Paranoia Syndrome – A Pervasive Multiplayer Game using PDAs, RFID, and Tangible Objects Guido Heumer 1 , Darren Carlson 2 , Sree Harsha Kaligiri 2 , Supriya Maheshwari 2 , Waqar-ul Hasan 2 , Bernhard Jung 1 , Andreas Schrader 2 1 Virtual Reality and Multimedia Group, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany http://www.informatik.tu-freiberg.de 2 ISNM - International School of New Media, University of Lübeck, Germany http://www.isnm.de Abstract. In this paper we present Paranoia Syndrome as a novel hybrid game approach. Paranoia Syndrome combines classic multiplayer strategy game ele- ments using 2D computer graphics on PDAs with location-based interaction paradigms in physical space using RFID technology and tangible objects. The combination of virtual and physical reality interaction in addition to a rule sys- tem, that encourages player cooperation, provides a powerful approach for so- cial gaming experiences. 1 Introduction With pervasive gaming, novel types of games have recently emerged. The general idea is to apply pervasive computing technology - which embeds computing and in- terfacing capabilities in real-world, everyday objects - to games. By bringing gaming back to natural, social interaction spaces, pervasive gaming aims to overcome some restrictions of conventional computer games: Players are no longer tied to computer screens and human-computer interaction is not constrained by graphical user inter- faces (GUIs), which is a crucial aspect of traditional non-computer games. A specific enhancement of pervasive game design is given by the usage of tangible user interfaces (TUI) [10][12]. TUIs support the use of graspable – not just pervasive – real-world objects as intuitive interfaces that follow familiar metaphors and allow for conveniently combining real and virtual worlds. Recently, several pervasive games using advanced technology have been proposed. Cheok et al. [2] and Ulbricht and Schmalstieg [12] proposed augmented reality games using tangible interfaces. In the EyeToy system [11], a camera is used to track the movements of the user. The Nokia Xpress-on TM Fun Shells [9] have inbuilt acceler- ometer sensors and RFID readers, which can be used to control games on the phone display. A comprehensive discussion of tangible user interfaces in game design has been provided by Ullmer and Ishii [13]. In the EU project IPerG [5], board games have been analyzed for the potential of computer augmentation with a special focus on socially adaptable games. Board games and table-top games have been presented in a number of research projects, since classical board games show an explicit level of sociability [8].