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'Snake the Planet' uses buildings as playing surface, generates levels based on architecture

'Snake the Planet' uses buildings as playing surface, generates levels based on architecture

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A new take on Snake takes the classic game and projects it onto a building, turning features like doors and windows into parts of the game.

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Snake the Planet
Snake the Planet

You can already play Snake on just about any device, but a new version from Sydney-based MPU Labs takes the classic and projects it on a wall, dynamically generating levels based on the environment. Called Snake the Planet, the game creates obstacles based on the surface it's displayed on — so everything from doors to passing pedestrians will become a part of the level. It uses what MPU describes as a "pretty standard camera" to create a high-contrast black-and-white image of a wall, which is then analyzed to find shapes that are turned into pixelated obstacles. The actual game is a multiplayer take on Snake, where you can block your opponent's path much like in a Tron light cycle race. It's also extremely mobile — all you need are a camera, projector, computer and a portable battery to power it all. The couch is optional.