Universal Game Based on Traditional Children's Outdoor Games: Japan

The development of a universal game, titled Daruma, aims to provide an inclusive gaming experience that accommodates individuals with physical limitations by adapting traditional children’s outdoor activities. Based on the Japanese game Red Light, Green Light, the system removes reliance on visual information, allowing participants to engage through auditory cues and flexible input methods. By enabling players to choose between arm-swinging motions—detected via acceleration sensors—and finger-tapping on a desk—detected via microphone—the game ensures that physical mobility constraints do not prevent participation.

Experimental evaluations conducted with healthy participants, who wore eye-masks to simulate visual impairment and test the system's accessibility, yielded positive results regarding enjoyment and usability. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction, with 100% of respondents in the assessment group indicating they enjoyed the experience despite the lack of visual input and expressing a desire to play again. The study found no significant difference in performance or enjoyment between the two input methods, suggesting both are equally viable for diverse users.

The research demonstrates that simple, rule-based traditional games can be effectively digitized to foster inclusivity. While the current iteration successfully supports users with physical and visual limitations, the authors acknowledge that the system does not yet accommodate individuals with hearing impairments. Future development efforts are directed toward creating a truly universal platform that incorporates non-visual and non-aural communication methods, as well as enhancing the immersive quality of the game through binaural audio technology to better replicate the tension of the original outdoor experience.