A Tabletop Board Game Interface for Multi-user Interaction with a Storytelling System

The Interactive Storyteller is a multi-user, AI-driven storytelling system designed to bridge the gap between emergent narrative and the social dynamics of traditional tabletop board games. The system’s primary thesis is that a shared, tangible tabletop interface fosters superior social interaction and collaboration compared to conventional, screen-based, first-person storytelling interfaces. By utilizing a multi-touch surface, the system allows multiple users to manipulate character-representing physical objects and interact with a shared digital map, creating a collaborative environment where autonomous intelligent agents generate story events based on user input.

The system architecture is designed to be generic and adaptable to various narrative domains, with the current prototype featuring a "Little Red Riding Hood" scenario. Key interface features include a shared Action Selection Interface (ASI) that allows users to trigger character-specific behaviors, and dynamic text-based story logs that can be repositioned or resized by users. To ensure equitable access for participants seated around the table, the interface supports multi-directional text orientation and shared control mechanisms.

Preliminary research involved informal testing with five children aged 8 to 11. Findings indicated that participants were highly engaged and capable of collaborative planning despite the system's early-stage technical limitations. Observations revealed challenges regarding turn-taking clarity and the readability of text-based story logs, leading to the integration of visual cues, such as connection lines, and the addition of text-to-speech audio to improve immersion. Future development aims to conduct formal evaluations using the Play Observation Scale, compare tangible versus touch-only interaction methods, and transition to higher-precision hardware to enhance user experience and responsiveness.