AR Façade is an augmented reality version of the acclaimed desktop-based interactive drama, Façade. Few entertainment experiences combine interactive virtual characters, non-linear narrative, and unconstrained embodied interaction. In AR Façade players move through a physical apartment and use gestures and speech to interact with two autonomous characters, Trip and Grace. Our experience converting a desktop based game to augmented reality sheds light on the design challenges of developing mixed physical/virtual AI-based drama and serves as a research instrument to emperically study the relationship between presence and engagement.

People:
Steven Dow, PhD Student ^a
Manish Mehta, PhD Student ^a
Annie Lausier, MS Student ^b
Ellie Harmon, MS Student ^a
Blair MacIntyre, Associate Professor ^a
Michael Mateas, Assistant Professor ^c