Design Guidelines for Multiplayer Video Games on Multi-touch Displays

The proliferation of multi-touch, tabletop display systems during the last few years have made them an attractive option for interactive, multiuser applications such as museum exhibits and video games. While there is a large body of research on the use of multi-touch and tabletop devices in general purpose applications, far less research has investigated the use of these systems in video games and other entertainment applications. This paper provides a set of guidelines specific to multi-touch displays that can be used to augment existing video game development principles. Through example, we illustrate how the unique capabilities of multi-touch displays can be leveraged to create unique forms of gameplay that offer highly engaging multiplayer game experience. We describe three multiplayer games that have been developed by students as part of an interdisciplinary course in video game design.