I wrote a series for IBM on putting together an Arduino-based Laser Tag game called ‘Duino Tag.  I held off on putting up any info here until the whole series was published. But now, all three parts are up.  You have to register at IBM developerWorks to read the whole series, but registration is free.

Part One – Gun Basics

Part Two – Firing The Gun

Part Three – Registering Hits

I also have basic parts kits available here if you want to take a crack at it.  You’ll need to provide your own Arduino and case, as well as some other minor bits (wire, battery, etc).

Here’s what the gun looks like that I built as a prototype:

This was a dream project for me.  If you read the articles, the rules of the game hinge around the idea that you get 6 shots before your gun may explode, and you can get hit 6 times before you’re officially out.

Sound familiar?  It should.  I built it with Paranoia in mind.

In Paranoia, you get 6 clones.  And you can fire a barrel 6 times before it starts to overhead, with potentially disastrous consequences.

I have always wanted tabletop prop guns for my Paranoia games.  These would be perfect for ZAP mode of play, when you roll for Hit Location nearly as often as you succeed in the mission.

I’m not quite there yet – I still need to work in removable barrels.  but with a Referee gun (described in the series) this could be what gets me one step closer to that Paranoia DARP I’ve been threatening…