threat, but so are other pirates. If any two pirate ships get too close, they must fight in a minigame to decide who will survive. The game will choose one from a bank of minigames. The losing player gives half of their gold to the winner, and must go back to their starting city.

The communal screen shows the location of all the ships, but the players’ screens should not be ignored, as some obstacles in the water will only show up there. These obstacles like rocks, whirlpools or explosive barrels will slow down or stop a player unless they can maneuver around them.

At random intervals throughout the game, a red ‘X’ will mark the spot of treasure on the communal map. The treasure is an instant gold boost. This ‘X’ will only show for a very short time however, so if a player is staring at their screen they might miss it. Players have the option of spending some of their gold on a copy of the treasure map, displaying the direction of the ‘X’ on their device.

Each player’s pirate ship has a special crew member. This special crew member is chosen before the start of a game round. Special crew members give players different attributes that will help them, whether it be for combat or for speed.

The special crew members are:

Experienced Captain

+10% speed.
Enhanced maneuverability.

Gunpowder Expert

More effective against navy ships.
Explosive barrel obstacles don't slow them down.

Merchant

Steal more money from loot ships.
Lose a little less money when their ship sinks.

Privateer

Not attacked by navy ships.
Gets into fights with other pirates more easily.

Winning the Game

You win the game by having the most gold at the end of the 3 minute round.

The Team

Screenshots