Binary Gallows

electromechanical hangman

DATE

2012

CONTEXT

Personal project

MEDIUM

Wood, electronics

PEOPLE

Chris Reilly  :  Game Design and Fabrication

Binary Gallows is an electromechanical version of the classic game Hangman. It features a binary alphabetic keyboard and comes with a chart to identify the correct pattern to input each letter. Players input the proper binary sequence then pull the knife switch to submit their guesses. Players can also use the switch to review letters which have been correctly guessed. If players guess the wrong letter, a loud buzzer plays a midi version of Chopin’s funeral march.

In Binary Gallows, the dry and analytical nature of binary language is balanced by the physicality of the electromechanical parts. The result is an interface that feels dangerous, but beckons to be touched.