Slugbugger, a small game for staying connected

Slugbug, or Punchbuggy depending on where you’re from, is a social game about noticing things. You spot the unique shape of a Volkswagen Beetle in the distance, you call it out, you slug your friend in the arm. It works on road trips, on walks, in traffic. It works best when you're already with someone.

It works less well when you're apart. I built a version that could survive the distance. Players would submit “Slugbugs” by emailing a photo and maybe some smack talk to a special email address. A scraper would pick up the emails, process the images, and update the scores. An online portal would post the live feed, leaderboards, and flags for disputed calls. It ran for a couple years among a small group of friends as a prototype, but ended up being a nice point of connection.