A strange ritual, pt 2: Dynamic lighting & sound

This post is part 2 of 5 in the series A strange ritual: summoning immersion at the table.

• Part 1: Introduction

• Part 2: Dynamic lighting & sound

• Part 3: Designing a collaborative “Murderboard” mini-game

• Part 4: (coming soon)

• Part 5: (coming soon)

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The smart home, in service of story

I have Philips Hue smart home lighting throughout my house, as well as a smart TV, smart plugs, and several HomePods, all of which are can be controlled from my devices or by voice via Apple HomeKit.

Before guests arrived, I prepared a set of HomeKit Scenes and iOS Shortcuts, each keyed to a specific location or moment the players might encounter during our game. Each scene could be launched with a tap, controlling some combination of lighting, music, and sound.

I added these scenes to a widget on my iPhone Home Screen for easy access during the game.

As one example, tapping the “Murderboard” button:

• Plunges the room into moody indigo lighting

• Casts a fiery red glow from a bulb hidden beneath the table

• Begins playing a suitably-creepy track from the excellent Cultist Simulator soundtrack on the main HomePods

• Plays the rhythmic sound of train tracks subtly from all other speakers, filling the space with a sense of motion and time passing

• Turns the desk lamp at the table on with an audible “click,” suddenly drawing attention to the red thread and other materials there

Lighting

Using lighting to alter the context across the evening was a great success. I primarily used lighting in two ways:

1. Guiding players to a different section of the room as we transitioned among activities

2. Setting the mood for narrative moments

It was especially fun seeing my players’ delighted reactions the first time the lights changed color because the effect was (intentionally) drastic and unexpected.

Normal lighting

1920s jazz; guests mingle before the game

Focus: Living room

Train whistle, then crowd noises and the arrival of a steam engine. Guests are invited to the “First Class Salon” (read: sofa) for a briefing before boarding

Focus: Dining room

The hushed rhythm of train tracks as guests are invited to the dining car (read: kitchen table) for an in-character scene

“Murderboard” mini-game

The veil between worlds grows thin; eerie music and a change of mood

Arrival in Alexandria

The sun sets as players arrive at the train station; sounds of an Egyptian marketplace

Loretta’s House

Players explore an abandoned house & garden under the light of a silver moon; crickets & frogs & strange rustlings can be heard

Sounds effects and music

For this game, I moved all of my HomePods to the living room, strategically placing them throughout the space for maximum impact:

• Two stereo-paired HomePods under the TV, providing rich space-filling sound for music or primary sound effects

• Two stereo-paired HomePod minis placed behind the couch — these can either mirror the primary HomePods or set ambient sounds against them

• One HomePod mini in the laundry room down the hall (for directional sounds like a train whistle)

• One HomePod mini hidden underneath the table (for directional sounds coming unexpectedly from beneath the players)

A table set with hors d’œuvres, character nametags, and props

• What I learned

  This is the first time I’ve ever deployed complex HomeKit scenes in realtime as part of a performance. It was a success! But I learned a lot and have some ideas of what to improve next time.

  Lighting worked really well — it enhanced the mood without distraction. However, some scenes were too dark for players to comfortably see their character sheets. Next time I’ll make sure there’s sufficient lighting at the table at all times.

  Music had a great impact, both during the game and as mood-setting background music during the dinner party.

  Ambient sounds (crowds, nighttime sounds, running water) worked well, but in some cases became tedious. In the future, I will automate these using Shortcuts (rather than HomeKit scenes) — which will allow me to fade them out automatically after a set amount of time.

  Sound effects are a lot of fun, but can be distracting if not used tastefully and delivered smoothly. In the future I will use fewer (reserving them for moments of great impact) and make sure to practice timing and delivery more thoroughly in advance.

  Creating Scenes and Shortcuts requires thoughtful planning — it reminds me of creating classes in CSS or Text & Paragraph Styles in InDesign. Scenes can be “nested” in the sense that activating one scene can either replace or build on top of the current state of your lights and accessories, which can lead to unexpected outcomes.

The Game Runner, The Exile, The Dancer, The Bright Young Thing, The Aspirant. Not pictured: The Forge of Days.